Security Operations Center Associate
Job Description
Company: Cetera Financial Group
Location: Dallas, US
Job Description
We are at the forefront of transforming the future of technology in the financial industry, and we seek curious, practical individuals to help us pave the way. Our team is not intimidated by taking calculated risks, as they relish a good challenge and are eager to engage in problem-solving. As a member of our team, you will work alongside like-minded experts in a culture that is deeply rooted in innovation and progression. Join us to be part of a transformative journey that can shape the industry’s future.
We are seeking a curious and driven Junior SOC Analyst to join our 24/7 Security Operations Center team. In this entry-level role, you will serve as the first line of defense monitoring security tools, triaging alerts, and supporting incident response under the guidance of senior analysts—while building hands-on experience across our enterprise security stack.
What You Will Do
• Serve as the first line of defense by monitoring and triaging security events and alerts across multiple platforms—such as Next-Gen SIEM, Microsoft 365 Defender, AWS native security, and other enterprise security tools. Follow established playbooks and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to identify anomalous activity, document initial findings, and escalate confirmed or suspicious events to mid-level and senior analysts in a timely manner.
• Support the investigation of security incidents by gathering supporting data such as logs, endpoint telemetry, network traffic, and user activity, and providing this context to mid-level and senior analysts. Assist with evidence collection, ticket enrichment, and basic indicator-of-compromise (IOC) lookups using internal tools and external threat intelligence sources.
• Build foundational knowledge of common adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and the MITRE ATT&CK framework by reviewing closed incidents, participating in knowledge-sharing sessions, and assisting senior analysts with threat hunting tasks such as pulling SIEM and EDR data for review.
• Maintain accurate, clear, and complete documentation of every alert, investigation, and ticket worked, including timestamps, actions taken, and escalation details. Contribute to shift handoff notes and post incident summaries so that mid-level and senior analysts have the context needed to continue or close out work.
• Work closely with mid-level and senior SOC analysts and engineers to learn the organization’s detection and response workflows, ask questions, and apply feedback from peer reviews. Engage with internal technology teams—including IT, Help Desk, and end users—to validate alerts and gather information needed to triage events.
• Adhere to established Security Operations Center service-level agreements (SLAs) for alert triage, escalation, and ticket updates. Continuously develop technical knowledge through on-the-job training, internal labs, vendor documentation, and self-study, and pursue relevant industry certifications to grow toward a Tier 2 / mid-level analyst role.
• Participate in the SOC on call rotation, with a primary focus on the immediate acknowledgement of SOC tickets and cases within defined SLA timeframes. Provide initial documentation of tickets and cases—capturing alert details, timestamps, affected assets, and initial observations—and escalate to mid-level or senior analysts in accordance with established escalation procedures to support 24/7 operational coverage.
• Participate in other duties as assigned to support overall Security Operations Center efficiency and organizational objectives.
What You Will Have
• 0–2 years of professional experience in IT, networking, help desk, or cybersecurity; recent graduates with relevant coursework, internships, or home lab experience are encouraged to apply.
• Foundational understanding of, or exposure to, enterprise security tools such as SIEM platforms, M365 Security Suite, EDR solutions, email security, vulnerability management, or similar tools (academic, lab, internship, or production exposure all count).
• Working knowledge of core networking concepts (TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP/S, VPN), operating systems (Windows and Linux), and common attack types (phishing, malware, brute force, etc.).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, attention to detail, a curious and methodical approach to problem-solving, and willingness to participate in an on-call rotation that may include nights, weekends, and holidays.
What Is Nice To Have
• Relevant certifications such as CompTIA Security+, Network+, CySA+, (ISC)² CC, or Blue Team Level 1 (BTL1) are highly desirable; a degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field is a plus but not required.
About Us
ABOUT US
What We Give You In Return
Not many teams can say that they support people’s dreams coming to life… We happen to do that every day. And as important as we know your career is, we recognize that there’s a whole lot more to life. To ensure that our Employees can make the most of their time outside of working hours, we offer a competitive salary and for full-time roles, a benefits package including:
• Inclusive health, dental, vision and life insurance plans built to support diverse lifestyles, offer preventative care, and protect against hardship.
• Easy access to mental health benefits to meet our team members and their families where they are.
• 20 plus days of paid time off (PTO), paid holidays, and 2 paid wellness days to give our employees the time they need to stay close with their loved ones, recharge, and give back to their communities.
• 401(k) Savings plan with a generous company contribution (up to 5%), and access to a financial professional to offer our employees the opportunity to plan-ahead for a strong financial future well beyond their working years.
• Paid parental leave to support all team members with birth, adoption, and foster.
• Health Savings and Flexible Spending Account options to help you save money on healthcare, daycare, commuting, and more.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP), LifeLock, Pet Insurance and more.
About Cetera Financial Group
Cetera Financial Group ® (“Cetera”) is a leading network of independent retail broker-dealers empowering the delivery of objective financial advice to individuals, families and company retirement plans across the country through trusted financial advisors and financial institutions. Cetera is one of the largest independent financial advisor networks in the nation by number of advisors, as well as a leading provider of retail services to the investment programs of banks and credit unions.
Through its multiple distinct firms, Cetera offers independent and institutions-based advisors the benefits of a large, established broker-dealer and registered investment adviser, while serving advisors and institutions in a way that is customized to their needs and aspirations. Advisor support resources offered through Cetera include award-winning wealth management and advisory platforms, comprehensive broker-dealer and registered investment adviser services, practice management support, and innovative technology.
” Cetera Financial Group ” refers to the network of independent retail firms encompassing, among others, Cetera Advisors LLC , Cetera Wealth Services LLC (f/k/a Cetera Advisor Networks), Cetera Investment Services LLC (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions, or Cetera Investors . All firms are members FINRA/SIPC.
Cetera Financial Group is committed to providing an equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. For us, this is the only acceptable way to do business. Accordingly, all employment decisions at Cetera Financial Group, including those relating to hiring, promotion, transfers, benefits, compensation, and placement, will be made without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, age, physical and/or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic characteristics, religion, religious dress and/or grooming, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, U.S. military status, political affiliation, or any other class protected by state and/or federal law.
Agencies please note: this recruitment assignment is being managed directly by Cetera’s Talent Acquisition team. We will reach out to our preferred agency partners in the rare instance we require additional talent options. Your respect for this process is appreciated.
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Source: LinkedIn
