Job Description

Closing Date

2026-05-08

Job Title: Lead Security Operations Engineer

Location: Durrington / Hybrid working

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: 37 hours per week

Salary: from £65k

About the role

This is a new and pivotal role within IT Operations, created to establish and lead our Security Operations function at a time of significant transformation. Reporting into the Infrastructure Operational Support Manager, you’ll work closely with infrastructure, network and security governance teams to strengthen our cyber resilience and protect critical services.

As the Security Operations Subject Matter Expert, you’ll shape the operating model, define the roadmap, and embed best‑practice security across our IT estate. This is an opportunity to combine hands‑on technical delivery with leadership, strategy and influence, in a role where your expertise will make a visible and lasting impact.

What you will be responsible for:

You’ll lead the day‑to‑day and strategic delivery of Security Operations, ensuring our people, platforms and partners work together to manage threats, vulnerabilities and incidents effectively.

This will include:

• Establishing and leading the Security Operations function, including defining processes, frameworks and tooling
• Owning vulnerability management across the organisation, identifying, prioritising and driving remediation using tools such as Qualys and Tenable
• Managing and optimising security tooling including SIEM, endpoint protection, DLP and internet security solutions
• Acting as the primary technical escalation point for complex security incidents and operational issues
• Coordinating incident response and emergency activities, working closely with internal teams and external partners
• Managing and assuring third‑party SOC providers and near‑/off‑shore partners against agreed SLAs
• Developing and owning the security operations roadmap, driving continuous improvement and innovation

Additional requirements specific to the role

• Participation in a 24/7 on‑call rota to support critical incident response
• Travel across Southern Water sites as required
• Close collaboration with infrastructure, network and governance teams across IT Operations

What you’ll bring to the role:

Essential

• Proven, hands‑on experience in Security Operations, including incident response and vulnerability management
• Strong technical knowledge of security tooling such as SIEM platforms, endpoint protection and vulnerability scanning tools
• Experience leading or coordinating internal teams and third‑party SOC providers
• Familiarity with IT service management tools such as ServiceNow
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence and collaborate across technical teams

Desirable

• Professional certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CompTIA Security+ or equivalent
• Experience within utilities, critical infrastructure or operational technology environments

Southern Water is at the forefront of transforming Britain’s water industry, investing significantly to enhance resilience, sustainability, and service excellence. With £7.8bn planned investment for 2025-30, this is an unparalleled opportunity to join a business committed to delivering a generational shift in the way water services are managed.

You will be joining at a time of significant change, working alongside a highly skilled leadership team with a clear vision for the future. We offer an environment where senior professionals can make a meaningful impact, influence major strategic decisions, and drive long-term value creation

At Southern Water, we believe diverse perspectives drive innovation. If you’re passionate about making a positive impact and think you can bring value to our team, we’d love to hear from you—even if you don’t tick every box. Your unique skills and experiences could be exactly what we need.

If this role isn’t quite what you’re looking for but are keen to be contacted about opportunities at Southern Water, you can register your details here: Introduce Yourself (myworkdaysite.com- Introduce Yourself)

Our Commitment to Diversity

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or any other protected characteristic. If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

Additional information:

In line with Southern Water’s security requirements, successful candidates will be required to provide evidence of their identity, eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record check (DBS) and verification of their employment and/or education history for the past three years.

Appointment to this role is subject to the successful completion of all pre‑employment checks, including security vetting.

Please note that if a candidate does not meet the required security standards or fails to pass the vetting process, Southern Water reserves the right to withdraw the offer of employment. Some positions may also require higher levels of security vetting, which may involve providing additional documentation.

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