Security Operations Manager

Job Role: Security Operations Manager 

Salary: £81,000 - £86,000 + 15% performance bonus

Working Location: Milton Keynes / London, Hybrid working

Employment Type: Full Time, Permanent

Job summary:

At NHBC, cyber security is fundamental to maintaining the trust of our customers and ensuring the resilience of our business. As our Security Operations Manager, you'll play a critical leadership role in protecting our technology estate, strengthening our cyber defences and ensuring we're ready to respond to an ever-changing threat landscape.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced operational security professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment. You'll lead a team of Security Analysts, oversee critical security technologies, drive continuous improvement and work closely with colleagues across technology, the business and third-party partners to keep our organisation secure.

If you're passionate about modern cyber defence, enjoy solving complex security challenges and want to influence how security is delivered across a large organisation, we'd love to hear from you.

What you'll be doing

You'll lead the day-to-day operational security function, ensuring NHBC has the people, processes and technology needed to detect, respond to and recover from cyber threats.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading and developing a high-performing team of Security Analysts, ensuring effective threat monitoring, investigation and incident response across NHBC's environments.
• Managing relationships with our Security Operations Centre (SOC), internal technology teams and third-party suppliers to ensure rapid detection, escalation and remediation of security events.
• Driving our threat monitoring capability, identifying emerging risks that could impact our business, customers or reputation.
• Overseeing vulnerability management across on-premise and cloud environments, ensuring weaknesses are identified, prioritised and remediated effectively.
• Developing and continually improving security incident response processes, including cyber incident and data breach response.
• Managing penetration testing activities to provide assurance over live services and significant technology changes.
• Working with infrastructure, engineering and architecture teams to embed secure-by-design principles, cloud security and secure configuration standards.
• Overseeing Data Loss Prevention (DLP) investigations and partnering with business teams to manage potential information security incidents.
• Managing and optimising key security technologies, including Microsoft Defender, Sentinel, Purview, XDR, email and web security platforms, phishing simulation tools and other operational security controls.
• Leveraging automation and AI to enhance threat detection, streamline investigations and improve response times.
• Producing meaningful operational metrics, KPIs and KRIs that provide insight into security performance and support informed decision-making.
• Building strong partnerships with suppliers and service providers to ensure the highest standards of security service delivery.

What we’re looking for

You'll be an experienced cyber security leader with a strong technical background and a passion for operational excellence. You'll enjoy working collaboratively across teams, mentoring others and translating technical risks into practical business outcomes.

We're looking for someone with:

• Experience leading security operations teams within hybrid or outsourced environments.
• Strong technical expertise across modern security tooling, including Microsoft Defender, Microsoft E5 Security, Sentinel, AWS, Azure, Purview, SIEM, XDR/EDR, CSPM and vulnerability management platforms.
• Experience leading technical incident response, problem management and security investigations.
• A solid understanding of enterprise, network, cloud and SaaS/IaaS security.
• Experience embedding security operations into engineering, infrastructure and service management practices.
• Strong knowledge of identity and access management, security automation and scripting.
• An understanding of AI security concepts and the practical use of AI to strengthen cyber defence.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience managing third-party suppliers and outsourced security services.
• Professional certifications such as CISSP, CISM, GIAC or equivalent, alongside relevant Microsoft, AWS or cloud certifications.

Why join NHBC?

This is an opportunity to shape the future of operational cyber security within a respected national organisation. You'll have the autonomy to improve security operations, introduce modern technologies and automation, develop talented people and influence security strategy across the business.

You'll join a collaborative and supportive team where innovation is encouraged, continuous improvement is valued and your expertise will make a genuine difference to the resilience of our organisation.

If you're ready to lead from the front, embrace new technologies and help defend NHBC against today's cyber threats and tomorrow's, we'd love to hear from you.

What we offer

Our benefits package includes:

• 27 days annual leave + bank holidays
• holiday purchase scheme
• enhanced pension scheme (up to 10.5%)
• life assurance
• subsidised private medical insurance
• employee discounts platform
• two days volunteer leave
• enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption leave and pay for all new parents

+ many more!

Who we are

At NHBC, we pride ourselves on being truly unique. No other organisation in our sector matches the range of services and scale we provide. As the market leader, we are recognised as the go-to for new home warranties and insurance. Our team is united by a core purpose: to raise the standards of house building and protect homeowners.

Why you should join us

As a modern, family-friendly employer, we’re in a phase of rapid growth, embracing technology, data and new ways of working. We’re seeking passionate, skilled and driven individuals to join us on this exciting journey.

Once onboard, you’ll have access to fantastic opportunities for personal and career growth. You’ll receive thorough training, continuous development and the chance to earn recognised qualifications and professional memberships to support your journey.

We support flexible working and encourage our colleagues to find a balance that suits them. While we may not be able to accommodate every request, we’re always happy to have a conversation about flexible working arrangements.

Our inclusive culture

We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive culture where everyone feels empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. We firmly believe in the right of all our employees and customers to be treated fairly, with dignity and respect, and free from discrimination. Our active employee networks support colleagues and their allies, providing safe spaces for open conversations and idea-sharing.

We are a Disability Confident organisation committed to fair and inclusive recruitment. Our first step is to review applications to ensure candidates meet the essential criteria for the role. We assess skills, experience, and potential objectively, and provide support or reasonable adjustments where needed. Candidates who meet the criteria will progress to the next stage.

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