Job Description & Details
This is a heavy-hitting leadership role steering cybersecurity operations within a defense-adjacent environment. If you do not have deep familiarity with Department of Defense policies and a track record of running a Security Operations Center, you are going to struggle here. It is built for a seasoned practitioner who can bridge the gap between hard technical defense and high-level government briefings.
What You'll Actually Be Doing
You will be stepping in to lead and manage a DoD CSSP, SOC, or equivalent cyber defense organization. Your day-to-day won't be about writing detection rules from scratch; instead, you'll be driving cybersecurity metrics capture, documenting defense posture, and briefing government leadership on risk and readiness. Expect to translate complex technical telemetry into actionable briefs for stakeholders who need the bottom line without the fluff.
The Core Tech Stack
You need absolute fluency in DoD cybersecurity policies, directives, and guidance, specifically applying them to complex customer environments. Beyond the policy framework, your toolkit relies heavily on metrics dashboards, SIEM/SOC operations platforms, and robust documentation tools. The company needs someone who speaks fluent compliance and operational defense simultaneously, ensuring the team stays audit-ready while actively hunting threats.
Interview Expectations
When you sit down with the hiring manager, expect them to test your crisis management and leadership stamina by asking how you would handle a high-visibility security incident while simultaneously briefing a dissatisfied senior government official. They are secretly looking for your ability to remain calm under pressure, take absolute ownership of operational failures, and communicate risk without hiding behind jargon. Another likely angle will involve how you track and report SOC performance metrics that actually prove value to leadership, rather than just vanity numbers.
Application Advice
Your resume needs to scream defense leadership from the very top. Do not list generic IT tasks; instead, highlight exact numbers, such as the size of the CSSP or SOC you managed, the scale of the environments you protected, and how many successful audits or operational milestones you achieved under DoD guidelines. Make sure keywords like 'DoD policy', 'CSSP', 'SOC leadership', and 'cybersecurity metrics' are front and center to sail through the ATS and grab the recruiter's attention immediately.