Sword is a leading provider of business technology solutions within the Energy, Public and Finance Sectors, driving transformational change within our clients. We use proven technology, specialist teams and domain expertise to build solid technical foundations across platforms, data, and business applications. We have a passion for using technology to solve business problems, working in partnership with our clients to help in achieving their goals.
We are looking for a Cyber Security Engineer to join our security team and take the lead on our security operations. Reporting to the Group CISO and working closely with IT, you will take ownership of the day-to-day running of Sword’s technical security controls, with a strong focus on Microsoft security technologies. You will play a leading role in strengthening monitoring, detection, protection, and response across the business, and in automating the work that should not be done by hand. This role suits someone with at least five years of hands-on experience, a positive can-do attitude, and the ability to take ownership, work autonomously, manage workload effectively, and deliver results.
This is a hands-on technical role with real ownership, focused on implementing, operating, and improving security controls across Sword’s environment. Working with IT and the wider security function, you will strengthen monitoring, protection, detection, response, and technical assurance through effective use of security technologies and services, and you will look for opportunities to automate. We are looking for someone who is proactive, practical, and delivery-focused, with the confidence to work independently, agree and manage priorities, and follow through with minimal supervision.
Key responsibilities include:
Security Monitoring and Operations - Own the day-to-day security operations across Microsoft security technologies including Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender, Conditional Access, Entra ID, and related Azure security capabilities, strengthening monitoring, detection, protection, and response. You will help shape what effective monitoring looks like at Sword, working in partnership with the CISO and the wider IT team.
Vulnerability Management and Hardening - Proactive and risk-based vulnerability management, including attack surface reduction, system hardening, remediation support, and cloud security posture improvement. You will also coordinate penetration testing and security assessments, and drive the findings through to remediation.
Automation and Continuous Improvement - Reduce manual effort across security operations through automation, scripting, and integration. Where work is repetitive, look to automate it. Identify and implement improvements to security tooling, detection logic, control effectiveness, and operational processes through tuning, automation, and incremental engineering. This is an important part of the role.
Security Tooling and Services - Own the security tooling estate and work closely with our external providers to make sure the services we buy deliver the outcomes we need, resolving technical issues and improving day-to-day security outcomes.
Incident Investigation and Response - Own and run security incidents from start to finish, covering technical investigation and triage, containment, remediation, closure, and keeping the business informed as it unfolds. We are looking for someone who has personally led incidents rather than taken part in them as one of a wider team, and who turns each one into a lasting improvement in our detection and response.
Security Awareness and Enablement - Provide the technical input behind awareness activity, simulated phishing exercises, and secure working practices, helping colleagues work safely without adding friction to their day.
Technical Compliance and Assurance - Own the technical controls behind our certifications and assurance activity, including Cyber Essentials Plus, ISO 27001, evidence gathering, and…