NHS England

Cyber Security Lead - Threat Intelligence

The closing date is 02 November 2025

Job summary

Cyber Operations purpose is to support safe care and build public trust by building NHS England's cyber resilience and enabling the wider health system to be cyber resilient, supporting Transformation Directorate's purpose of delivering the best care and outcomes for the NHS.

The Cyber Operations sub-directorate consists of 4 operational areas:

  • Cyber Security Operations Unit (CSOU)
  • Cyber Delivery Unit (CDU).
  • Cyber Improvement Programme.
  • Chief Information Security Office Function (CISO)

The role leads the CSOCs Threat Intelligence team within NHS England CSOC comprised of four primary functions:

  • Intelligence Collection & Analysis - Perform collection, aggregation, analysis and contextualisation of healthcare and security information to produce actionable CTI.
  • Cybersecurity Threat & Risk Assessment - Perform high-level risk assessments of current and emerging threats to the health & social care estate.
  • Intelligence Dissemination & Reporting - Produce stakeholder-specific intelligence reporting for stakeholders.
  • Specialist CTI Support - Provides specialist CTI support to CSOC during high complexity incidents.

The post of Cyber Security Lead Analyst - Threat Intelligence has been awarded a Recruitment and Retention Premia (RRP) in response to current labour market conditions. In recognition of this, the role attracts an additional monthly RRP payment equal to 30% per annum.

Please be aware that RRP is none contractual and subject to review.

Main duties of the job

As a Cyber Security Lead Analyst (Threat Intelligence) you will:

  • Ensure the objectives and activities of the Threat Intelligence teams and Assessments are aligned with overarching CSOC strategy.
  • Represent the function at operational and managerial meetings, including regularly reporting to senior leadership.
  • Acts as an escalation point for national cyber threat advisories (NHS High Severity Alerts).
  • Acting as an escalation point for technical, operational and strategic threat intelligence queries.
  • Be responsible for the management and production of Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for the function.
  • Manage the resource allocation and workload across the function, including developing innovative solutions to improve quality and efficiency.
  • Manage the relationships and process integration between the Threat Intelligence and Threat Hunting teams.
  • Drive continuous improvement initiatives for the function, for the benefit of the wider CSOC.

About us

Our work supports the NHS to deliver high quality services for patients and best value for taxpayers.

Our staff bring expertise across hundreds of specialisms -- including clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial -- enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.

We lead the NHS in England by:

  • Enabling local systems and providers to improve the health of their people and patients and reduce health inequalities
  • Making the NHS a great place to work, where our people can make a difference and achieve their potential
  • Working collaboratively to ensure our healthcare workforce has the right knowledge, skills, values and behaviours to deliver accessible, compassionate care
  • Optimising the use of digital technology, research, and innovation
  • Delivering value for money

Earlier this year, the Government announced that NHS England will gradually merge with the Department of Health and Social Care, leading to full integration. The aim is to create a smaller, more strategic centre that reduces duplication and eliminates waste.

If successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the recruitment process.

Details

Date posted

17 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£83,792 to £97,365 a year (this includes a RRP payment of 30%)

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

11 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

990-TD-CY-17818-E

Job locations

Wellington Place/ Hexagon House

Leeds / Exeter

LS1 4AP


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for more information about the role and responsibilities. Please ensure your supporting statement includes demonstratable evidence and specific examples on how you meet the criteria for each of the key skills specified. This will be used in both the shortlisting and interview processes

Important: Please be aware there are residency requirements you need to meet:

All NHS England Cyber Security personnel must hold Security Clearance level as a minimum. To meet National Security Vetting requirements, SC clearances require 5 years continuous UK residency. In certain cases, this can be reduced to three years continuous UK residency, with additional overseas checks for the previous two years. Candidates who were posted abroad for service with HM Government, Armed Forces or within a UK government role - will still be considered.

Please make sure you meet these requirements before applying for this role. You dont need to have SC already, however, failure to achieve the requirements for SC after offer will result in the job offer being withdrawn. For further advice please check

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels#security-check-sc

Please be aware that should you be successful in this position, you will be hired to the job title of Security Lead (Analyst) and this job title is advertised to attract the right skills needed for the role.

Secondment

Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.

Please note that the reason for the fixed term of this contract isshort term vacancy

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for more information about the role and responsibilities. Please ensure your supporting statement includes demonstratable evidence and specific examples on how you meet the criteria for each of the key skills specified. This will be used in both the shortlisting and interview processes

Important: Please be aware there are residency requirements you need to meet:

All NHS England Cyber Security personnel must hold Security Clearance level as a minimum. To meet National Security Vetting requirements, SC clearances require 5 years continuous UK residency. In certain cases, this can be reduced to three years continuous UK residency, with additional overseas checks for the previous two years. Candidates who were posted abroad for service with HM Government, Armed Forces or within a UK government role - will still be considered.

Please make sure you meet these requirements before applying for this role. You dont need to have SC already, however, failure to achieve the requirements for SC after offer will result in the job offer being withdrawn. For further advice please check

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels#security-check-sc

Please be aware that should you be successful in this position, you will be hired to the job title of Security Lead (Analyst) and this job title is advertised to attract the right skills needed for the role.

Secondment

Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.

Please note that the reason for the fixed term of this contract isshort term vacancy

Person Specification

Knowledge

Essential

  • Extensive knowledge of techniques, approaches and processes of digital threats; ability to detect, monitor, analyse and prevent digital threats.
  • Demonstrable knowledge of tools, techniques and processes of intrusion detection and prevention; ability to detect, resolve and prevent intrusion behaviours to protect organisational networks.

Desirable

  • Extensive knowledge of concept, procedures and processes of Security Information and Event Management (SIEM); ability to utilise related applications to protect organisational networks from cyber risks.

Skills and Experience

Essential

  • Working knowledge of processes, tools and techniques for assessing and controlling an organisation's exposure to risks of various kinds; ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to diverse situations.

Desirable

  • Expert knowledge of and ability to utilise a variety of specific tools for collecting, analysing, and presenting digital-related evidence.

Qualifications

Essential

  • Masters level degree or equivalent level of experience.
Person Specification

Knowledge

Essential

  • Extensive knowledge of techniques, approaches and processes of digital threats; ability to detect, monitor, analyse and prevent digital threats.
  • Demonstrable knowledge of tools, techniques and processes of intrusion detection and prevention; ability to detect, resolve and prevent intrusion behaviours to protect organisational networks.

Desirable

  • Extensive knowledge of concept, procedures and processes of Security Information and Event Management (SIEM); ability to utilise related applications to protect organisational networks from cyber risks.

Skills and Experience

Essential

  • Working knowledge of processes, tools and techniques for assessing and controlling an organisation's exposure to risks of various kinds; ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to diverse situations.

Desirable

  • Expert knowledge of and ability to utilise a variety of specific tools for collecting, analysing, and presenting digital-related evidence.

Qualifications

Essential

  • Masters level degree or equivalent level of experience.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

NHS England

Address

Wellington Place/ Hexagon House

Leeds / Exeter

LS1 4AP


Employer's website

https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/working-for/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

NHS England

Address

Wellington Place/ Hexagon House

Leeds / Exeter

LS1 4AP


Employer's website

https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/working-for/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Head of Security (Lead)

Dan Taylor

england.cyberoperationsrecruitment@nhs.net

Details

Date posted

17 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£83,792 to £97,365 a year (this includes a RRP payment of 30%)

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

11 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

990-TD-CY-17818-E

Job locations

Wellington Place/ Hexagon House

Leeds / Exeter

LS1 4AP


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

NHS England's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)