Lead Cyber Detect and Respond Analyst (Ref: 20811)

Job summary

Job description

Lead Cyber Detect and Respond Analyst

Location: National*

Closing Date: 27th August 2026

Interviews: w/c 7th September 2026

Grade: SEO (MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain this grade on lateral transfer)

Salary**:National: £42,914 - £51,675 which may include an allowance up to £8,761. London: £49,325 - £56,050 which may include an allowance up to £6,725.

Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working

Contract Type: Permanent

Number of vacancies: 2

Vacancy number: 20811

*We offer a hybrid working model, allowing for a balance between remote work and time spent in your local office. Office locations can be found ON THIS MAP

Please note that unless you are an existing member of staff at Justice Digital, Data and Science, the only London location being recruited to is 10 South Colonnade, E14 4PU. We are no longer recruiting to 102 Petty France, SW1H 9AJ.

The Role

Please note this role requires you to pass Security Checkclearance. Please click on the link for details.

We’re recruiting for a Lead Cyber Detect and Respond Analyst here at Justice Digital, Data and Science to be part of our warm and collaborative Digital Infrastructure and Security Operations (DISO) team.

This role aligns against Monitoring Leadfrom the Government Security Profession Framework.

The Lead Cyber Detect and Respond Analyst will lead the proactive monitoring, analysis, and response to security events and incidents, ensuring the effective detection and mitigation of cyber threats to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The lead analyst develops and refines detection and response procedures, mentors junior team members, and provides expert guidance during high-severity incidents.

Operating with a high degree of independence and technical authority, this role plays a critical part in strengthening the MoJ’s cyber resilience and advancing the maturity of SOC operations.

We recognise that people develop skills through a variety of professional, academic, and lived experiences.

Key Responsibilities:

• SOC actively monitor the hours between 8am - 6pm and provide on call coverage if needed outside of these hours. This is managed on a rota basis. Additional allowances are provided for on-call staff.

• Lead the day-to-day coordination of security operations activities, ensuring investigations, incident response actions, and operational tasks are effectively assigned, tracked, and delivered.

• Manage operational workload distribution across the team, balancing priorities, resolving resource conflicts, and maintaining visibility of deadlines and service commitments.

• Oversee and maintain incident and investigation tracking processes, ensuring records are accurate, up to date, and provide clear operational oversight.

• Act as one of the primary escalation points for complex security investigations, incidents, and operational issues, providing direction and support to analysts.

• Mentor and coach analysts in investigative techniques, incident handling, and response processes to improve team capability and consistency.

• Line Management/People Management responsibilities, requiring a strong people person who can build trusted relationships, motivate and support individuals, manage performance constructively, communicate effectively at all levels, and create a positive and collaborative team environment.

Benefits.

You’ll receive a range of excellent benefits when you join our department, including:

• A generous employer pension contribution of 28.97% through the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

• 25 days of annual leave, (increasing to 30 days once you have reached 5 years of service),plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King’s birthday.

• Flexible working arrangements including hybrid working, working part time or compressed hours. Designed to support a positive work–life balance.

• Employees are allocated 10% of their working time for personal and professional development.

• A £1k per person learning budget is in place to support all our people, with access to best-in-class conferences and seminars, accreditation with professional bodies, fully funded vocational programmes and e-learning platforms.

• Compassionate maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave policies, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further leave. And maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks, too!

You can find more details of the Benefits we offer here. To help picture your life at MoJ Justice Digital, Data and Science please take a look at our blog.

Person Specification

Essential

• Experience working in a Security Operations Centre (SOC) or similar cyber security role.

• Previous experience leading, coordinating, or supervising.

• Working understanding of cybersecurity operations, threat detection methodologies, and incident response processes.

• Strong experience in analysing and correlating logs (e.g., SIEM, XDR/EDR, cloud, network).

• Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to make sound decisions under pressure.

• Strong communication skills, capable of presenting findings to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Strong people skills with experience mentoring and developing junior analysts, building confidence and capability within the team while contributing to SOC process and detection improvements.

• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across teams and with external partners.

Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for SC clearance

We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring and do not discrimina