Job summary
- Main area
- Cyber Security
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Flexible working
- Home or remote working
- Compressed hours
- Job ref
- 907-929-DIT
- Employer
- NICE - The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- 3rd Floor, 3 Piccadilly Place
- Town
- Manchester
- Salary
- £57,528 - £64,750 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 02/10/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Cyber Security Specialist (Operational)
NHS AfC: Band 8a
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent organisation responsible for providing national guidance and advice on promoting high quality health, public health and social care.
As an equal opportunities employer we are committed to creating a inclusive environment and welcome everyone from all backgrounds to apply so we can continue to create a workforce which is representative of the communities we serve.
If you are suitably qualified and have an interest in remote, hybrid, full time or part time working we encourage you to get in touch as we are happy to discuss potential flexible working opportunities.
We have modern offices in Manchester city centre and Stratford, London. Please take into consideration that you may be required to commute to one of our offices for business purposes if necessary.
Job overview
Do you want to do meaningful work that makes a genuine difference to society? Our main purpose here at The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is to improve health and wellbeing by putting science and evidence at the heart of health and care decision-making.
As an organisation we all collaborate to achieve this goal by empowering our workforce to do great things!
Please note that this role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route. Please refer to the DirectGov website for more information on eligibility.
We reserve the right to close the advert early should we receive sufficient applications, so please don’t delay your submission.
Please be aware interviews will be face to face in our Manchester Office.
Main duties of the job
As a Cyber Security Specialist (Operational), you will play a key hands on role in protecting NICE’s digital platforms, systems, and data from cyber threats. Working as part of a collaborative cyber security function, you will investigate security alerts, manage vulnerabilities, respond to incidents and help ensure our services remain secure, resilient and compliant. The role combines technical expertise with clear communication, supporting both operational delivery and the continual improvement of NICE’s cyber security posture.
What the candidate will be expected to do / bring:
• Act as a hands on cyber security specialist, investigating security alerts, responding to incidents and supporting day to day operational cyber resilience
• Configure, manage and maintain security tooling and infrastructure across on premise and cloud environments, embedding secure by design principles
• Carry out routine vulnerability assessments, threat analysis and horizon scanning to identify and mitigate emerging risks
• Serve as a technical escalation point for complex security issues, contributing expert analysis and practical solutions
• Support compliance with recognised security standards and frameworks (e.g. Cyber Essentials, ISO27001), maintaining clear and auditable records
• Communicate complex technical risks and findings clearly to both technical and non technical stakeholders
Working for our organisation
The Infrastructure, Cyber & IT Operations team plays a critical role in ensuring NICE’s digital services are secure, resilient, and reliable. The team is responsible for safeguarding systems and information, supporting users across the organisation, and maintaining operational stability with minimal risk or disruption.
As part of this team, you will help protect nationally important digital services while enabling NICE to deliver trusted guidance and information to health and care users across England.
We are passionate and proud of the work we do and the impact we make. NICE offer:
- Generous NHS Pension – Secure your future with one of the most rewarding pension schemes in the UK
- Flexible working – Enjoy a healthy work-life balance with options like remote working, compressed hours and flexible start/finish times
- Exclusive discounts – Save on shopping, dining and more with a Blue Light Card
Time to recharge – Start with 27 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays - Inclusive staff networks – Join supportive communities like Women in NICE, Race Equality Network, Disability Advocacy and NICE and Proud – we celebrate diversity
- Tailored development – Grow your career with personalised learning and development opportunities
If you feel this is the type of environment you will enjoy working in, apply today!
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To be considered for this role, you should be able to particularly demonstrate the person specification criteria in the job advert in your application. However, applicants should be able to demonstrate all essential criteria through the entirety of the recruitment process to be considered for the job. Please see job description attached for full list of responsibilities.
Person specification
Knowledge
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of Microsoft Defender, Sentinel, including Kusto Query Language (KQL), threat hunting, analytics rule development, security monitoring, incident investigation and automation capabilities.
Education/Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Holds highly developed specialist knowledge and expertise acquired through master’s degree level or equivalent qualification/experience. Additionally holds specialist knowledge of the relevant area(s) of expertise as outlined in the person specification, acquired through relevant practical experience and training/development
Education/Qualifications
Desirable criteria
- One or more of the following qualifications, or equivalent experience, is desirable for this role: FEDIP Senior Practitioner, Cyber Security Professional (ACSP) ,BCS Certificate in Information Security Management Principles (CISMP), SSCP Systems Security Certified Practitioner
Experience
Essential criteria
- Extensive technical expertise across cyber security operations, threat detection, incident response, vulnerability management, security monitoring, and cyber risk reduction within complex enterprise environments. Experience gained through roles such as Security Analyst, SOC Analyst, Cyber Security Engineer, Incident Responder, or similar technical cyber security positions.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable experience as an individual contributor within a cyber security team, with clear evidence of personal ownership, technical decision-making, incident resolution, vulnerability remediation, and delivery of measurable security outcomes.
Skills/Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Extensive hands-on experience across cyber security operations, threat detection, incident response, vulnerability management, security monitoring, and cyber risk reduction within complex enterprise environments. Proven experience in implementing, configuring, maintaining, and optimising security technologies including SIEM, EDR, XDR, SOAR, vulnerability management platforms, cloud security solutions, identity and access management controls, endpoint protection, and threat intelligence capabilities. Skilled in cyber incident investigation, threat hunting, security architecture, infrastructure hardening, digital forensics, and the application of industry best practices, standards, and frameworks to strengthen organisational resilience, improve security posture, and support operational cyber security objectives.
Skills/Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable hands-on experience securing, supporting, implementing, and improving cyber security controls across enterprises in Microsoft O365, Azure, AWS, and on-premises or cloud environments. Strong technical expertise in network security, cloud security, identity and access management, endpoint security, infrastructure hardening, vulnerability management, security monitoring, threat detection, and incident response. Candidates must be able to provide practical examples of how they have personally investigated security incidents, remediate vulnerabilities, implemented security controls, enhanced monitoring and detection capabilities, and applied risk-based decision making to identify, assess, and mitigate cyber security risks within live operational environments.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Muhammad Khan
- Job title
- Head of Cyber Security
- Email address
- [email protected]
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