Principal Incident Response Engineer

Job Description

When a cyber incident hits, you’re the calm head in the room, the one who knows what matters, what to do next and how to bring order to the chaos. As our Principal Incident Response Engineer, you’ll sit at the sharp end of Cyber Defence, leading the response to complex and high-impact security incidents and helping the business stay resilient when the pressure is on. This is a senior, hands-on role for someone who enjoys solving tough problems, thinking like an attacker, and making smart decisions when it really counts.

You’ll work shoulder to shoulder with incident responders, SOC leads and threat intelligence teams, taking ownership from first alert through to full recovery. Alongside leading live incidents, you’ll shape how we do incident response overall, raising standards, refining approaches and sharing your expertise across the team. A big part of your role is storytelling too, turning technical detail into clear, confident updates that help senior leaders understand what’s happening and why it matters. You’ll be a trusted voice in the room, bringing perspective, direction and a little calm to even the most challenging situations.

Who we are

At Virgin Media O₂, we connect people to the moments that matter most. Virgin Media leads the UK for broadband reliability, speed and overall performance, while O₂ keeps people connected on the move with award-winning coverage.

We’re also proud to be named one of the Financial Times Top 500 Best Employers for 2026, based on one of the UK’s largest employee satisfaction surveys.

Join us and you’ll be part of a team that stays curious, positive and focused on making life easier for our customers and each other. We’re investing in the future of connectivity, from expanding next-generation 5G to exploring satellite-supported solutions that help reach rural communities and hard-to-connect places.

You’ll work with people who back good ideas and give you plenty of room to grow. So if you’re looking for a place where you can feel supported, trusted and genuinely valued, you’ll feel right at home here.

Our ways of working

We’re a flexible-first organisation, because we know people do their best work when they have choice and clarity. To support meaningful collaboration, we ask everyone to spend at least eight days a month connecting with each other in person.

That doesn’t just mean time in the office – it could be team meetings, offsites, volunteering days, cross-functional projects, or away days. What matters is making those moments count – so when we come together, it benefits everyone.

Accessible, inclusive and equitable for all

We believe a better tomorrow starts with the choices we make today. That means moving the dial on diversity, building equity into everything we do and putting inclusion at the heart of our business.

Virgin Media O₂ is an equal opportunities employer and we work hard to remove bias and barriers. We want every person who joins us – and everyone thinking about joining us – to feel seen, heard and supported.

When you work with us, you’ll have access to our award-winning employee network groups. These communities bring people together, champion allyship and create uplifting spaces where you can learn, share and feel part of something bigger. They play a big role in helping people feel connected from day one.

The must haves

In order to be considered for the role you must have the following experience;

• Extensive experience in cybersecurity incident response or a closely related field

• Proven ability to lead and task virtual teams to deliver high-quality outcomes

• Strong understanding of attacker tactics, techniques and mindset

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical issues to non-technical audiences

The other stuff we are looking for

We'd also like you to bring

• Experience operating as a senior escalation point for executive stakeholders during incidents

• Background working closely with SOC and cyber threat intelligence teams

• Involvement in developing or improving incident response strategy and methodology

• Experience engaging with external bodies such as law enforcement or industry forums

• Demonstrated commitment to knowledge sharing and team development

What's in it for you

We know life isn’t just about work, so our benefits are built to support you in the moments that matter. You’ll get Bupa healthcare, wellbeing support, life cover, a pension and generous holiday –plus your birthday off.

And there’s more. Enjoy some extra perks on us, with optional electric vehicle lease and Cycle2Work schemes, dental insurance, neurodiversity assessments, and brilliant discounts on broadband, TV and mobile. You’ll even get access to the Virgin Family platform and the O₂ Priority app, with exclusive rewards, experiences and chances to attend events at The O₂ and beyond.

Next steps

If this feels like a place where you can belong, we’d love to see what you can do. Once you apply, the next steps might include a call with a recruiter, a video interview, an interview with the hiring manager and a task or assessment.

We’ll also ask about any adjustments you might need, and we’ll do our best to make them happen.

We review applications and interview throughout the advert window, so it’s worth applying sooner rather than later. If you’re offered the role, the offer will be subject to background checks, including a criminal record check and, for some roles, a financial background check.

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