Lead Cybersecurity Analyst Threat Hunting & SOC Operations

Principal / Lead Cybersecurity Analyst
12 Month Contract
Location: Greensboro, NC (Hybrid, 2-3x per week)
Monday-Friday - 2pm -10pm ESt ( Shift timing )

Need on W2

Need - / L2/ / USC

Non Local is fine for - / L2( who can relocate to Greensboro, NC on Day one )


As a Principal Cybersecurity Analyst , you will be a senior technical leader within the Global Cybersecurity Operations Center ( CSOC ). This role combines expert - level hands - on incident response, advanced threat hunting, & digital forensics with strategic cybersecurity leadership.



Need to play a critical role in shaping CSOC strategy, working alongside the Head of CSOC to refine detection, response, & intelligence capabilities to proactively defend against emerging threats. As a recognized subject matter expert ( SME ), you are expected to stay ahead of cyber threat trends, attack methodologies, & adversary tactics, ensuring the CSOC is future - ready & resilient against evolving cyber threats.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Threat Defense & Security Roadmap
Work closely with the Head of CSOC to define & refine CSOC strategy to address emerging cybersecurity threats
Continuously evaluate & enhance detection & response frameworks, aligning with business risk & threat landscape evolution.
Lead SOC maturity initiatives, driving automation, advanced analytics, & intelligence - driven security operations.
Develop KPIs & CSOC performance metrics to measure effectiveness & resilience against modern cyber threats.
Act as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, Enterprise IT Security (ITS ) teams, & business stakeholders on cyber risk & response strategies
Advanced Incident Response & Threat Hunting
Serve as the highest - level escalation point for complex cybersecurity incidents, including nation - state APTs, ransomware, & insider threats.
Conduct proactive threat hunting using behavioral analytics, anomaly detection, & adversary tracking.
Perform deep forensic investigations into network intrusions, malware infections, & cloud-based threats.
Develop custom SIEM detection logic, EDR rules, & network security signatures to enhance threat visibility.
Correlate threat intelligence ( TI ), security logs, & endpoint telemetry to identify persistent threats & attack patterns.
Cyber Threat Intelligence & Emerging Threat Research
Stay up to date with the latest cybersecurity news, APT activities, vulnerabilities, & exploit trends.
Drive threat modeling exercises to anticipate & counter evolving adversary tactics, techniques, & procedures ( TTPs ).
Lead adversary tracking initiatives, mapping threats to MITRE ATT&CK, Cyber Kill Chain, & TIBER - EU frameworks.
Collaborate with global threat intelligence teams to curate & integrate high-value threat intelligence into CSOC operations.
Evaluate new attack vectors, malware strains, & exploit techniques, ensuring defensive capabilities remain ahead of adversary innovation.
Security Engineering & SOC Enhancement
Partner with cybersecurity engineers, architects, & IT teams to improve enterprise security posture.
Lead security automation ( SOAR ) initiatives, developing playbooks & automated response workflows.
Recommend & implement advanced detection technologies, including UEBA, deception technologies, & A I- driven threat analytics.
Assist in red team / blue team exercises, purple teaming engagements, & cyber resilience stress tests.
Act as a mentor & technical coach to CSOC analysts ( L1-L3 ), fostering continuous skill development.
Design & conduct advanced training programs & tabletop exercises to prepare SOC teams for high - impact incidents.
Represent the CSOC in executive briefings, security conferences, & cybersecurity think tanks.
Assist in developing & enforcing cybersecurity policies, standards, & compliance frameworks.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education & Experience

Bachelor s or Master s degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, or a related field.
10+ years of hands - on cybersecurity experience, with deep expertise in SOC operations, incident response, & cyber threat intelligence.
Demonstrated experience leading complex investigations into APTs, cybercrime operations, & enterprise - wide security incidents.

Technical Skills & Expertise

Advanced Incident Response & Forensics:

Expert-level proficiency in digital forensics, memory analysis, network forensics, & endpoint telemetry analysis.
Ability to track adversary TTPs across enterprise environments using advanced threat intelligence correlation
Hands-on experience with industry - leading SIEM, EDR, IDS / IPS, forensic tools, & threat intelligence platforms.
Proficiency in YARA rule development, Sigma rules, & custom detection engineering.
Expert understanding of nation-state cyber threats, APT campaigns, & cybercriminal ecosystems.
Strong working knowledge of MITRE ATT & CK, Diamond Model, Cyber Kill Chain, & TIBER - EU methodologies.
Ability to reverse engineer malware & extract indicators of compromise ( IOCs ) & tactics of adversaries.
Scripting & Security Automation:
Proficiency in Python, PowerShell, or Bash for security automation, log parsing, & threat hunting.
Experience building custom SOAR playbooks to automate incident response & threat containment.
Strong understanding of cloud security monitoring ( AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform ) & zero-trust architecture principles.
Deep knowledge of network security protocols, firewall technologies, & modern identity-based threats.

Advanced Certifications:

CISSP, GCIH, GCFA, GCFE, GNFA, OSCP, CCTHP, CTIA, or CISM.
Deep Cybersecurity Expertise in:
Cyber Threat Hunting & Intelligence - Driven Defense
Advanced Malware Analysis & Reverse Engineering
Security Automation & Orchestration ( SOAR )
Network & Endpoint Forensics
Cloud Security & Identity Threat Detection

Leadership & Strategic Impact:

Experience defining SOC strategy, cyber defense roadmaps, & risk mitigation frameworks.
Ability to bridge technical findings with executive-level security strategy & risk management