Senior Cyber Security Analyst

About The Role

Working hours: 35 hours per week

Contract type: Permanent

Closing date: 25 November 2024

Interview method: in person (face to face)

This role is subject to:

• BPSS (Baseline Personnel Security Standard) clearance - this post is subject to BPSS checks. You will therefore be required to consent to and comply with BPSS checking requirements prior to commencing in this post. This check involves verification of identity; nationality and immigration status; employment history (past 3 years) and basic criminal record check.

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Cyber Security Analyst to join our proactive ICT Cyber Security and Compliance Service. This team provides operational security controls, guidance, assurance, and compliance activities that support all products and platforms within the Council. Our mission is to protect networks, devices, and data from unauthorized access or criminal use by ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.

In this role, you will be at the forefront of our efforts to protect and defend against malicious cyber-attacks. Our modern, proactive operational Cyber Security team is dedicated to providing:

• Threat Hunting: Actively seek out potential threats before they can cause harm. This involves continuous monitoring and analysis of network traffic, system logs, and other data sources to identify unusual patterns or behaviours that may indicate a security threat.

• Vulnerability Management: Identify and address security weaknesses in our systems. Conduct regular vulnerability assessments, apply patches and updates, and implement security controls to mitigate risks.

• Defence Management: Oversee and fine-tune our defences, including perimeter firewalls, through granular rule and object management. Ensure that our security policies are effectively enforced and that our network is protected against unauthorized access.

• Web and Email Filtering: Implement and manage filters to protect against malicious content. Configure and maintain web and email filtering solutions to block phishing attempts, malware, and other threats.

• EDR and XDR Technologies: Administer and respond to Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and Extended Detection and Response (XDR) technologies to swiftly mitigate threats. Monitor alerts, investigate incidents, and take appropriate actions to contain and remediate threats.

• Security Governance and Compliance: Create and manage policies and processes to ensure that all technology remains secure and compliant. Ensuring that all security layers align against our Internal Security Standards and Statutory and Regulatory obligations.

• SIEM Management: Manage, monitor, and respond to security incidents and events using the Council’s Security Incident and Event Monitoring (SIEM) platform. Ensure timely detection, analysis, and response to security incidents to minimize impact and support recovery efforts.

As part of our team, the successful candidate will play a crucial role in ensuring the security and integrity of the Council’s information systems. You will work closely with other IT professionals to develop and implement security strategies, respond to incidents, and continuously improve our security posture. Your proactive approach and expertise in cyber security will help the Council remain resilient against the heightened global cyber threat landscape.

Join us in protecting the digital backbone of Manchester City Council and ensuring a secure environment for our internal staff, external partners, and the residents and visitors of Manchester.

About the Candidate

We are seeking a dedicated and skilled Senior Cyber Security Analyst to join our team. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in cyber security, with relevant experience and skills that include:

• IT Security Operations Experience: Recent experience as a senior member of a multi-disciplinary team managing operational security (firewall, content filtering, DMZ, Pen Testing, Vulnerability Management) and external managed service partners.
• Security Qualifications: Accredited to a recognised Security qualification (e.g., CISSP, CCP, CCSP). The successful candidate must be willing to work towards obtaining a referenced qualification if not already achieved.
• Proactive Threat Hunting: Demonstrated ability to actively seek out and neutralise potential threats. Experience with threat intelligence tools and techniques, and a deep understanding of the latest cyber threats and attack vectors.
• Vulnerability Identification: Expertise in identifying and mitigating security vulnerabilities. Experience with vulnerability scanning tools, penetration testing, and risk assessment methodologies.
• Defence and Firewall Management: Experience in managing defences and perimeter firewalls with a focus on granular rule and object management. Proficiency in configuring firewall rules, managing access controls, and monitoring network traffic for suspicious activity.
• Web and Email Filtering: Proficiency in providing and managing web and email filtering solutions. Experience in configuring filters to block malicious content, managing spam and phishing protection, and ensuring compliance with security policies.
• EDR and XDR Technologies: Detailed practical knowledge of administering and responding to EDR and XDR technologies. Experience with endpoint security solutions, incident response procedures, and threat detection and remediation.
• Security and Cloud Architecture: Broad knowledge of Security and Cloud architecture principles.
• Management Reporting: Recent experience of providing high-quality management reports, supported by transparent and factual data analysis, to demonstrate problems, opportunities for risk reduction, and improvement across the service.
• Security Monitoring and Service Recovery: Experience of security monitoring, alerting, and service recovery in a pressurised and complex environment.
• IT Service Operations: Significant experience of IT Service Operations, understanding how an IT installation works across 24x7, and a high level of knowledge of ICT Security environments, risks, and challenges.

The Council is committed to investing in your professional growth and providing opportunities for continuous learning and development. If you are passionate about cyber security and have the skills and experience to help Manchester City Council enhance our service offer and defend against global cyber threats, we would love to hear from you.

About Us

In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment. This is not a role we consider to be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route based on Manchester City Council policy. Candidates are therefore encouraged to consider their own right to work options without the requirement for Manchester City Council sponsorship.

We’re the local government authority for Manchester, and have teams across the city helping to make this a great place to live for everyone. We’re proud to do local government differently, in a city with an international reputation for diversity, creativity, culture and passion.

When you join us, you’re joining a team of over 7,000 council staff helping to make our ambition for Manchester a reality. Whatever your role, you’ll be supporting our residents and communities to be the best they can be, and helping to build a Manchester that's fairer for everyone who lives, works, volunteers, studies or plays here.

To make our ambition a reality, every person we recruit needs to play their part. It takes a certain type of behaviour, attitude and way of working to get Manchester where it wants to be. Our people and partners have agreed five ‘behaviours’ – the grounding for how we must work together and treat one another:

• We take time to listen and understand
• We work together and trust each other
• We show that we value our differences and treat each other fairly
• We ‘own it’ and we’re not afraid to try new things
• We’re proud and passionate about Manchester

A career with us means you can be yourself, thrive, and build the career your talent and ambition deserve.

Creating an inclusive team at Manchester City Council

At Manchester City Council, we strive to create a fair and inclusive workplace that is as diverse as the communities we serve. We want to further increase the diversity of our workforce, in particular the number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff and disabled staff at all levels of the Council. This advert is open to all applicants, and we would particularly encourage applications from candidates identifying with one or both of those characteristics.

If you want to find out more about the role, our ways of working, flexible arrangements or any workplace adjustments, please let us know by emailing jobs@manchester.gov.uk. If you are invited to interview, we will ask you if you require any adjustments for you to best demonstrate your suitability for the role in the interview process.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

Accessibility

As a Disability Confident Employer, we provide support for employees with physical or mental-health conditions, a disability or neurodiversity. Our workplaces are accessible by design, and we make workplace adjustments including providing aids, adaptations and equipment. These, combined with our flexible working policies such as disability-related leave, enable our employees to perform their role, thrive and be their authentic selves in work.