Director, Cybersecurity Technical Defense Operations

Description

The Director, Cybersecurity Technical Defense Operations is a senior-level position responsible for overseeing the organization's cybersecurity defense operations. This role involves designing, developing, implementing, and maintaining cybersecurity solutions and processes to protect the organization's systems, networks, and data. The Director, Cybersecurity Technical Defense Operations serves as the central point of cybersecurity leadership and keeps the VP, Head of Information Security informed about the current state of security.

Responsibilities

Provide expert guidance to clients and internal teams on security matters, ensuring timely and effective communication.

Design and review secure architectural solutions based on business needs and security best practices.

Conduct security architecture advisory services, including risk assessments and architectural recommendations.

Identify gaps in existing security capabilities and recommend improvements.

Manage incident response from a cybersecurity technical defense perspective, ensuring rapid detection, containment, and remediation of security incidents.

Conduct assessments of tools and environments based on industry standards and best practices.

Assess various information technology risks that the business faces in its operations and implement action plans, policy, and procedural changes for risk avoidance and mitigation.

Collaborate with other IT teams to select and implement appropriate security tools and solutions.

Evaluate control maturity by performing control design and operating effectiveness reviews and peer reviewing as needed.

Conduct in-depth information technology risk assessments, including documenting controls, identifying potential gaps and/or inconsistencies, and making sound recommendations for improvement and/or mitigation.

Provide technical assistance on risk-related systems issues and serve as a liaison for technology risk management.

Determine appropriate KPIs/KRIs for IT risk monitoring.

Understand and consult on information security standards and industry best practices.

Liaison with Internal and External audit teams, tracking internal and external audit findings, performing issues follow-up, consulting, and action plans with owners, and issue resolution.

Assist with developing and monitoring controls related to Cloud and Emerging Technologies to meet applicable security, audit, and regulatory requirements.

Manage 24x7 Security Operations Center with seven analyst positions.

Responsibilities Continued

Team management: Hiring, training, and evaluating team members.

Policy and procedure development: Creating and implementing security policies and procedures.

Security operations management: Managing the day-to-day operations of the SOC, including SLA performance management and metrics development.

Security audits: Supporting security audits and creating compliance reports.

Reporting: Reporting on security operations to business leaders and to the chief information security officer (CISO).

Technical guidance: Providing technical guidance to the team.

Training: Conducting training exercises to ensure staff are up to date on the latest threats and incident response techniques.

Required Experience and Skills

• 15+ years of relevant experience in Information Systems Operations and Cybersecurity, including demonstrated support in systems, networks, and applications analysis directly related to Cybersecurity/INFOSEC, Cyber Defense, and Risk Management Framework (RMF) implementations.
•  A minimum of 5 years in a leadership role
• BA/BS degree in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Demonstrated technical abilities in multiple areas (e.g., technology infrastructure and application controls, cybersecurity, access management, network and cloud, resiliency, etc.).
• Knowledge of emerging cybersecurity threats and trends.
• Strong background in infrastructure and cloud cybersecurity.
• Familiarity with security frameworks such as NIST, architectural methodologies, and evolving compliance requirements.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Proficiency in creating comprehensive documentation, including architectural diagrams, network diagrams, data-flow diagrams, and security policies.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, presenting recommendations to senior management.

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Preferred Requirements

• Professional certifications such as CISSP, CISM, or CISA.
• Experience in a similar role within a large organization.