Director, Proactive Defense Operations

Ladders; United States; Remote; USD 169,000 - 281,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care and insurance benefits for

Retirement benefits

Paid holidays and vacation

Paid caregiver/parental and medical le

Job summary

Ladders is seeking a Director, Proactive Defense Operations to lead cybersecurity operations focused on proactive threat detection, automated triage, and rapid escalation across a global remote environment. You will own the operating model, technology stack, and performance of the proactive defense function while partnering with CSO leadership to strengthen cyber risk management.

The role combines team leadership, vendor oversight, and metrics-driven reporting to improve the effectiveness of the

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, CS, IT, or related field or equivalent experience.
• 12+ years of cybersecurity experience.
• Experience in security operations, detection engineering, or security data science.
• Proficiency with SIEM/SOAR platforms and detection rule frameworks like YARA-L or Sigma.
• Demonstrated leadership or people management experience with technical teams.
• Experience managing budgets and supplier relationships.

Responsibilities

• Own the proactive defense operations capability, including roadmap and performance.
• Lead and develop the team, setting priorities and managing performance.
• Manage the capability budget and vendor relationships.
• Report performance and risk to CSO leadership.
• Calibrate threat collection and automated triage to corporate risk.
• Direct machine-speed exposure triage and escalation processes.
• Govern the technology stack and approve automation architecture.
• Build metrics to assess Cyber Defense effectiveness.

Skills

Leadership experience

Security operations

SIEM/SOAR

Threat detection

Budget management

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor's degree in cybersecurity or related field

Tools

YARA-L

Sigma

Job description

For our client, we are seeking a Director, Proactive Defense Operations to join the team of a leader in the Pharmaceuticals & Biotech space. This role will lead cybersecurity operations focused on proactive threat detection, automated triage, and rapid escalation across a complex global environment. You will own the operating model, technology stack, and performance of the proactive defense function while partnering closely with CSO leadership to strengthen cyber risk management. The position also combines team leadership, vendor oversight, and metrics-driven reporting to improve the effectiveness of the broader Cyber Defense organization. Location: Remote. Compensation: $168,750 – $281,250 annually.

Responsibilities

• Own the proactive defense operations capability, including roadmap and performance
• Lead and develop the team, setting priorities and managing performance
• Manage the capability budget and vendor relationships
• Report performance and risk to CSO leadership
• Calibrate threat collection and automated triage to corporate risk
• Direct machine-speed exposure triage and escalation processes
• Govern the technology stack and approve automation architecture
• Build metrics to assess Cyber Defense effectiveness

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in cybersecurity, computer science, information technology, or a related field, or equivalent experience
• 12+ years of cybersecurity experience
• Experience in security operations, detection engineering, or security data science
• Proficiency with SIEM/SOAR platforms and detection rule frameworks like YARA-L or Sigma
• Demonstrated leadership or people management experience with technical teams
• Experience managing budgets and supplier relationships

Benefits

• Health care and insurance benefits for employees and families
• Retirement benefits
• Paid holidays and vacation
• Paid caregiver/parental and medical leave

Our client is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every qualification—your background could be exactly what this team needs.