Director, SASE Engineering

USAA•San Antonio, TX

3d•$164,780 - $314,960•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, SASE Engineering leads the engineering organization responsible for secure access, network security, and communications security platforms and services that protect and connect USAA’s workforce and technology environment. The role is accountable for strategy, architecture, engineering, modernization, resiliency, and lifecycle management of SASE and secure communications capabilities, including Cato, Proofpoint, Blue Coat, SD-WAN, secure web access, and email security. These services must remain secure, highly available, scalable, and aligned with USAA’s evolving network and cloud strategy. The position establishes the engineering strategy and multi-year technology roadmap, maintains service reliability and operational readiness, and partners with cybersecurity, network, infrastructure, cloud, and application engineering teams. It leads modernization toward a SASE architecture and governs the assigned information security domain, including policies, standards, risk management, compliance, monitoring, governance, and assurance. The Director represents USAA with external regulators, manages organizational budgets and staffing, and builds and develops a team. The role is based in San Antonio, Texas, with a flexible work environment requiring four days in the office per week; relocation assistance is available.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Information Security, Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, Information Systems/Management, or a related field, or four years of relevant education and/or experience.
Eight years of related information security experience in one or more domains, such as cybersecurity, identity and access management, information assurance and governance, operational risk management, or information technology, including significant accountability for projects, programs, processes, or policies.
Three years of direct team lead, supervisor, or management experience in an Information Security or Information Technology domain.
Four years of researching, designing, or implementing technology, information security, or cybersecurity solutions in a large financial institution or large enterprise security program, with a record of delivering in compliance with applicable federal, state, and regulatory information security and risk management policies, standards, and guidelines.
Expert knowledge of relevant risk management and information security regulations and standards, such as FFIEC, Gramm-Leach-Bliley, the FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and PCI DSS.
Strong knowledge of security technologies, including cryptography, authentication, authorization, and controls.
Strong knowledge of IT risks and experience implementing security solutions.
Knowledge of threats, vulnerabilities, attack methods, and countermeasures for web-based applications, networks, and cybersecurity solutions.
Demonstrated financial acumen in budgeting, forecasting, and budget execution for an information security, cybersecurity, or technology support function.
Expert business acumen in business operations, risk management, industry practices, and emerging trends.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including communicating technical analyses to non-technical audiences.

Nice To Haves

Ten or more years of progressive leadership experience in information security, network security, or cybersecurity engineering.
Ability to lead enterprise rollouts and work with stakeholders to ensure timely delivery of capabilities.
Demonstrated experience leading enterprise-scale SASE, SD-WAN, Secure Web Gateway, email security, or Zero Trust programs.
Deep knowledge of platforms such as Cato, Proofpoint, Blue Coat/Symantec, Zscaler, Palo Alto Prisma Access, Netskope, or equivalent technologies.
Proven experience managing large-scale security operations, engineering, and platform delivery teams.
Strong understanding of cloud security, network security architecture, identity and access management, and cybersecurity risk management.
Experience developing multi-year technology roadmaps and driving strategic transformation initiatives.
Demonstrated success partnering with executive leadership, architecture teams, audit, risk, compliance, and regulatory stakeholders.
Experience overseeing high-availability, mission-critical security services supporting large enterprise environments.
Relevant industry credentials such as CISSP, CISM, CCSP, or comparable identity/security credentials are preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead the SASE Engineering organization and establish engineering strategy and a multi-year roadmap for secure access, network security, and communications security platforms, infrastructure, integrations, and services.
Ensure the security, reliability, resiliency, availability, scalability, and recoverability of critical SASE and communications security services through engineering standards, health metrics, lifecycle management, capacity planning, performance expectations, and operational readiness.
Partner with Cybersecurity, Network, Infrastructure, Cloud, and application engineering teams to turn connectivity and security requirements into scalable capabilities for secure access to internet, SaaS, cloud, and enterprise resources.
Lead modernization and convergence toward a SASE architecture, including SD-WAN, Secure Web Gateway, Zero Trust Network Access, cloud-delivered security, email protection, policy automation, and reduction of legacy infrastructure and point solutions.
Own critical security domains or capabilities, develop multi-year roadmaps, and/or lead Manager Seniors.
Establish and ensure compliant execution of the information security domain’s strategic vision, strategy, goals, and metrics; govern its policies, standards, and procedures.
Direct effective operation of an enterprise information security domain, including capacity, resilience, dependability, and assessment of how changing conditions affect system operations.
Develop, review, and communicate information security risk management policies and procedures with the CISO and senior leaders, ensuring alignment with industry practices and regulatory requirements.
Represent USAA in discussions with external regulators regarding the assigned information security domain.
Oversee continuous monitoring of cybersecurity activities and alert senior management to potential risks, compliance issues, and operational inefficiencies.
Develop, design, and deliver a sustainable governance and assurance model across multiple domains and the enterprise.
Identify, monitor, and evaluate operational solutions to reduce information security risk, meet compliance requirements, and improve workforce efficiency, business agility, and scalability.
Promote information security awareness across the enterprise and external security community.
Act as financial steward for the organization and manage staffing and budgets cost-effectively.
Build and oversee a team through recruiting, development, retention, coaching, support, performance management, and other managerial activities.
Ensure business risks are identified, measured, monitored, and controlled in accordance with risk and compliance policies and procedures.