Sr. Manager, Physical Security Operations

Cipher Digital•Colorado City, TX

1d•Remote

About The Position

The Sr. Manager, Physical Security Operations owns the live physical security program across Cipher Digital’s campuses, from turnover acceptance through steady-state operations. The role maintains security posture, performance, customer commitments, and operational compliance across sites that may remain under construction while operating for years. It sets the program-wide operating standard and adapts it to individual campuses, while managing the security operations budget, guard services, vendors, customer obligations, reporting, and incident response. This is initially an individual-contributor role with no Cipher direct reports. The manager provides functional direction to embedded Site Security Managers and contractor personnel, and will build the team as the portfolio grows, beginning with hiring a site operations manager. The position is remote, with regular travel to campuses—up to approximately 50% while establishing the program at the first campus, tapering to approximately 25% as the program matures. When not traveling, work is from a home office or an available local office. After-hours on-call availability is required.

Requirements

Eight or more years of progressive physical security operations experience, including multi-site or regional responsibility.
Experience leading people managers and building a team as a portfolio grows, rather than only managing a single-site guard force.
Demonstrated end-to-end ownership of a contracted guard-force program, including statements of work, SLAs, performance management, and budgeting.
Experience operating security programs in dynamic environments such as active construction, 24/7 operations, or high-security facilities.
Track record of managing customer-facing security commitments through SLAs, audits, and contractual obligations, including sites transitioning from construction into operations.
Sound budgeting and financial management, including forecasting, cost allocation, and vendor cost management.
Working knowledge of Genetec or an equivalent enterprise access-control, intrusion-alarm, and video-surveillance platform, as well as visitor and key-management systems.
Working familiarity with contractual security frameworks such as ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II, and with SLA-driven operations.
Demonstrated leadership across teams and external partners, with the ability to hire, develop, and lead a team as the role scales.
Excellent communication and presentation skills with executive leadership and customers.
Sound judgment under pressure and confidence making senior-level decisions independently.
Bachelor’s degree in security management, business, criminal justice, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
Ability to travel regularly to campuses; travel may be up to approximately 50% during program establishment and taper to approximately 25% as the program matures.
Availability for after-hours on-call incidents and emergencies.
Ability to periodically stand and walk across large data center campuses and active construction areas, occasionally climb stairs and ladders, and lift up to 25 pounds.
Comfort working on active and energized construction sites, with appropriate safety awareness and willingness to wear required personal protective equipment.

Nice To Haves

Experience operating security programs in data center, mission-critical, or other critical-infrastructure environments.
Experience directing embedded or contracted personnel who are not employees of the organization they support.
Proficiency with security reporting and ticketing platforms such as ServiceNow.
CPP, PSP, CSPM, or PMP certification, along with any applicable state security or guard licensing.

Responsibilities

Own physical security operations across the portfolio, including posture, day-to-day performance, and incidents around the clock from turnover through steady state, including while construction continues.
Set and maintain standardized operating procedures, post orders, access and visitor management practices, patrol and shift procedures, and incident response, adapting standards to each site.
Own the security operations budget, including forecasting, guard-force and vendor spending, cost allocation, change orders, and program efficiency.
Accept turnover from the Integration lead, verify systems, documentation, and site-team readiness, and identify when a site is not ready for transfer.
Own operational performance, service levels, and security posture from the point of acceptance onward; provide operational requirements and lessons learned to the Design lead.
Build the team as the portfolio grows, beginning with hiring a site operations manager; develop the team bench and plan for succession.
Direct embedded site security personnel, including contractor-employed Site Security Managers, by setting functional direction, performance expectations, and standards while working through contractor management on employment matters.
Manage guard services and security vendor relationships across statements of work, SLAs, performance, costs, and renewals.
Own customer security commitments, including SLA adherence, customer audits, site visits, and joint operational reviews, and keep sites audit ready.
Own operational compliance after acceptance, including ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II evidence and lease and customer contractual obligations.
Produce security reporting, including incident, KPI, and SLA reports and monthly and quarterly business review materials for customers and leadership.
Own security incident response and escalation across the portfolio, including timely customer notification, formal written reports, and root-cause analysis with remediation tracked to closure.
Lead site security teams in supporting business continuity, emergency response, and crisis management programs owned by Site Safety and DC Operations, including protocols, drills, and real-event coordination.
Build and maintain relationships with local law enforcement, fire, and emergency services, and maintain consistent protocols for government officials across sites.
Own operational use of site security platforms, including access control, alarm monitoring, video surveillance, visitor and delivery management, and key management; oversee access requests and reviews, video extraction, retention, and chain-of-custody compliance.
Partner with digital security engineering to ensure maintenance, repairs, and system changes meet site and customer requirements and are delivered on schedule.