Cyber Operations Lead
Possible
Sponsorship likelihood
This employer issued few or no visas recently
Not disclosed
Salary
Not disclosed by employer
£86,000
Going rate
Skilled Worker going rate
This role likely qualifies for a Skilled Worker visa
SOC 1137 (85% match) is an eligible occupation, with a going rate of £86,000, and SYSGROUP PLC is a licensed sponsor. That is our reading of the rules. Whether they issue a Certificate of Sponsorship is still their call.
Worth checking: this could also be SOC 3319 (Protective service associate professionals not elsewhere classified, Operations manager - security services is a close index match), which is not on the eligible-occupation list. Ask SYSGROUP PLC what the duties actually are.
New graduate or PhD holder? Pick one of the lower rates.
What each route needs for this job
| Occupation code | New entrant 70% of going rate | STEM PhD 80% of going rate | Relevant PhD 90% of going rate | Standard rate 100% of going rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1137 Information technology directors Most likely code | £60,200 | £68,800 | £77,400 | £86,000 |
2135 Cyber security professionals Also possible | £34,000 | £38,800 | £43,700 | £48,500 |
3319 Protective service associate professionals not elsewhere classified Also possible | £33,400 | £41,700 | £41,700 | £41,700 |
We use the lowest threshold across the plausible codes. Likelihood is Possible at most when the pay clears only a lower rate, or only under a less likely code. How the Home Office picks the code
About the role
The Role
SysGroup is
hiring a Cyber Operations Lead, based in Edinburgh, to head the day-to-day
delivery of our cyber security managed services. This is the senior operational
leadership role in the Cyber Security team under our 2026 operating model: you
own the SOC service, lead the security engineers and analysts, and act as the
escalation point for major security incidents across our client base.
This is a
leadership and delivery role. You will run the operation, develop the people
and own the service - including operational delivery of our Zscaler zero trust
estate.
Requirements
Key Responsibilities
Leadership
· Lead, coach and develop the
cyber operations engineers and analysts - 1:1s, development plans, hiring and
succession.
· Own capacity, shift and on-call
planning for a 24/7 security service.
· Set and track the team's
certification and capability plan against the SysGroup role framework.
· Own operational reporting:
client-facing security reports, KPIs and continual service improvement.
Security operations
· Own SOC/SIEM service delivery:
detection coverage, use-case tuning, triage quality and shift handovers.
· Act as major incident lead for
security events: containment, client communication and post-incident review.
· Own the vulnerability
management lifecycle across managed clients: scan, triage, remediate, report.
· Set the standard for EDR and
security tooling configuration, health and response playbooks.
· Own operational delivery of the
Zscaler zero trust estate (ZIA/ZPA): onboarding, policy lifecycle, tuning and
upgrades.
· Support Risk & Compliance
engagements (ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials Plus) with operational evidence.
· Embed AI-assisted workflows
(triage, enrichment, reporting) into the SOC and measure the gains.
Experience
· 5+ years in security operations
within an MSP/MSSP or equivalent multi-client environment.
· 3+ years leading engineers or
analysts, including performance and development responsibility.
· Track record running major
security incidents end-to-end, including executive-level communication.
· Operational experience with
Zscaler (or equivalent SSE/zero trust platform) is a strong advantage.
Certifications
· Essential (or equivalent
experience): Microsoft SC-200, plus an incident response credential such as
GIAC GCIH.
· Desirable: Zscaler
professional-level certification (ZIA/ZPA), SC-300, AZ-500, ISO 27001 Lead
Implementer, CISSP or CISM.
Benefits
Why Join Us?
Joining Sysgroup means becoming part of a
dynamic and innovative team that is dedicated to excellence. We offer a
supportive, and collaborative work environment, where your ideas and
contributions are valued. Here are some of the benefits of working with us:
Competitive Compensation
We offer a competitive salary package,
including performance-based incentives, to reward your hard work and
achievements.
- Private Healthcare
- Life insurance
- Healthcare cash plan
- Pension
Growth Opportunities
We believe in investing in our employees'
professional development. You will have
your own individual development learning paths with access to various training
material and ongoing career advancement opportunities.
This description is the source posting as it read when we added it. We are not affiliated with SYSGROUP PLC, so check their own site for the current details.
Where this offer sits in the market
Information technology directors (SOC 1137) · UK · ONS ASHE 2025 · basic pay · ~63k in sample- Middle half £71,656–119,860
- Median £93,236
- Going rate £86,000
- Threshold £41,700
- New entrant £60,200–77,400
Similar sponsored roles
See all UK visa jobsNo close matches live right now.
Browse more sponsored jobs at SYSGROUP PLCAbout sponsorship for this role
Does this job guarantee visa sponsorship?
Not necessarily. SYSGROUP PLC holds a sponsor licence, but sponsorship for a specific hire is always the employer's decision. Be upfront in your application that you'll require it.
What salary is needed for this role to be eligible?
The offer must clear both the general threshold and the SOC 1137 going rate of £86,000. New-entrant and shortage discounts can lower it.