SOC Manager

Location: Dublin / Hybrid |Type: Permanent

The client

I'm working with an international software business that is rethinking how its security function operates, with smart automation and AI at the centre of the plan. They need a senior hands-on leader to run their defensive operations and take them to the next level.

The role

You'll be accountable for how the business detects, investigates and responds to threats, and for the small team that does that work. You'll also manage the relationship with an external monitoring partner, and you'll have real input into how machine-driven analysis and automated response are introduced safely.

You'll work alongside a separate senior leader who focuses on long-term engineering and architecture. That leaves you free to concentrate on running and improving what's live today, with a clearly defined scope and strong senior sponsorship.

Your remit

• Leading monitoring, triage, investigation, containment and recovery across cloud, endpoint, identity and SaaS estates
• Taking charge of serious security incidents and pulling together colleagues from engineering, legal, privacy, product and communications
• Holding the outsourced monitoring provider to account: agreeing targets, challenging the quality of what they escalate, and pushing for sharper tuning
• Improving detection coverage and quality in partnership with the engineering team
• Directing the response when critical vulnerabilities or actively exploited threats emerge
• Shaping and delivering a plan for using AI and automation in the SOC, including sensible controls and a measured path towards automated containment for approved scenarios
• Setting the metrics that matter and reporting them clearly to senior stakeholders
• Hiring, coaching and developing the team

What good looks like in the first couple of years

• Round-the-clock coverage you can rely on (this is not a shift based role)
• Fewer noisy alerts and better-quality detections
• Quicker, more decisive containment
• A monitoring partner that delivers against clear expectations
• Automation and AI becoming part of how the team works every day
• A capable, engaged team

About you

• A track record leading a security operations or incident response team, ideally in a cloud-first or software-as-a-service setting
• First-hand experience leading the response to significant incidents
• Experience managing an outsourced SOC, MDR or similar provider and driving measurable improvement
• Solid grounding in cloud security and modern detection platforms, including the Microsoft ecosystem
• Curiosity and pragmatism about automation, orchestration and AI, balanced with a good grasp of risk
• Confident communication with both engineers and executives
• Industry certifications (e.g. GCIH, GCFA, CISSP, CISM) are welcome but not a requirement

Why consider it

• A genuine chance to modernise a function rather than simply maintain it
• A leadership team that backs investment in security and in new technology
• A focused remit with a clear boundary between operations and architecture
• Broad exposure and influence in an international organisation

Next steps

For a confidential conversation, please send through your updated CV.