Senior Cyber Defence - Security Analyst

We are seeking a Senior Cyber Defence Analyst to join the Information Security team at A&O Shearman in Belfast.

Please note that weekend working is a requirement for this role, with exact shift patterns to be discussed at interview. All weekend hours are eligible for a premium payment, in addition to your base salary.

IT Information Security Team - Belfast

The in-house Information Security team is a core part of our technology services structure with mature or evolving capability across all areas of digital security and cyber defence. We align our efforts to the NIST framework and other recognised certifications including ISO27001 and SOC2 and strive to keep pace with the continually evolving threat landscape, in support of A&O Shearman's strategy to lead where global complexity creates opportunity. The global team have experience advising clients on hundreds of incidents. Leveraging this experience, they feedback practical lessons learned into clients' cyber risk management and incident response programmes.

What you will do

The Cyber Defence Senior Analyst will reside within the firm's information security team and will be based in Belfast. They will perform a critical role in solidifying the firm's security posture, focusing on the in-depth analysis, and effective response to cyber security events and incidents within their time-zone. They will also contribute to the effectiveness and cohesion of the Cyber Defence team by providing guidance to, and sharing knowledge with, more junior Cyber Defence Colleagues.

Investigating escalations:

• Investigate Level 2 escalated events and alerts which have detected been through Level 1 monitoring activities by the firm's Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) to identify potential incidents.
• Assist and advise junior colleagues during investigations where additional experience is required.

Incident Response:

• Conduct initial triage and investigation of confirmed incidents.
• Perform containment, mitigation, and remediation activities for incidents, ensuring that any required forensic evidence is gathered and documented appropriately along the process.
• Participate in security incident response exercises and contribute to post-exercise reviews.
• Be part of the Cyber Defence on-call rota, which may require out-of-hours work.
• Pick-up and hand-off incident response activities with the rest of the Belfast Cyber Defence team to other teams in different time-zones across the globe, as per our 24-7 follow-the-sun global model.

Documentation and Process Improvement:

• Maintain and improve playbooks and process documentation for Cyber Defence.
• Ensure documentation reflects current threat landscapes and operational practices.

Mentoring, Collaboration, and Support:

• Mentor junior colleagues to support their professional development and operational effectiveness.
• Collaborate with other teams (e.g. Information Security, IT) to implement security controls and raise awareness.
• Support the Threat and Vulnerability Management team in remediation activities by executing system and configuration changes.
• Maintain awareness of current and emerging cyber threats, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) using threat intelligence insights from the Threat and Vulnerability Management team, applying this knowledge in daily operations.
• Provide cyber defence guidance to business stakeholders, translating technical concepts into business language.
• Maintain awareness of current and emerging cyber threats, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).
• Assist the Information Security GRC team with client queries and audits from a cyber defence perspective.

What you will have

• Experience in a security operations or similar technical security role, operationally in at least four of the following domains: Security engineering, Alert triaging, Rule writing, Incident response, Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR), Threat intelligence and management, Vulnerability management, or Security control testing.
• Strong understanding of networking and routing protocols (e.g. TCP/IP) and core services (e.g. DNS, SMTP).
• Familiarity with cyber defence technologies and tooling, including SIEM solutions, Intrusion Detection & Prevention Systems (ID/PS), Threat and vulnerability management platforms, Endpoint protection, and Firewalls.
• Highly analytical mindset with the ability to interpret data flows, assess anomalies, and draw meaningful conclusions.
• Demonstrated ability to investigate complex security issues and propose effective solutions.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, translating cyber security terminology into professional and straightforward language suitable for a global law firm which includes technical and non-technical teams.
• A genuine passion for continuous learning and development in cybersecurity, staying up to date with the latest developments, trends, and technologies in the field.

You will stand out if you bring

• Bachelor's degree in Information Security, Computer Science, Engineering, Technology, or a related field.
• Industry-recognised certifications such as, CISSP, CEH, CISM, CompTIA Security+
• Experience working with major cloud service providers (CSPs) technologies, such as:
  • Microsoft Azure
  • Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
  • Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Prior legal firm or professional services firm experience
• Practical experience with scripting languages such as Python or PowerShell to support automation and tooling enhancements.

What we can offer you

We recognise that our people are our most valuable asset, which is reflected in the wide range of benefits that are available to our employees. Some of these benefits include: our occupational pension scheme, group income protection cover, private medical insurance, mental health resources and free apps, health and wellbeing services encompassing GP service, emergency back-up care support, parental and special leave, holiday entitlement increasing with length of service, holiday trading, online discounts and lifestyle management services.

We recognise the value of flexible working and embrace hybrid working, allowing our people to work from home up to 40% of their working time. We do, however, remain committed to working together in person for the remaining 60% of time so that we can learn, grow and succeed together.

Should you require additional support at any stage of the recruitment process due to a disability or a health condition, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our recruitment team who will work with you to provide any adjustments as required.

We are an equal opportunities recruiter and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic.