Cyber Security Lead

Cyber Security Lead £55,000–£65,000 + benefits Home-based with occasional travel (within the UK) The Role: Are you a hands-on cyber security specialist ready to take ownership of security across a growing UK business? Charles Simon Associates are recruiting a Cyber Security Lead for a business with sites across the UK. You'll be its internal technical security lead, combining practical work across Microsoft security technologies with responsibility for external security providers, certification and the security improvement roadmap. The opportunity: You'll have real influence over the organisation's security approach: improving existing controls, selecting future technologies and assessing whether SOC and SIEM capabilities should remain outsourced or move in-house. What you'll do:

• Configure, harden and improve security across Microsoft Entra ID, Defender, Purview, Microsoft 365, Azure and Windows environments.
• Manage outsourced SOC, MDR and SIEM services, challenging providers on technical quality and performance.
• Lead cyber security incident response, including investigation, containment, recovery and root-cause analysis.
• Own vulnerability management and drive remediation through to completion.
• Coordinate penetration testing and technical security assessments.
• Lead Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO 27001 certification activities.
• Select security technologies and develop business cases for future investment and service delivery.
• Build and deliver a prioritised security improvement roadmap.
• Maintain security policies, standards and procedures.
• Explain security risks and progress to non-technical stakeholders.
• Deliver occasional onsite security awareness sessions. What we're looking for:
• Strong hands-on cyber security experience across Microsoft environments, particularly Entra ID, Defender, Microsoft 365 and Windows.
• Practical experience investigating incidents, improving security configurations and remediating vulnerabilities.
• Experience working with or managing outsourced SOC, MDR or SIEM providers.
• Experience supporting or leading Cyber Essentials Plus and/or ISO 27001 certification.
• A solid understanding of infrastructure and networking, including Active Directory, DNS, virtualisation, cloud services and firewalls.
• Working knowledge of frameworks such as NIST CSF or CIS Controls.
• Confidence challenging suppliers and communicating technical risks clearly.
• The ability to work independently, prioritise effectively and take ownership. Experience with Microsoft Purview would be valuable. Qualifications such as CISSP, CISM, Security+ or Microsoft security certifications are desirable; demonstrable hands-on capability is equally important. You may currently be a Senior Security Engineer, Cyber Security Lead, Technical Security Consultant or a hands-on Cyber Security Manager. Benefits Private medical insurance, Bupa Health Cash Plan, life assurance, 25 days' holiday plus bank holidays, holiday purchase scheme, 5% matched pension, ongoing learning and development, and an electric car scheme. Location: Home-based in the UK, with occasional travel to sites. Interested? Apply with an up-to-date CV. We'd particularly like to hear about the Microsoft security controls you've implemented, incidents you've investigated and security improvements you've delivered.