Lead, Cyber Security Operations

pru; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 124,000 - 204,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision insurance

401(k) plan with company match

Company-funded pension plan

Wellness programs

Job summary

Prudential is seeking a Lead in the Cyber Security Operations Center to direct shift-level operations, triage, and threat assessment for the enterprise. You will drive automation, incident response, and collaboration with stakeholders to strengthen defenses and resiliency.

The role emphasizes data-driven insights, cross-team coordination, and ongoing professional growth with modern security tools and practices. A competitive salary and bonus potential accompany this leadership position.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in a cybersecurity-focused role with at least 2 years in security operations.
• Strong knowledge of security event handling processes, detection methodologies, and SOC operations.
• Strong understanding of enterprise technologies including operating systems, networking appliances, identity access management, and cloud/SaaS platforms.
• Hands-on experience with SIEM, SOAR, XDR/EDR, IDS/IPS, and other security tools.
• Ability to analyze security data across networks, systems, and applications to identify anomalies, validate alerts, and distinguish real threats from false positives.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills, with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to learn new skills and knowledge on an ongoing basis through self-initiative and tackling challenges.
• Analytical thinking: break down complex problems to identify threats and root causes.
• Experience working in Agile or iterative environments.
• Time management and prioritization in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to leverage diverse ideas and perspectives for the organization.
• Experience driving automation and orchestration efforts to improve efficiency.
• Relevant certifications (e.g., GIAC GCIH, GSOC, GCFA, GNFA) are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide shift-level operational leadership, maintaining awareness of active security events and emerging threats.
• Coordinate and optimize alert intake, triage, and prioritization, ensuring alerts are acknowledged and processed within SLA.
• Lead and coordinate security event escalation activities with proper validation and context.
• Maintain event handling quality control and documentation standards across events.
• Drive continuous improvement of runbooks, SOPs, and processes, identifying gaps and accelerating automation.
• Build technical expertise and stay current on threats, attack methods, and trends.
• Communicate and collaborate with cybersecurity and IT professionals and business stakeholders on responses and improvements.
• Mentor junior analysts by reviewing work and sharing best practices.

Skills

SOC operations

Security event handling

Threat detection

SIEM

SOAR

XDR/EDR

IDS/IPS

Cloud/SaaS platforms

Networking

IAM

Agile

Analytical thinking

Mentoring

Tools

SIEM

SOAR

XDR/EDR

IDS/IPS

Job description

Job Classification: Technology - Information Security

Are you interested in using capabilities that enable the organization to operate with innovation, speed, agility, scalability, and efficiency? The Global Technology team takes great pride in our culture where digital transformation is built into our DNA! When you join our organization at Prudential, you'll unlock an exciting and impactful career - all while growing your skills and advancing your profession at one of the world's leading financial services institutions.

Your Team and Role

As a Lead in the Cyber Security Operations Center, you will play a key role in securing the enterprise and advancing the maturity of Prudential's Cyber Defense & Response organization. Working with a high degree of independence, you will be responsible for managing triage, event handling, and initial threat assessment operations to safeguard the Prudential Financial enterprise.

In this role, you will collaborate with stakeholders across the Cyber Defense and Response organization to strengthen team capabilities through data-driven insights, automation, and orchestration. Your expertise and observations will directly contribute to enhancing secure architecture and advancing global cyber resiliency across the enterprise.

Here is What You Can Expect on a Typical Day

• Provide shift-level operational leadership , maintaining awareness of active security events and emerging threats, while dynamically adjusting resources to meet business risk and operational demand s.
• Coordinate and optimize alert intake, triage, and prioritization , ensuring that a lerts are acknowledged and processed within defined SLA s
• Lead and coordinate security event escalation activities by validating all proposed escalations to ensure accurate , appropriately prio ritized, and supported by sufficient analytical context before engaging downstream teams .
• Maintain event handling quality control and documentation standards, ensuring all events are accurately recorded, tracked, and handled consistently.
• Drive continuous improvement of event handling runbooks, SOPs, and operational processes to identify gaps, reduce inefficiencies, enhance operations, and advance automation.
• Continuously build technical expertise and stay current on threats, attack methods, and industry trends to enhance the organization's capability .
• Professionally communicate and collaborate with other cybersecurity and IT professionals, as well as business stakeholders, to coordinate responses and implement security improvements and risk burndown .
• Mentor junior analysts by reviewing their work, sharing best practices, and helping them strengthen analytical and reporting skills.

The Skills & Expertise You Bring

• 5+ years of experience in a cybersecurity- fo cused role with at least 2 years in security o perations
• Strong knowledge of security event handling processes, detection methodologies, and SOC operations.
• Strong understanding of enterprise technologies including operating systems, networking appliances, identity access management, and cloud/SaaS platforms.
• Hands-on experience with SIEM, SOAR, XDR/EDR, IDS/IPS, and other security tools .
• Ability to a nalyze security data across networks, systems, and applications to identify anomalies, validate alerts, and distinguish real threats from false positives.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills, with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to learn new skills and knowledge on an ongoing basis through self-initiative and tackling challenges.
• Analytical thinking: The ability to break down complex problems into smaller, more manageable components to identify threats, understand attack patterns, and pinpoint root causes.
• Experience working in Agile or iterative environments.
• Time management and prioritization: The ability to manage multiple tasks, prioritize critical incidents over low-priority alerts, and streamline work in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to effectively leverage diverse ideas, experiences, thoughts, and perspectives to the benefit of the organization
• Experience driving automation and orchestration efforts to improve efficiency .
• Relevant certifications (e.g., GIAC GCIH, GSOC, GCFA, GNFA ) are a plus.

What we offer you:

Prudential is required by state specific laws to include the salary range for this role when hiring a resident in applicable locations. The salary range for this role is from $123,700.00 to $204,100.00. Specific pricing for the role may vary within the above range based on many factors including geographic location, candidate experience, and skills. Market competitive base salaries, with a yearly bonus potential at every level.

• Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, Paid Time Off (PTO), and leave of absences, such as parental and military leave.
• 401(k) plan with company match (up to 4%).
• Company-funded pension plan.
• Wellness Programs includ