Director of Security Operations (2865)

ALDRIDGE•Houston, TX

6d•$150,000 - $175,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Aldridge is a forward-thinking organization committed to delivering innovative technology solutions and exceptional service to our clients. We are seeking a Director of Security Operations to own our security strategy and consulting practice and to provide leadership oversight of our Security Operations Center. As the Director of Security Operations at Aldridge, you will serve as the senior security voice with our clients and prospects, shape how we advise them on risk and compliance, partner with our Director of Product to bring the right security capabilities to market, and hold our Security Operations Center and our managed detection and response partners to a high standard on behalf of our clients. Position Overview: The Director of Security Operations owns Aldridge’s security strategy and consulting practice and carries leadership accountability for the Security Operations Center. Reporting to the VP of Service Delivery, this role spends roughly 60% of its time on strategy and consulting — client security advisory, security solution direction, presales support, and Aldridge’s own security program — and roughly 40% providing direction and oversight to the SOC through the Security Team Lead, who reports to this role. This is a leadership position rather than a working-manager position: the Director sets standards, targets, and priorities and is accountable for outcomes, but does not carry a day-to-day operational queue. Aldridge currently operates a co-managed security model: third-party MDR, ITDR, and SOC/SIEM partners provide 24x7 eyes-on-glass and first-pass triage, and the Aldridge SOC owns validation, investigation, response, remediation, and tuning. The Security Team Lead owns the day-to-day execution of that model. The Director owns everything above it — how we advise clients on risk and compliance, the security capabilities we should be delivering and the standards they must meet, how security performance is measured and reported, and how the security team is staffed and developed. Security tooling and services are brought to market in partnership with the Director of Product: this role identifies the need, evaluates fit, and validates efficacy, while the Director of Product owns vendor management, pricing, packaging, and the cost to support each offering. The Director of Security Operations is also the executive escalation point for major security incidents and the senior security voice with clients, prospects, and Aldridge leadership. Team and Reporting Structure: The Director of Security Operations reports to the VP of Service Delivery and has the Security Team Lead as a direct report, with the Security Analysts reporting through that lead. The Director owns hiring, performance management, career development, and the staffing plan for the security function. Outside of the direct team, the Director partners with the Director of Product on security solutions and tooling, with pod, NOC, and account teams to drive remediation and security initiatives across the client base, and with Sales and Marketing to grow the security practice.

Requirements

Minimum of 10 years of experience in information technology with at least 8 years focused on information security, including 3–5 years leading a security team, practice, or function.
ISC2 Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) required, or an equivalent senior security certification such as CISM or CCISO; additional credentials such as CISA, GIAC, or Microsoft SC-100 are a plus.
Demonstrated experience building or running a client-facing security advisory or vCISO practice — risk assessments, security roadmaps, and executive-level presentation of risk and recommendations.
Track record shaping a security service offering in an MSP, MSSP, or consulting environment — assessing capability gaps, evaluating and validating security platforms, and partnering with product or commercial leadership to bring solutions to market.
Accountability for SOC or managed detection and response outcomes in a co-managed or partner-supported model, including holding third-party providers to defined performance standards.
Deep working knowledge of the modern security stack in a Microsoft-centric environment — EDR/XDR, SIEM, identity protection, email security, and vulnerability management (Microsoft Defender, Entra ID, and similar).
Hands-on program experience with one or more compliance frameworks such as HIPAA, CMMC, SOC 2, CIS Controls, or NIST CSF, including leading clients or an organization through assessment and remediation.
Demonstrated presales experience partnering with a sales organization — scoping engagements, presenting to prospects, and influencing security revenue outcomes.
Executive presence and communication skills, including the ability to explain security risk, incident impact, and investment trade-offs clearly to non-technical executives under pressure.
People leadership experience including hiring, performance management, coaching, and career development of technical staff.
Sound judgment and discretion when handling sensitive information, security evidence, client incident details, and confidential business information.

Responsibilities

Own Aldridge’s security strategy and consulting practice — define the advisory offering, methodology, and deliverables that make security a distinct, articulable practice rather than a bundled utility.
Serve as the senior security advisor to clients in a vCISO capacity — lead risk assessments, build and maintain multi-year security roadmaps, and present posture, risk, and recommendations to owners, executives, and boards.
Guide clients through compliance programs such as HIPAA, CMMC, SOC 2, CIS Controls, and NIST CSF, including gap assessments, remediation planning, and readiness for audit or attestation.
Partner with Technical Account Managers, Technology Directors, and Client Success Managers to embed security strategy into account planning, technology roadmaps, and recurring business reviews.
Define what security capabilities Aldridge should deliver and to what standard — translate client need, threat landscape, and compliance pressure into a clear point of view on the offering, and bring that direction to the Director of Product, who owns how it is packaged and taken to market.
Serve as the technical authority on security tooling — identify gaps in the current stack, evaluate and validate candidate platforms for efficacy, integration, and delivery fit, and recommend the best-fit solution; the Director of Product owns final vendor selection, contracting, and commercial terms from there.
Own the operational quality of the security platforms and partners in production — define the delivery model and effort required to support each offering, provide those inputs to the Director of Product, and hold MDR, ITDR, and SOC/SIEM partners accountable for the service quality our clients experience.
Partner with Sales as the security subject-matter expert — join prospect and client conversations, scope engagements, and translate technical risk into business terms that support the buying decision.
Support security revenue and attach-rate goals across new and existing clients, including identifying uplift and expansion opportunities within the current base.
Contribute to thought leadership and client education — content, webinars, briefings, and security awareness material that establish Aldridge as a credible security partner.
Provide leadership oversight of the Security Operations Center through the Security Team Lead — accountable for detection and response performance, alert quality, and incident outcomes without operating the queue day to day.
Set SOC standards and targets — response-time targets, escalation criteria, playbook and documentation standards, and quality expectations — and hold both the internal team and the MDR, ITDR, and SOC/SIEM partners accountable to them.
Serve as the executive escalation point for major and high-severity security incidents — approving containment decisions with material client impact, owning executive-level client communication, and signing off on post-incident reviews and follow-up actions.
Own hiring, performance management, career development, and the staffing plan for the security team, and build the career path that carries analysts through to senior and lead roles.
Own Aldridge’s internal security program — risk register, policies and standards, access governance, security awareness, and our own compliance attestations and cyber insurance requirements.
Report client and internal security posture, risk, program progress, and practice performance to Aldridge leadership on a defined cadence.