(HOD) Head Of Department Cyber Security Defense

TEKsystems•Irvine, CA

2d•$181,240 - $240,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Cyber Security Defense Head of Department (HOD) will lead and mature our organization’s end-to-end defensive security capabilities. This senior leadership role oversees the Security Operations Center (SOC), Blue Team, Red Team, Penetration Testing, Incident Response, Threat & Vulnerability Management (TVM), Application Security, and Adversary Simulation functions. The ideal candidate is both a visionary leader and a seasoned technical expert capable of building high-performing teams, implementing modern security practices, and driving continuous improvement across all cyber defense operations functions.

Requirements

cybersecurity
SOC
incident response
tvm

Nice To Haves

Masters degree in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Computer Science or a related discipline is preferred.
Industry-recognized credentials such as CISSP, CISM, OSCP/OSCE, GIAC (GSEC, GCIA, GCIH, GPEN, GXPN) are highly desirable.
Familiarity with, and prior participation with FIRST (Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams) is preferred.
Bi-lingual in English and Korean language proficiency is preferred to support global coordination and communication.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the Cyber Defense strategy aligned with organizational goals, customer requirements and the evolving threat landscapes.
Establish frameworks, processes, and KPIs for SOC, Incident Response, TVM, AppSec, Red/Blue Teaming, and Adversary Simulation.
Serve as a senior advisor to the CISO and executive leadership on cyber risks, readiness, and emerging threats.
Oversee 24x7 SOC operations, ensuring effective monitoring, detection, and response to security events, across levels 1-3.
Drive continuous enhancement of detection engineering, threat hunting, and security analytics.
Implement best-in-class security tooling, automation, and operational processes.
Lead internal Red Team and offensive security capabilities, including penetration testing.
Define testing methodologies, operational rules of engagement, and reporting standards.
Translate offensive findings into actionable improvements for defensive teams and architecture.
Oversee the Incident Response program, ensuring rapid and effective handling of security incidents.
Lead tabletop exercises, simulation drills, and readiness assessments.
Facilitate and lead high/critical incident responses, when the Incident Response Manager is unavailable. Coordinate with legal, communications, and executive stakeholders during major incidents.
Own the enterprise-wide vulnerability management strategy, including prioritization, remediation, and reporting.
Drive continuous scanning, assessment, and metrics to reduce risk across infrastructure, applications, and cloud environments.
Collaborate with engineering and operations teams to ensure timely and effective remediation.
Facilitate and the zero-day vulnerability response process, when the Incident Response Manager is unavailable.
Lead the organization’s AppSec program, including secure SDLC practices, code reviews, SAST/DAST tools, and developer enablement.
Partner with software engineering to embed security into product and platform design.
Develop and run adversary simulation programs that mimic real-world threat actors.
Use intelligence-led scenarios to evaluate detection capabilities, response effectiveness, and organizational resilience.