Lead, Detection Engineer - Cyber Defense & Response

Prudential Annuities Distributors (PAD); Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 123,700 - 204,100; Full time

Job summary

Prudential in Newark, NJ is seeking a Lead Detection Engineer within the Cyber Defense and Response organization to drive the evolution of enterprise cyber threat detection capabilities. You will mentor the team, design and deploy detailed detection logic across cloud and on-prem environments, and collaborate with Cyber Threat Intelligence and Threat Hunting to strengthen detection resilience.

You will lead cross-functional initiatives, drive modernization of detection tooling, and influence

Qualifications

• Experience leading complex detection engineering initiatives.
• Proficiency in risk-based alerting and enterprise detection models.
• Strong knowledge of networks, operating systems, cloud, and telemetry pipelines.
• Expertise with MITRE ATT&CK, Cyber Kill Chain, and translating them into detections.
• Experience with Splunk ES, correlation searches, data models, and performance tuning.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and implementation of enterprise-scale cyber threat detection across diverse tech stacks.
• Drive research into adversarial tactics and develop proactive detection methodologies.
• Collaborate with threat intelligence to operationalize intelligence into detections.
• Partner with threat hunting to translate hunts into automated detections and hypotheses.
• Develop detection engineering tooling, automation frameworks, and reusable components.

Skills

Detection engineering

Incident response

Threat hunting

Security operations

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

Splunk ES

SPL

KQL

SOAR

CI/CD tooling

Job description

Overview

Job Classification: Technology - Information Security

Are you interested in building capabilities that enable the organization with innovation, speed, agility, scalability and efficiency? The Global Technology team takes pride in a culture where digital transformation is built into our DNA. When you join Prudential, you’ll have an exciting and impactful career while growing your skills and advancing your profession at a leading financial services institution.

Your Team & Role

As a Lead Detection Engineer within the Cyber Defense and Response organization, you will drive the strategic evolution of the enterprise’s cyber threat detection capabilities. You will enhance the security posture through leadership in the design, development, and deployment of advanced detection logic across a diverse technology landscape. You will establish methodologies for identifying sophisticated threat actors early in the cyber kill chain, while guiding the team in operationalizing intelligence, automating workflows, and strengthening detection resilience. This role requires expert-level analysis of ambiguous data and complex systems. You will mentor team members, champion inclusive leadership and continuous learning, and ensure alignment with business and risk priorities. Strong communication, strategic judgment, and the ability to influence across the organization are essential to your success.

What you can expect on a typical day: as a Lead, you will perform all responsibilities of a Specialist while providing technical leadership, strategic direction, and cross-team coordination.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of enterprise-scale cyber threat detection capabilities across diverse technologies, ensuring accuracy, resilience, and alignment with risk priorities.
• Drive advanced research into adversarial TTPs, guiding the team in creating innovative and proactive detection methodologies across varied cloud and on-prem platforms.
• Partner strategically with Cyber Threat Intelligence to prioritize, shape, and operationalize intelligence into high-impact, sustainable detection coverage.
• Collaborate with Cyber Threat Hunting to transform successful hunts into automated, scalable detections and long-term detection hypotheses.
• Architect and oversee development of detection engineering automations, frameworks, and reusable tooling to accelerate team velocity and maturity.
• Identify, influence, and implement detection engineering tooling, infrastructure, and data visibility improvements across the enterprise.
• Provide authoritative insight on detection and visibility gaps, driving remediation efforts with platform owners, security architects, and engineering teams.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives to establish security requirements, uplift telemetry coverage, and strengthen detection and response capabilities.
• Coach, mentor, and elevate team members, fostering technical excellence, analytical rigor, and innovative thinking.
• Champion emerging technologies and best practices, embedding continuous improvement and modern engineering approaches into day-to-day operations.

The Skills & Expertise You Bring

• Extensive experience in detection engineering, incident response, threat hunting, or similar security operations roles, with a proven ability to lead complex technical initiatives.
• Expert understanding of risk-based alerting strategies and detection methodologies, able to design enterprise-wide detection models and influence risk scoring frameworks.
• Deep knowledge of large enterprise architectures, including networks, operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux), cloud ecosystems, and modern telemetry pipelines.
• Expert-level understanding of adversarial frameworks including MITRE ATT&CK and the Cyber Kill Chain, with demonstrated ability to translate them into operational detection logic.
• Advanced proficiency in Splunk Enterprise Security (ES) and its architecture, including correlation searches, risk frameworks, data models, and performance optimization.
• Advanced experience with SPL and KQL, including designing scalable, optimized, and maintainable detection libraries.
• Strong familiarity with SOAR, CI/CD, code repositories, and engineering pipelines, with the ability to influence development best practices for detection content.
• Ability to lead with inclusivity, leveraging diverse ideas and perspectives to achieve better analytical outcomes and team performance.
• Demonstrated leadership in continuous learning, staying ahead of emerging technologies, threats, and engineering methodologies.
• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to influence across technology, security, and business stakeholders.
• Applied experience with several of the following: Cyber Detection Engineering, Cyber Threat Hunting, Cyber Threat Intelligence, Digital Forensics & Incident Response, Security Automation & Orchestration (Python-based), Insider Risk Investigations.

Preferred qualifications

• Industry-relevant certifications such as GDAT, GCDA, GCTD, GCTI, GMON, GPEN, GCIH, GCFA, OSCP, OSCE, OSWE, or equivalent.

You’ll Love Working Here

Join a team that values your voice and where daily work transforms experiences to improve lives. We provide opportunities to grow your technical and leadership capabilities through learning experiences. This organization is committed to inclusion and ongoing opportunity.

What we offer

Salary range and total rewards: Prudential is required by state-specific laws to include the salary range for this role. The range is from $123,700.00 to $204,100.00, with variations based on location, experience, and skills. We offer market-competitive base salaries, with yearly bonus potential, plus comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, PTO, and leave options.

Additional Information

Prudential Financial, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, disability, marital status, age, veteran status, domestic partner status, medical condition or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need an accommodation to complete the application process, please email [e-mail]. For technical issues, email [e-mail].