Director – Security Operations & Zero Trust

Oliver James Group; Hartford (CT); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Oliver James Group is seeking a Director for Security Operations & Zero Trust in Hartford, CT. This senior role combines strategic direction with hands-on technical oversight across SOC, incident response, Zero Trust architecture, and SSE.

The candidate will lead enterprise security capabilities, strengthen threat detection, and mature the organization’s Zero Trust strategy across a complex financial services environment.

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in cybersecurity at senior levels.
• Proven track record in Security Operations, SOC management, or security engineering.
• Deep understanding of Zero Trust principles and enterprise security architecture.
• Experience with SSE, SASE, ZTNA, SWG, CASB or equivalent technologies.
• Familiarity with platforms like Zscaler or Netskope or similar solutions.
• Experience managing outsourced SOC services, MSSPs or MDR providers.
• Strong knowledge of enterprise networking and secure connectivity.

Responsibilities

• Lead and continuously improve Security Operations Center (SOC) capabilities, including threat detection, monitoring, investigation, and incident response.
• Oversee incident management processes, escalation procedures, and response readiness.
• Manage relationships with outsourced security operations providers, MSSPs, and other strategic security partners.
• Drive improvements in operational effectiveness, threat visibility, and security response capabilities.
• Lead the design, implementation, and ongoing optimization of the enterprise Zero Trust security strategy.
• Oversee capabilities across Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), Secure Web Gateway (SWG), CASB, and related controls.
• Guide the implementation and management of Security Service Edge (SSE) solutions, including platforms such as Zscaler, Netskope, or equivalent technologies.
• Partner with network, cloud, infrastructure, and application teams to embed security into enterprise architecture and connectivity.
• Provide technical leadership across security engineering, enterprise network security, and cloud security capabilities.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and identify opportunities to improve the organization’s security posture.
• Manage third-party vendors, service providers, and strategic technology initiatives.
• Collaborate with senior stakeholders to align cybersecurity priorities with business objectives, risk management, and regulatory requirements.
• Lead, develop, and mentor technical teams while fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Stakeholder management

Mentoring teams

Tools

Zscaler

Netskope

ZTNA

SSE

SASE

SWG

CASB

Job description

Contract to Hire Opportunity

Director – Security Operations & Zero Trust

About The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced cybersecurity leader for a Director, Security Operations & Zero Trust opportunity with a leading organization in the life insurance and financial services sector.

This is a senior leadership role combining strategic direction with hands‑on technical oversight across Security Operations, incident response, Zero Trust architecture, and Security Service Edge (SSE). The successful candidate will lead efforts to strengthen enterprise security capabilities, enhance threat detection and response, and advance the organization’s Zero Trust strategy across a complex enterprise environment.

The ideal candidate brings a strong combination of cybersecurity leadership, technical depth, enterprise networking knowledge, and experience managing internal teams and external security service providers.

Key Responsibilities

Security Operations & Incident Response

• Lead and continuously improve Security Operations Center (SOC) capabilities, including threat detection, monitoring, investigation, and incident response.
• Oversee incident management processes, escalation procedures, and response readiness.
• Manage relationships with outsourced security operations providers, MSSPs, and other strategic security partners.
• Drive improvements in operational effectiveness, threat visibility, and security response capabilities.

Zero Trust & Security Service Edge

• Lead the design, implementation, and ongoing optimization of the enterprise Zero Trust security strategy.
• Oversee capabilities across Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), Secure Web Gateway (SWG), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), and related security controls.
• Guide the implementation and management of Security Service Edge (SSE) solutions, including platforms such as Zscaler, Netskope, or equivalent technologies.
• Partner with network, cloud, infrastructure, and application teams to embed security into enterprise architecture and connectivity.

Security Engineering & Strategic Leadership

• Provide technical leadership across security engineering, enterprise network security, and relevant cloud security capabilities.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and identify opportunities to improve the organization’s security posture.
• Manage third-party vendors, service providers, and strategic technology initiatives.
• Collaborate with senior stakeholders to align cybersecurity priorities with business objectives, risk management, and regulatory requirements.
• Lead, develop, and mentor technical teams while fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

Qualifications & Experience

• Significant experience in cybersecurity, information security, or a related technical security discipline.
• Proven leadership experience across Security Operations, SOC management, incident response, or security engineering.
• Demonstrated understanding of Zero Trust principles and enterprise security architecture.
• Experience with SSE, SASE, ZTNA, SWG, CASB, or comparable enterprise security technologies.
• Familiarity with platforms such as Zscaler or Netskope, or equivalent solutions.
• Experience managing outsourced SOC services, MSSPs, MDR providers, or other external security partners.
• Strong knowledge of enterprise networking and security technologies, including network access controls, firewalls, proxies, and secure connectivity.
• Ability to balance strategic planning with practical technical decision-making and operational execution.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and team leadership skills.

What Makes This Opportunity Interesting?

• A senior leadership role with influence across Security Operations and Zero Trust transformation.
• The opportunity to shape and mature enterprise security capabilities.
• A combination of strategic ownership, technical leadership, and operational responsibility.
• Exposure to complex security challenges within a regulated financial services environment.