Head of SOC

Head of SOC (Interim) | Capital Markets | Central London (On-site)

Robert Half International (an S&P 500 global staffing provider) is supporting a global consulting firm in sourcing an experienced Head of SOC (Interim) to join a leading capital markets client during a key period of transition. The role focuses on maintaining and enhancing the client's existing Security Operations Centre, managing the external SOC provider, and ensuring continuity of operations while a permanent structure is established.

Assignment Details

• Initial Duration: 3-6 months (with potential extension) to start ASAP by w/c 24 November
• Location: On-site minimum 3 days per week in Central London will be required.
• Day Rate: £525-£575 PAYE plus 12.07% holiday pay PAYE with employer's NI & Tax deducted at source, unlike umbrella companies and no umbrella company admin fees)

Role Overview

You'll be operating within a compact, high-performing capital markets environment, taking full ownership of the SOC function and acting as the internal escalation point for all incident response and forensic activity. Reporting to the Deputy CISO, this role is ideal for a hands-on SOC leader who can balance strategic oversight with day-to-day technical execution. You'll manage the external SOC supplier, maintain visibility across tooling and detections, and drive continual improvements in incident management, monitoring, and response.

Key Skills & Experience

• Proven experience leading or managing a SOC function within capital markets, FinTech, or smaller financial services environments.
• Strong technical experience with CrowdStrike and Elastic SIEM.
• Skilled across the Microsoft 365 Security Stack (Defender, Sentinel, Entra).
• Hands-on capability in incident response, threat hunting, and digital forensics.
• Demonstrated experience managing outsourced SOC providers and maintaining performance SLAs.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management with senior technology and security leadership.

All candidates must complete standard screening (Right to Work, DBS, credit/sanctions, employment verification).

This is an exciting opportunity for a technically strong, pragmatic SOC leader to play a critical role in maintaining and stabilising cyber operations for one of London's most respected capital markets organisations.

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