Incident Response Senior Manager

Cognizant; Annapolis (MD); Remote; USD 135,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance

Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off

401(k) plan and contributions

Long-term/Short-term Disability

Paid Parental Leave

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Job summary

Cognizant is seeking an experienced Incident Response Senior Manager to lead end-to-end cybersecurity incident response activities, coordinating across SOC, forensics, DLP, cloud security, legal, compliance, and client teams.

The role emphasizes autonomous decision-making, incident commander responsibilities, and executive-level communications, with a flexible work model in the United States.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in incident management, cybersecurity operations, or a related field.
• At least 3 years in a leadership or incident response lead capacity.
• Ability to independently assume incident command during critical/high-severity incidents.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional response teams across multiple cybersecurity disciplines.
• Excellent verbal and written communication with technical and executive audiences.

Responsibilities

• Assume the Incident Commander role, triaging incident severity, assembling response teams, and initiating workflows.
• Autonomous real-time containment, escalation, and communication decisions during high-severity incidents.
• Own end-to-end response activities, coordinating across SOC, forensics, DLP, cloud security, legal, and client teams.
• Orchestrate multi-domain security functions to ensure aligned and timely response activities.
• Lead all incident communications including war room updates and client-facing notifications.

Skills

Incident management

Leadership

Cybersecurity operations

Crisis communication

Education

Industry security certifications

Tools

SIEM platforms

Digital forensics

DLP technologies

Cloud security controls

Job description

About Cognizant

Cognizant is a global community united by a shared purpose: to make a meaningful impact. We are committed to excellence and driven by outcomes that matter. Collaboration is at the heart of how we work, and our forward-thinking mindset fuels continuous learning, innovation, and growth.

At Cognizant, careers transcend titles. We empower our people to think strategically, inspire others, and lead with purpose, always guided by our core values.

Join us in shaping the future of business. Could you be the one to make a difference?

About the Role

As a Incident Response Senior Manager, you will drive impactful contributions and focus on outcomes. You will be a key member of the Cyber Security team, collaborating with internal security operations teams, client stakeholders, legal and compliance partners, cloud security teams, and executive leadership. You will have the autonomy to lead, innovate, and improve incident response workflows while upholding our commitment to quality and continuous learning.

As a team of self-starters, you can work with impact while enjoying unmatched learning opportunities.

In This Role, You Will:

• Assume the Incident Commander role without prompting, immediately triaging incident severity, assembling response teams, and initiating appropriate workflows and standard operating procedures.
• Make autonomous real-time containment, escalation, and communication decisions during high-severity incidents, including situations with incomplete information.
• Own end-to-end response activities for cybersecurity incidents, coordinating across SOC, forensics, DLP, cloud security, legal, compliance, and client account teams.
• Orchestrate multi-domain security functions including SIEM, investigations, forensics, cloud controls, security architecture, policy, and data protection to ensure aligned and timely response activities.
• Lead all incident communications including war room updates, executive briefings, stakeholder communications, and client-facing notifications with clarity and confidence.

What You Must Have to Be Considered

• 7+ years of experience in incident management, cybersecurity operations, or a related discipline.
• At least 3 years of experience in a leadership or incident response lead capacity.
• Proven ability to independently assume incident command responsibilities during critical and high-severity incidents.
• Strong experience coordinating cross-functional response teams across multiple cybersecurity disciplines.
• Expertise in Cyber Security operations, incident response methodologies, escalation management, and crisis communication.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with technical and executive audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment and make decisions under pressure.

These Will Help You Succeed

• Experience working with SIEM platforms, digital forensics investigations, DLP technologies, cloud security controls, and security monitoring environments.
• Knowledge of regulatory, legal, and compliance considerations related to cybersecurity incidents.
• Industry security certifications and advanced incident response training.
• Experience managing client-facing incidents across multiple industries and enterprise environments.
• Strong stakeholder management and executive presentation skills.

Work Model

We strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role’s business requirements, this is a remote position open to qualified applicants in the United States. Regardless of your working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work-life balance through our various wellbeing programs.

The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. This may change based on the project you’re engaged in, as well as business and client requirements. Rest assured; we will always be clear about role expectations.

Salary and Other Compensation

Applications will be accepted until September 19, 2026.

The annual salary for this position is between $135,000 - $145,000, depending on experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

This position is also eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance and subject to the terms of Cognizant’s applicable plans.

Benefits

Cognizant offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance
• Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off
• 401(k) plan and contributions
• Long-term/Short-term Disability
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Disclaimer

The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.

Location

Primary Location: East Coast Preferred

Job Details

Job Title: Incidence Response Senior Manager

Job Type: 45CF24 Sr. Manager - CS

Experience: 6 to 10 Years

Technology: Not Applicable

Required Skill: Cyber Security

Shift: Day Shift

Travel Requirement: No Travel Required

Work Authorization

Must be legally authorized to work in the country without the need for employer sponsorship, now or any time in the future.

Certifications / Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in incident management, cybersecurity operations, or a related role.
• Minimum 3 years in an incident response leadership capacity.
• Demonstrated ability to independently assume incident command responsibilities and lead critical response efforts.
• Relevant cybersecurity certifications are preferred

Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.