MDR Team Lead

About Us
Sophos is a cybersecurity leader defending 600,000 organizations globally with an AI-driven platform and expert-led services. Sophos meets organizations wherever they are in their security maturity and grows with them to defeat cyberattacks. Its solutions combine machine learning, automation, and real-time threat intelligence with frontline human expertise from Sophos X-Ops to deliver advanced, 24/7 threat monitoring, detection, and response.
 
Sophos offers industry-leading managed detection and response (MDR) alongside a comprehensive portfolio of cybersecurity technologies — including endpoint, network, email, and cloud security, extended detection and response (XDR), identity threat detection and response (ITDR), and next-gen SIEM. Together with expert advisory services, these capabilities help organizations proactively reduce risk and respond faster, with the visibility and scalability needed to stay ahead of evolving threats.
 
Sophos goes to market with a global partner ecosystem, including Managed Service Providers (MSPs), Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs), resellers and distributors, marketplace integrations, and cyber risk partners, giving organizations the flexibility to choose trusted relationships when securing their business. Sophos is headquartered in Oxford, U.K. More information is available at www.sophos.com.

What you will do
Lead day-to-day MDR operations, overseeing case queues, analyst workloads, SLA performance, escalations, and resource allocation to ensure consistent service delivery. Guide and review incident investigations, validating findings, assessing business impact, recommending response actions, and ensuring appropriate escalation management. Serve as a key point of coordination during customer and internal escalations, providing clear updates, risk assessments, recommendations, and resolution plans. Coach, mentor, and develop MDR analysts through case reviews, feedback, skills development, and performance management. Conduct quality reviews of investigations, customer communications, documentation, and calls to drive operational excellence and continuous improvement. Analyse operational metrics and dashboards to identify trends, risks, capacity constraints, and opportunities to improve service quality, efficiency, and customer outcomes. Develop and maintain SOPs, playbooks, workflows, and knowledge-base content to improve consistency and operational readiness. Provide technical leadership in intrusion analysis, incident response, digital forensics, malware investigations, and threat hunting activities. Lead response efforts during significant security incidents, ensuring effective coordination, decision-making, and ownership through resolution. Stay current on threat actor tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), leveraging threat intelligence to enhance investigations, detections, and response capabilities. Partner with Engineering, Labs, and Content teams to improve detection quality, reduce false positives, and address recurring investigation gaps.

What you will bring
Up to 12 years of total work experience. 5+ years of experience in cybersecurity, with a minimum of 2-3 years of experience leading, mentoring, or coordinating analysts in a SOC, MDR, Incident Response, or similar environment. Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. Hands-on experience in security operations, including threat detection, incident investigation, and response. Strong understanding of endpoint and network security technologies, including IDS/IPS, EDR, ATP, malware protection, and monitoring platforms. Experience with threat hunting methodologies and familiarity with the MITRE ATT&CK framework preferred. Working knowledge of incident response processes, adversary tactics and techniques, and cyber threat intelligence. Strong technical expertise in Windows environments, including host artefacts, endpoint telemetry, event log analysis, and operating system security events; exposure to macOS and Linux is a plus. Solid understanding of network fundamentals, including TCP/IP, routing, switching, and traffic analysis. Experience with SIEM platforms and enterprise security data management; database querying skills are advantageous. Working knowledge of PowerShell and Python for automation and investigation support. Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and decision-making skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively in high-pressure situations. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce clear reports, case summaries, operational updates, and executive-ready communications. Experience performing quality reviews and providing actionable feedback that improves investigation outcomes and analyst performance. Proven ability to build team capability through coaching, onboarding, training, and knowledge sharing. Strong stakeholder management and customer-facing skills, with the capability to explain technical findings, risks, and recommendations to both technical and non-technical audiences. Advanced cybersecurity certifications are preferred but not required.

Ready to Join Us?
At Sophos, we believe in the power of diverse perspectives to fuel innovation. Research shows that candidates sometimes hesitate to apply if they don't check every box in a job description. We challenge that notion. Your unique experiences and skills might be exactly what we need to enhance our team. Don't let a checklist hold you back – we encourage you to apply.
 
What's Great About Sophos?
·   Sophos operates a remote-first working model, making remote work the primary option for most employees. However, some roles may necessitate a hybrid approach. While we are a remote first organization, applicants must have legal authorization to work in the jurisdiction where the position is posted, without requiring employer sponsorship.
·   Our people – we innovate and create, all of which are accompanied by a great sense of fun and team spirit
·   Employee-led diversity and inclusion networks that build community and provide education and advocacy
·   Annual charity and fundraising initiatives and volunteer days for employees to support local communities
·   Global employee sustainability initiatives to reduce our environmental footprint
·   Global fitness and trivia competitions to keep our bodies and minds sharp
·   Global wellbeing days for employees to relax and recharge 
·   Monthly wellbeing webinars and training to support employee health and wellbeing
 
Our Commitment To You
We’re proud of the diverse and inclusive environment we have at Sophos, and we’re committed to ensuring equality of opportunity.   We believe that diversity, combined with excellence, builds a better Sophos, so we encourage applicants who can contribute to the diversity of our team.  All applicants will be treated in a fair and equal manner and in accordance with the law regardless of gender, sex, gender reassignment, marital status, race, religion or belief, color, age, military veteran status, disability, pregnancy, maternity or sexual orientation.  We want to give you every opportunity to show us your best self, so if there are any adjustments we could make to the recruitment and selection process to support you, please let us know. 
 
Data Protection
If you choose to explore an opportunity, and subsequently share your CV or other personal details with Sophos, these details will be held by Sophos for 12 months in accordance with our Privacy Policy and used by our recruitment team to contact you regarding this or other relevant opportunities at Sophos.  If you would like Sophos to delete or update your details at any time, please follow the steps set out in the Privacy Policy describing your individual rights.  For more information on Sophos’ data protection practices, please consult our Privacy Policy Cybersecurity as a Service Delivered | Sophos