Manager, Cybersecurity Operations

Xeris Pharmaceuticals•Chicago, IL

6h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Manager, Cybersecurity Operations owns day to day security operations and incident response, with a strong focus on Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365 (including Defender, Purview, DLP, and IRM), and key SaaS platforms. This role provides both strategic and hands‑on leadership for the security operations team and is accountable for the effectiveness and maturity of security operations in support of the company’s risk management and compliance programs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, cybersecurity, or equivalent experience; 5+ years of progressive cybersecurity experience with demonstrated leadership responsibility.
Hands‑on experience with IAM, SIEM, and vulnerability management tools, ideally in a Microsoft‑centric environment (Azure AD/Entra ID, Microsoft 365, Defender suite).
Strong understanding of cybersecurity frameworks and controls (e.g., NIST CSF, ISO 27001, CIS) and their application in day‑to‑day operations and governance.
Proven ability to lead incident response, coordinate cross‑functional stakeholders, and communicate clearly with technical and non‑technical audiences.
Demonstrated skills in team leadership, collaboration, project management, and written and verbal communication; strong attention to detail and adaptability in a fast‑changing environment

Responsibilities

Lead the security operations function, including monitoring, triage, and response for alerts across Azure, Microsoft 365, Windows 365, endpoints, identity, email, and core SaaS applications.
Direct and coordinate Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and SOC partners, ensuring clear runbooks, effective SLAs, and high quality investigations and escalations.
Manage and coach the security operations team, partnering with Infrastructure, Applications, Legal, Compliance, and business leaders to embed security into day to day processes.
Establish a healthy check and balance between IT and cybersecurity so IT focuses on delivery and operations while cybersecurity independently governs, monitors, and enforces controls across the environment.
Develop, maintain, and continuously improve runbooks and standard operating procedures for common security events and operational tasks.
Oversee root cause analysis, basic forensics, and threat hunting activities across identity, email, endpoint, and cloud workloads.
Drive incident lifecycle management: tracking metrics, trends, remediation progress, and lessons learned for technology and business leadership.
Support protection of “crown jewel” assets through data classification, conditional access, and policy enforcement across Microsoft 365 and key business systems.
Partner in governance activities, including GRC platform administration, NIST based control assessments, InfoSec steering committee inputs, and security improvement tracking.
Perform vendor cybersecurity due diligence (e.g., security questionnaires, DDQs, monitoring enrollment) and manage third party risk operations in partnership with Procurement and Legal.
Maintain an accurate inventory of security relevant assets (devices, SaaS applications, privileged accounts) to support monitoring, access control, and vulnerability management.
Contribute to security awareness efforts, including annual training, Cybersecurity Awareness Month activities, and targeted campaigns.
Partner with the Director of Infrastructure and Security on KPIs, operational risk metrics, and budget planning for tools, services, and managed partners.
Identify and recommend opportunities to automate and streamline security operations and system administration.