About the Position

Senior Threat Analyst

Location: Japan (Remote)

Company: Sophos

Employment Type: Permanent

Date Posted: 2026-10-09

About Us

Sophos is a cybersecurity leader defending 600,000 organizations globally with an AI-driven platform and expert-led services. Sophos meets organizations wherever they are in their security maturity and grows with them to defeat cyberattacks. Its solutions combine machine learning, automation, and real-time threat intelligence with frontline human expertise from Sophos X-Ops to deliver advanced, 24/7 threat monitoring, detection, and response.

Sophos offers industry-leading managed detection and response (MDR) alongside a comprehensive portfolio of cybersecurity technologies - including endpoint, network, email, and cloud security, extended detection and response (XDR), identity threat detection and response (ITDR), and next-gen SIEM. Together with expert advisory services, these capabilities help organizations proactively reduce risk and respond faster, with the visibility and scalability needed to stay ahead of evolving threats.

Sophos goes to market with a global partner ecosystem, including Managed Service Providers (MSPs), Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs), resellers and distributors, marketplace integrations, and cyber risk partners, giving organizations the flexibility to choose trusted relationships when securing their business. Sophos is headquartered in Oxford, U.K. More information is available at www.sophos.com.

Role Summary

As a Senior Threat Analyst on our Managed Detection and Response (MDR) team, you will provide best-in-class monitoring, detection, and response services to proactively defend customer environments before attacks prevail. You will work alongside and contribute to a team of cyber threat hunters, incident response analysts, engineers, and ethical hackers by using enterprise, log analysis, and endpoint collection systems to facilitate investigations, identification, and neutralization of cyber threats.

Responsibilities

Monitor, investigate, and respond to alerts generated by the Sophos security stack (including EDR/XDR capabilities)
Act as the escalation point for Tier I and Tier II Analysts, leading complex and high-severity investigations through to resolution
Lead the technical response to major security incidents, coordinating containment and remediation activities with customers and internal teams
Mentor and coach Tier I and Tier II Analysts, and quality-review case work to ensure thorough and accurate investigation practices
Perform end-to-end analysis on suspicious activity to assess scope, impact, and risk
Identify and respond to cyber threats across customer environments using approved playbooks and tooling
Accurately document findings, investigative steps, and outcomes in the MDR case management platform
Plan and lead hypothesis-driven threat hunts across the MDR customer base, informed by threat intelligence and adversary behavior
Investigate phishing emails, suspicious binaries, and behavioral anomalies
Drive detection improvements by identifying recurring false positives and coverage gaps, and by authoring or refining detection logic
Stay informed on threat actor behaviors, MITRE ATT&CK techniques, and Sophos threat research updates
Proactively research emerging IOCs, active exploits, and vulnerabilities to stay ahead of evolving threats
Author and maintain playbooks, knowledge base articles, and documentation, and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives
Participate in shift rotations and ensure timely, detailed handovers between global teams
Manage case workflows: create cases, track progress, and follow up with clients until resolution
Engage with clients in English and Japanese via chat, phone, and tickets, clearly explaining findings and recommended actions
Contribute to the development of Security Operations processes and provide feedback on tooling

Requirements

5+ years of hands-on experience in a Security Operations Center (SOC), Managed Detection and Response (MDR) environment, or cybersecurity-focused IT role
Proven experience leading incident response efforts, including containment, mitigation, and recovery during active security incidents
Strong experience with endpoint and network security tools (e.g., EDR, XDR, IDS/IPS, malware defense platforms), with the ability to validate and triage complex alerts
Hands-on threat hunting experience, with a solid understanding of attacker behavior and patterns
In-depth knowledge of adversary tactics and techniques such as obfuscation, persistence, privilege escalation, lateral movement, and defense evasion, and the ability to identify these in real-world environments
Strong working knowledge of Windows operating systems (both workstation and server), with additional experience in Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, RedHat) or macOS environments
Strong ability to analyze Windows event logs and other telemetry data
Solid understanding of network traffic analysis, including TCP/IP, routing, switching, and protocols
Experience mentoring, coaching, or reviewing the work of other analysts
Excellent troubleshooting and analytical thinking skills, with attention to detail in investigations and case documentation
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain findings to both technical and non-technical audiences
Customer-first mindset with professionalism and a focus on service excellence
Must thrive within a team environment as well as on an individual basis
Natural curiosity and ability to learn new skills quickly in a fast-paced, ever-changing threat landscape
A proactive approach to improving detections, processes, and tooling
A passion for cybersecurity, continuous improvement, and staying current on threat trends
Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or related field, or equivalent practical experience
Business-level Japanese (JLPT N2 or above, or native) and business-level English, both written and spoken
Willingness to participate in shift work including nights, weekends, and holidays (our MDR service is 24x7x365)

Nice to Have

Strong knowledge of the MITRE ATT&CK framework and its application in detection and response
Experience working with SIEM platforms and managing enterprise security telemetry
Ability to write and interpret SQL queries for data analysis and investigation
Experience with OSQuery
Programming and scripting skills, particularly in PowerShell
Advanced cybersecurity certifications (e.g., GCIH, GCFA, GCIA, GREM, OSCP, CISSP, or similar)

We Offer

Opportunity to work in a remote-first environment
Diverse and inclusive workplace
Employee-led diversity and inclusion networks
Annual charity and fundraising initiatives
Global employee sustainability initiatives
Global fitness and trivia competitions
Global wellbeing days
Monthly wellbeing webinars and training

About the Company

Sophos operates a remote-first working model, making remote work the primary option for most employees. However, some roles may necessitate a hybrid approach. While we are a remote-first organization, applicants must have legal authorization to work in the jurisdiction where the position is posted, without requiring employer sponsorship.

Our people – we innovate and create, all of which are accompanied by a great sense of fun and team spirit.

Employee-led diversity and inclusion networks that build community and provide education and advocacy.

Annual charity and fundraising initiatives and volunteer days for employees to support local communities.

Global employee sustainability initiatives to reduce our environmental footprint.

Global fitness and trivia competitions to keep our bodies and minds sharp.

Global wellbeing days for employees to relax and recharge.

Monthly wellbeing webinars and training to support employee health and wellbeing.

Our Commitment To You

We’re proud of the diverse and inclusive environment we have at Sophos, and we’re committed to ensuring equality of opportunity. We believe that diversity, combined with excellence, builds a better Sophos, so we encourage applicants who can contribute to the diversity of our team. All applicants will be treated in a fair and equal manner and in accordance with the law regardless of gender, sex, gender reassignment, marital status, race, religion or belief, color, age, military veteran status, disability, pregnancy, maternity, or sexual orientation. We want to give you every opportunity to show us your best self, so if there are any adjustments we could make to the recruitment and selection process to support you, please let us know.

Data Protection

If you choose to explore an opportunity, and subsequently share your CV or other personal details with Sophos, these details will be held by Sophos for 12 months in accordance with our Privacy Policy and used by our recruitment team to contact you regarding this or other relevant opportunities at Sophos. If you would like Sophos to delete or update your details at any time, please follow the steps set out in the Privacy Policy describing your individual rights. For more information on Sophos’ data protection practices, please consult our Privacy Policy Cybersecurity as a Service Delivered | Sophos

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

Senior Threat Analyst

Job description