Design and implement the systems that keep digital assets safe. A role that combines technical expertise with a deep understanding of security principles.
Security Engineers are the guardians of an organisation's digital infrastructure. They design, build, and maintain the systems that protect against cyber threats, ensuring that data remains secure and systems operate smoothly. This role is critical in a world where cyber attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and frequent. Security Engineers work across various sectors, from financial institutions and government agencies to tech companies and healthcare providers.
A typical week for a Security Engineer is a mix of proactive and reactive tasks, balancing the development of new security measures with the response to emerging threats.
Based on advertised midpoints across the 216 UK listings priced in pounds in the last 12 months. Base salary only.
% of 254 listings posted in the last 12 months that mention each skill, extracted from job descriptions.
A typical UK progression for security engineers. Years are guidance — strong people move faster, and many senior folks sidestep into research, product or management.
Assist in the implementation of security measures and learn the fundamentals of security engineering.
Take ownership of specific security projects and contribute to the development of security policies.
Lead security initiatives, mentor junior team members, and ensure compliance with industry standards.
Strategise and oversee the organisation's overall security posture, driving innovation and best practices.
There's no single route, but most people follow some version of these steps.
Start with a strong understanding of computer science and network security principles.
Pursue certifications such as CISSP, CEH, or OSCP to validate your skills and knowledge.
Gain hands-on experience through internships, entry-level roles, or personal projects.
Focus on a specific area like penetration testing, incident response, or security architecture.
Take on leadership roles, managing security initiatives and mentoring junior engineers.
Provide strategic guidance on security policies and best practices at the organisational level.
CPS Group Cardiff £40,000 – £45,000 pa
Client-facing technical role in a Microsoft-focused security partner's Cyber Security Delivery Team, acting as a trusted point of contact for customers. Day to day involves tuning Defender and Entra controls, building KQL detections in Microsoft Sentinel, running phishing simulations and vulnerability scans, and supporting incident response and reporting.
MUFG Pension & Market Services United Kingdom
Joins the Information Security Service Delivery team to assess, design, configure and integrate security technology controls, acting as a technical escalation point for security concepts. Works hands-on with Zscaler, Okta, Crowdstrike, cloud and endpoint security, threat modelling and security architecture frameworks, ensuring designs meet policies and regulatory requirements.
TRIA Cardiff £45,000 – £50,000 pa
Hands-on engineering role in a Microsoft security partner's Security Operations team, building and tuning Sentinel detection rules with KQL and configuring Defender XDR and Microsoft 365 controls. Involves automation playbooks via Azure Logic Apps, vulnerability scanning and phishing simulations, DevOps/CI-CD work, and escalation-focused incident response rather than routine alert monitoring.
CV-Library Fleet
Owns day-to-day security alerting, investigations and incident response across a cloud-native microservice platform and internal IT estate, directing a Platform Ops team on remediation. Manages SIEM, endpoint and Microsoft 365 security tooling, vulnerability management, IAM and penetration testing engagements, while maintaining ISO 27001 documentation and UK GDPR compliance.
eFinancialCareers London
Engineer, operate and optimise Microsoft Sentinel across one or more Log Analytics workspaces, owning platform health, ingestion pipelines, normalisation and enrichment. Build and maintain log onboarding from cloud, on-prem, SaaS and security tools, and integrate the SIEM with EDR, SOAR, threat intel and ITSM platforms. Also supports M&A onboarding of acquired environments into the enterprise SIEM.
Amazon Manchester
Monitors networks and systems for threats, triages security alerts and leads incident response using AWS technologies and services at massive scale. Contributes to security automation and posture improvements, tracks detective controls like GuardDuty, CrowdStrike Falcon and Wiz Defend, and requires periodic on-call including weekends.
Amazon London
Application security engineer role focused on security reviews, secure architecture design, threat modeling, and security guidance for internal development teams. Distinct for automating and enhancing security review processes using AI agents, LLMs, and generative AI tooling, alongside security metrics and training outreach.
TEKsystems London
Bridges traditional network security and modern cloud-native application architecture for a Tier 1 bank's security transformation. Designs Zero Trust, segmentation and micro-segmentation controls, with a key focus on Service Mesh (Istio, Envoy) and securing microservices, APIs and containerised workloads. Works closely with network, platform and software-engineering teams, producing HLDs, LLDs and security design patterns.
The locations with the most live listings for this role today.
Essential skills include a strong foundation in computer science, knowledge of security protocols, and proficiency in programming languages like Python and C++.
Certifications such as CISSP, CEH, and OSCP are highly valued and can significantly enhance your career prospects.
Security Engineers stay updated by following industry news, attending conferences, and participating in online forums and communities.
Security Engineers often work in office settings, but many roles offer remote or hybrid work options, depending on the organisation's policies.
Salary ranges can vary widely based on experience, location, and industry. For more detailed information, refer to the salary section on this page.
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