Manager, Cybersecurity Operations

Austin Community College District; United States; On-site; USD 91,000 - 116,000; Full time

Job summary

Austin Community College is seeking a Manager of Cybersecurity Operations to lead the Security Operations team and oversee continuous monitoring across our hybrid technology landscape. The role focuses on threat detection, incident response, and governance to sustain a strong defensive posture.

The successful candidate will manage internal staff and external vendors, drive improvement initiatives, and align security activities with ACC's mission to protect student data and institutional assets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
• Minimum three years of supervisory experience in cybersecurity operations.
• Proven track record leading security incidents and coordinating cross‑functional responses.

Responsibilities

• Lead Security Operations team; ensure 24/7 operational readiness and high performance.
• Oversee major security incidents; coordinate with legal, IT, and executive leadership.
• Manage vulnerability program and patch lifecycles with IT infrastructure teams.
• Oversee third‑party security providers; monitor SLAs and integrate telemetry.
• Establish and report on SOC KPIs (MTTD/MTTR) and threat trends.

Skills

Leadership

Incident response

Threat detection

SOC operations

Team management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity/IT

Tools

SIEM

EDR

IAM

Job description

Austin Community College employees are required to maintain a domicile in the State of Texas while working for the college and throughout the duration of employment. – AR 4.0300.01

Austin Community College is a public two-year institution that serves a multicultural population of approximately 41,000 credit students each Fall and Spring semester. We embrace our identity as a community college, as reflected in our mission statement. We promote student success and community development by providing affordable access, through traditional and distance learning modes, to higher education and workforce training, including appropriate applied baccalaureate degrees, in our service area.

As a community college committed to our mission, we seek to recruit and retain a workforce that: Values intellectual curiosity and innovative teaching Is attracted by the college's mission to promote equitable access to educational opportunities Cares about student success and collaborates on strategies to facilitate success for populations including; first generation college students, low-income students, and students from underserved communities. Focused on student academic achievement and postgraduate outcomes Welcomes difference and models respectful interaction with others Engages with the community both within and outside of ACC

Job Posting Title: Manager, Cybersecurity Operations

Job Description Summary: Reporting to the Director of Information Security, the Cybersecurity Operations Manager provides operational leadership and tactical oversight for Austin Community College’s defensive security infrastructure. This role is responsible for the continuous monitoring, detection, and remediation of threats across a complex technology landscape. Serving as the primary functional lead for Security Operations, the Manager directs a specialized team of engineers and analysts to ensure the health of critical security controls—including Identity Access Management (IAM), endpoint protection, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), and vulnerability management while operationalizing institutional security policies. In this capacity, the Manager serves as a vital bridge between high-level governance and technical execution, transforming risk strategies into resilient, repeatable security practices. Responsibilities include ensuring high-performance service delivery and the continuous improvement of the college’s defensive posture. The ideal candidate brings deep technical expertise and a proven ability to provide decisive technical leadership during high-pressure security events, coordinating containment efforts and cross-departmental communication to safeguard the college’s information assets.

Supervision Received and Exercised The Manager position receives general direction from higher-level administrative staff and exercises considerable independent judgment in managing departmental operations. The Manager is responsible for directing, supervising, and evaluating the performance of subordinate staff, ensuring alignment with the college's mission and goals.

Competency Expectations Provide direction, supervision, and mentorship to staff; foster a collaborative work environment; ensure compliance with institutional HR policies and employment regulations; and support professional development and performance management. May oversee unit-level budgeting and purchasing activities; ensure responsible fiscal management aligned with institutional priorities and public accountability standards. Lead the development and use of reporting tools and data systems to support strategic planning, institutional effectiveness, and compliance; interpret data to inform policy, operations, and service delivery. Manage departmental programs and services to ensure alignment with institutional goals, timelines, and applicable regulations; coordinate with unit leadership to address operational needs and service enhancements. Plan and allocate staff and operational resources to support unit goals, maintain service continuity, and respond to emerging institutional needs.

Description of Duties and Tasks The Cybersecurity Operations Manager will be responsible for the following functions:

• Provide direct leadership, coaching, and performance management for the Security Operations team; foster a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and technical excellence.
• Manage hiring, professional development, and resource allocation to ensure 24/7 operational readiness and team growth.
• Oversee the day-to-day operational cadence of security monitoring and response, ensuring that all internal and external resources meet institutional performance standards.
• Serve as the primary leader for major security incidents; coordinate and communicate efforts across technical teams, legal, and executive leadership to ensure rapid containment and institutional recovery.
• Lead Post-Incident Reviews (PIRs) and root-cause analysis (RCA) sessions to transform incident data into long-term architectural improvements and refined response playbooks.
• Oversee the operational integrity of the college’s security stack: such as, Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Identity Access Management (IAM), and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), ensuring 100% visibility and effective telemetry across the network.
• Manage the collegewide vulnerability program; prioritize remediation efforts by balancing technical risk with the college’s operational requirements, actively partnering with Information Technology infrastructure teams to coordinate patch management lifecycles.
• Directly manage third-party security service providers and vendors; conduct regular performance reviews to ensure all Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are met and that external telemetry is integrated seamlessly into internal workflows.
• Establish and maintain operational key performance indicators (KPIs) (e.g., Mean Time to Detect/Respond) and prepare briefings for leadership regarding threat trends and security posture maturity.
• Stay current on emerging global threats and regulatory requirements, advising leadership on potential impacts and recommending proactive defense strategies.
• Establishes threat detection, monitoring, and incident response controls for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) workloads active in the environment—identifying shadow AI usage, unvetted integrations, and model vulnerabilities.
• Operationalize security policies, ensuring technical workflows align with institutional risk frameworks and compliance mandates.

