Security Operations Engineer

This is an exciting opportunity to join our IT Operations Security team in a newly created role, supporting the ongoing development of our Security Operations capability. You'll work closely with infrastructure, network and security governance teams to help protect our systems, services and data.

As a Security Operations Engineer, you'll play a hands-on role in managing security tooling, responding to incidents and driving vulnerability remediation across the organisation. This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys operational security, wants exposure to a broad technical landscape, and is keen to build their experience in a collaborative and safety-critical environment.

What you will be responsible for:

You'll support the effective day-to-day running of Security Operations, helping ensure threats, vulnerabilities and incidents are identified and managed quickly and effectively.

This will include:

• Managing and maintaining security tooling including SIEM, endpoint protection, DLP and web filtering solutions
• Supporting vulnerability management activities, identifying, assessing and remediating risks using tools such as Qualys and Tenable
• Responding to security incidents and service requests, ensuring timely resolution and accurate documentation
• Providing technical support and escalation for security-related issues within IT Operations
• Working closely with external SOC providers and internal teams to support monitoring and incident handling
• Contributing to continuous improvement by helping refine processes, controls and security best practice

Additional requirements specific to the role

• Participation in a 24/7 on-call rota to support security incident response
• Travel across Southern Water sites as required
• Collaboration with infrastructure, network and governance teams within IT Operations, In line with Southern Water's security requirements, successful candidates will be required to provide evidence of their identity, eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record check (DBS) and verification of their employment and/or education history for the past three years.

Appointment to this role is subject to the successful completion of all pre-employment checks, including security vetting.

Please note that if a candidate does not meet the required security standards or fails to pass the vetting process, Southern Water reserves the right to withdraw the offer of employment. Some positions may also require higher levels of security vetting, which may involve providing additional documentation.

• Hands-on experience in security operations, including incident response and vulnerability management
• Working knowledge of security tools such as SIEM platforms, endpoint protection and vulnerability scanning solutions
• Experience of supporting security incidents and operational issues in a live environment
• Familiarity with IT service management tools such as ServiceNow
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively with internal teams and third-party partners

Desirable

• Professional certifications such as CompTIA Security+, CISSP or CISM
• Experience within utilities, critical infrastructure or operational technology environments

Southern Water is at the forefront of transforming Britain's water industry, investing significantly to enhance resilience, sustainability, and service excellence. With £7.8bn planned investment for 2025-30, this is an unparalleled opportunity to join a business committed to delivering a generational shift in the way water services are managed. You will be joining at a time of significant change, working alongside a highly skilled leadership team with a clear vision for the future. We offer an environment where senior professionals can make a meaningful impact, influence major strategic decisions, and drive long-term value creation At Southern Water, we believe diverse perspectives drive innovation. If you're passionate about making a positive impact and think you can bring value to our team, we'd love to hear from you-even if you don't tick every box. Your unique skills and experiences could be exactly what we need.