Incident Response Manager, Contract

66degrees • Chicago, IL

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled Incident Response Manager to lead our client's security operations. In this dual role, you will act as both a "builder" and a "maintainer," responsible for scaling a growing security team from the ground up while simultaneously maintaining and maturing existing incident response workflows. You will initially manage a dedicated team of 5 security professionals, with strategic plans to expand the headcount further by the end of the year.

Requirements

• Minimum of 3+ years of professional leadership/management experience within a Security Operations Center (SOC) or Incident Response team.
• Specialized, hands-on experience in modern threat detection strategies, malware analysis, and adversarial tactics.
• Proven proficiency with Enterprise Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) platforms (e.g., CrowdStrike, Defender for Endpoint, SentinelOne) to hunt and isolate endpoint threats.
• Deep understanding of Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) architectures for log analysis, correlation rule building, and alert optimization.
• Practical experience managing network architecture security defenses, with specific hands-on capabilities in firewall management and network protocols.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working within the Insurance or Financial Services industry, navigating specific regulatory frameworks and data privacy compliances.
• Relevant industry certifications (e.g., GCIH, CISSP, GCFA, or CISM).

Responsibilities

• Provide direct day-to-day management to an initial team of 5 security analysts.
• Participate heavily in strategic workforce planning to scale and extend the team by the End of Year (EOY).
• Oversee and continuously optimize end-to-end incident response workflows.
• Act as the escalation point for critical security incidents, ensuring rapid containment and remediation.
• Leverage specialized expertise to hunt for, detect, and neutralize sophisticated cyber threats across the enterprise environment.
• Monitor and maintain central network security defenses, including firewall management, configuration tracking, and rule optimization.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed