Security Manager
Role: Manager, Application Security, Threat Detection & Automation Location: Large Financial Services / Online Banking Environment Reports to: CISO Team Size: ~8–10 Security Engineers Level: Senior Manager–level responsibility (title may be Manager) Recruiter Snapshot (What This Role Really Is) This is a senior cybersecurity leader who serves as the CISO’s right-hand person. The role manages a team covering application security, threat detection, vulnerability management, red/purple team activities, and security automation, with a heavy emphasis on detection, readiness, and real-world risk reduction. It is not just AppSec and not just SOC — it sits at the intersection of secure development, threat detection, and operational maturity in a large online banking environment. Certifications are not important. Judgment, leadership, and execution are. What the Manager Owns • People leadership for a multi-discipline cyber team • Application Security strategy and execution • Threat Detection (more detection than prevention) • Penetration testing readiness and follow-through • Red / Blue / Purple team integration • Security automation and operational efficiency • Executive tabletop exercises (quarterly) • Reducing enterprise attack surface and dwell time Key Responsibilities (Recruiter-Friendly) Leadership & Team Management • Manage and develop a team of ~9 security professionals across: • Application Security • Vulnerability Management • Threat Detection & Threat Intelligence • Red / Purple Team disciplines • Security automation • Act as escalation point for high-risk or high-impact cyber issues • Serve as trusted operational partner to the CISO Application Security (Managing Senior AppSec Engineers) • Oversee SAST, DAST, SCA, manual testing, and pen testing programs • Drive shift-left AppSec (IDE scanning, CI/CD integration, secure coding practices) • Reduce testing cycles and downstream findings by improving early detection • Operate tool-agnostic (Veracode, Invicti, Burp, etc.) • Ensure AppSec supports modern cloud-native and DevOps environments Threat Detection & Purple Teaming • Own detection-focused security outcomes (not just vulnerability reporting) • Work closely with SOC and IR teams to improve detection signals • Use pen test and red-team insights to strengthen blue-team defenses • Apply purple team thinking to close gaps between offense and defense Penetration Testing & Offensive Readiness • Ensure strong internal and third‑party pen testing coverage • Validate findings are meaningful, prioritized, and remediated • Use offensive testing to drive real defensive improvements Vulnerability & Configuration Risk Reduction • Oversee vulnerability and configuration management programs • Maintain hardening standards, baselines, and remediation tracking • Reduce enterprise attack surface (cloud, apps, infrastructure) • Integrate AppSec, pentest, and vuln data into risk-based prioritization Security Automation • Lead development of hyper-automation for security operations: • Automated IOC enrichment • Automated threat hunts • Malware / ransomware kill-switch playbooks • Automated phishing response and triage • Reduce manual effort and analyst fatigue Executive Tabletop & Readiness • Design and run quarterly tabletop exercises with executive leadership • Focus on real-world attack scenarios impacting online banking • Translate technical incidents into business-impact discussions • Capture lessons learned and drive follow-up improvements Environment & Scope • Multi-cloud environment • High-availability online banking systems • Highly regulated financial services setting • Heavy collaboration with engineering, cloud, risk, and executive leaders Background We’re Targeting Required Experience • 10+ years in cybersecurity (AppSec, threat detection, IR, vuln management) • 3–5+ years leading multi-disciplinary security teams • Experience reducing attack surface and improving detection speed • Strong understanding of: • Application security • Threat detection & response • Pen testing & adversary simulation • CI/CD and cloud-native environments • Comfortable presenting to and influencing executives Nice to Have • Red, blue, or purple team background • Financial services or regulated enterprise experience • Experience with automation or SOAR-style workflows Not Required • Certifications (explicitly not a concern) • Deep vendor specialization Contract to Hire is also an option