SOC AnalystLocation: Stoke-on-Trent (on-site)Salary: From £30,000- £55,000 + 40% shift allowanceClearance: DV required (UK Sole National)Job Description:Exceptional opportunity for experienced Security Analysts, including Service Leavers and Veterans stepping into mid-level cyber rolesWe are seeking a highly capable Tier 2 SOC Analyst to take a lead role within our 24x7 Security Operations Centre. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced cybersecurity professional — or for a Service Leaver with strong practical cyber, communications, intelligence or security operations experience — to step into a position with real technical ownership.About the Role:You will take charge of medium to high-severity incidents, lead investigations, support containment and remediation efforts, and act as an escalation point for Tier 1 analysts. You will also contribute to detection engineering, threat hunting, SIEM improvements and continuous SOC maturity initiatives.This is a hands-on, impactful role where your decisions directly improve the organisation’s security posture.What You will Be Doing:Leading triage, investigation and classification of security eventsTaking ownership of incident containment, recovery and root cause analysisActing as a technical escalation point for junior analystsConducting threat intelligence analysis and sharing insightsTuning SIEM rules, improving detection capability and reducing false positivesSupporting onboarding of new data sources and improving correlation logicLeading post-incident reviews, reporting and service review summariesSupporting vulnerability lifecycle management, remediation guidance and patch validationContributing to continuous improvement, automation, MITRE ATT&CK mapping and threat modellingWhat We are Looking For:1–5 years’ SOC experience or similar operational cyber backgroundStrong hands-on experience with SIEM platforms (LogRhythm, Elastic, Sentinel etc.)Ability to manage and resolve complex incidents end-to-endSolid understanding of network protocols, firewalls, IDS/IPS and endpoint securityStrong analytical mindset and clear written and verbal communicationInterest or experience in scripting/automation is highly beneficialCertifications such as Security+, CEH, CISSP, CCSP, BTL1/2 are desirable but not essential.Why this is a great role for Service LeaversThis role suits ex-military individuals with experience in:Defensive cyberCommunications / CISIntelligence analysisSecurity operationsTechnical leadershipIncident response environmentsYour ability to stay calm under pressure, interpret complex information quickly and lead others makes you particularly well suited to this Tier 2 environment.You will have the chance to mentor junior analysts, influence security strategy and work in a structured, operationally mature team where your experience will be valued and respected.