Knowledge

• Advanced knowledge of network architecture, such as: Firewalls, and the integration of enterprise security stacks (SIEM, EDR, IAM) to ensure 100% visibility across hybrid environments.
• Proven expertise in leading high-stakes containment efforts and overseeing digital forensic investigations to identify root causes and prevent threat recurrence.
• Advanced proficiency in mapping adversary behavior to the MITRE Adversarial Tactics, Techniques, and Common Knowledge (ATT&CK) framework to validate detection strategies and close defensive coverage gaps.
• Extensive experience architecting the end-to-end vulnerability lifecycle and translating technical debt into prioritized, risk-based remediation plans for institutional stakeholders.
• Proficiency in maintaining Security Operations Center (SOC) KPIs (MTTR/MTTD) and managing Third-Party SOC/SIEM providers to ensure high-fidelity alerting standards are met.
• Demonstrated experience monitoring, detecting, and investigating risks associated with active AI/ML workloads, shadow IT, and API integrations, backed by a strong working knowledge of AI threat detection frameworks to identify and respond to network-wide AI vulnerabilities.
• Ability to balance rigorous security enforcement with academic operational needs while translating technical metrics into executive-level briefings on institutional risk.

Skills

• Proven ability to maintain composure and provide decisive leadership during high-pressure incidents, effectively coordinating technical teams and executive stakeholders through containment and recovery.
• Strong business acumen and conceptual thinking skills used to translate emerging global threats into proactive institutional defenses and long-term strategic plans.
• Skilled in architecting vulnerability lifecycles and data protection strategies, maintaining an absolute commitment to the confidentiality and integrity of institutional information.
• Proactive self-starter capable of architecting end-to-end solutions for complex, open-ended security challenges with minimal supervision and meticulous follow-through.
• Expert interpersonal skills used to build collaborative cross-departmental relationships and communicate complex technical risks to stakeholders at all levels of leadership.

Education

Education: Bachelor’s degree.

Preferred Education: Degree in Cybersecurity, Information Security, Computer Science, or a related technical field.

Experience

Experience: Three years related work experience including one-year supervisory experience.

Preferred Experience: Experience in Information Technology, specifically within Information or Cybersecurity Operations.

Three (3) years of supervisory experience.

Supervisory experience or lead role, demonstrating the ability to manage technical teams, conduct performance reviews, and drive departmental goals.

Work experience in a Texas government or government‑adjacent organization.

Work experience in an institution that is regulated by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulated.

Project management experience preferred.

Supplemental Experience: Completion of the ACC Supervisor Certificate Series Program will satisfy the supervisory experience required for this position.

Licenses/Certifications

Must possess at least one relevant industry certification, such as: Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH) GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst (GCIA) CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst+ (CySA+) Candidates who do not currently hold an approved certification must be able to obtain one within six (6) months of hire, or achieve Associate status for experience-gated certifications like CISSP/CISM. ITIL Foundation-level certification or above preferred.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

Physical Demands: Standard office environment. Subject to standing, walking, sitting, bending, reaching, pushing, and pulling. Occasional lifting of objects up to 10 pounds.

Work Environment: This position falls under ACC's Remote/In-Person framework.

Salary Range

Salary Range (PG 11) $90,974 - $116,361 Number of Openings: 1

Clery Act

Clery Act As required by the US Department of Education, employees are required to report violations under Title IX and, under the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act (Clery Act), select individuals are required to report crimes. If this position is identified as a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified, trained, and provided resources for reporting. Austin Community College produces an Annual Security Report as required by the Clery Act. This report includes statistics from the previous three years concerning reported crime that occurred on campus; public property adjacent to and accessible from campus; and in certain non-campus buildings/property owned or controlled by ACC. The report includes institutional policies concerning campus security and other safety information. For direct access to the current Annual Security Report, visit www.austincc.edu/asr. You may obtain a hard copy by contacting the Clery Compliance Officer ([e-mail]). For an overview, see ACC's Clery Act website.

Benefits and Compensation

Full-time faculty and staff employees who work in full-time and/or part-time positions at the college are eligible for ACC medical benefits effective the first of the month after their first 60 days of employment. Benefits include medical, dental, life insurance, short- and long-term disability, retirement plans, and AD&D. ACC does not participate in Social Security. ACC participates in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) and the Optional Retirement Program (ORP-Faculty and Administrators Only). Hourly employees participate in the ACC Money Purchase Plan (ACCMPP) as a retirement program required by federal law.

Equal Employment Opportunity

ACC is an equal education and equal employment opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination in employment at the college and access to its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 and older), veteran status or military service, disability, genetic information or any other basis prohibited by local, state, or federal law. This includes the prohibition of discrimination, including harassment, against any employee, applicant for employment, student, or applicant for admission. ACC will take steps to ensure that the lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in all educational and vocational programs.