OT Security Manager

Ecotal; North Carolina; Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

15 days PTO (accrual up to 20)

401(k) Match

Wellness stipend

Parental leave

Job summary

Ecotal is seeking a Manager, OT & Security to lead the operational technology and security program for a distributed solar and storage fleet. You will own OT systems, networks, and infrastructure, and drive the OT Security Program and broader cybersecurity posture.

Lead a growing team, manage the MSP relationship, and translate risk into clear executive decisions. The role emphasizes safety, reliability, and security, with partnership across IT/OT and utility operations.

Qualifications

• 8–10+ years in OT and/or cybersecurity with leadership experience.
• Hands-on OT systems knowledge (SCADA, historians, HMIs) and reliability focus.
• Strong knowledge of IEC 62443, NIST SP 800-82, and the NIST CSF.
• Bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, engineering, computer science, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Lead the OT Security Program end to end, including charter, policy, and standards.
• Own strategy for OT monitoring, controls, and infrastructure with availability focus.
• Grow and mentor the OT security team and manage MSP relationships.
• Oversee governance, risk, and compliance, including NERC CIP alignment.
• Act as incident commander for significant OT/security incidents.
• Own security budget and tooling roadmap; report to leadership.

Skills

OT security leadership

Cybersecurity leadership

Risk management

Budget management

Incident response leadership

Stakeholder communication

Team building

Education

Bachelor's degree in cybersecurity or related field

Tools

OT security tooling

Managed security provider management

Job description

Our client operates and maintains a geographically distributed fleet of utility-scale solar and energy storage assets and depends on its operational technology (OT) — the control, monitoring, and communications systems that run the fleet — and on securing those systems and the company’s information. As we scale, we are investing in the leadership to own operational technology and its security, and to build the program and team that will run it. This is a leadership role with ownership of both OT operations and OT and enterprise security.

As Manager, OT & Security, you are the program lead for operational technology and security — accountable both for the OT systems, networks, and infrastructure that monitor and control our generation and storage fleet, and for the OT Security Program and broader cybersecurity posture that protect them. You set strategy and standards, mature the function from the ground up, lead and grow the team, own the relationship with our managed security provider, and answer reliability, availability, and security outcomes to leadership. You keep safety and availability first, balance operational and security demands, and translate risk into clear decisions.

Operational technology runs the generation and storage fleet, and its security extends across the IT/OT boundary into enterprise systems. This role owns the OT environment and its security directly, partners with the technology organization on the IT side, and holds our managed security provider accountable for contracted monitoring and response. The goal is OT that is both reliable and secure — one coherent posture across the whole environment.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the program lead and accountable owner of the OT Security Program end to end — its charter, policy, standards, and supporting plans that protect our battery storage, SCADA, and generation environments — and drive it from establishment to sustained operation.
• Own the strategy, architecture, and standards for the operational technology that monitors and controls the fleet — SCADA, site controllers, historians, HMIs, and field communications — with reliability and availability as first-order objectives.
• Steward the OT platform and infrastructure lifecycle, from selection and commissioning through maintenance, upgrade, and decommissioning, coordinating with engineering, operations, and the monitoring team.
• Set and execute security strategy across OT and, in coordination with the technology organization, the company’s broader IT security posture.
• Lead, hire, and mentor the security team — including OT security engineering and analysis — and set objectives as the function scales.
• Own governance, risk, and compliance: security policy, risk assessments and the risk register, exceptions, and control assurance.
• Oversee NERC CIP low impact obligations for in-scope assets, coordinating with NERC CIP Compliance so the security program and regulatory compliance stay aligned.
• Direct the managed security service provider relationship — services, SLAs, escalation, and performance — while retaining accountability for security outcomes.
• Serve as incident commander for significant OT and security incidents, coordinating technical response, executive communication, and post-incident improvement.
• Own the security budget and tooling roadmap, prioritizing investment against risk.
• Report security posture, key risks, and program metrics to the VP and executive leadership.

Education & Experience Required

• 8 -10+ years in operational technology and/or cybersecurity, including 5+ years leading OT, security, or technology teams or programs.
• Hands-on understanding of OT systems and infrastructure — SCADA, control systems, historians, and OT networks — and what it takes to keep them reliable and available.
• Demonstrated ownership of a security or technology program — strategy, governance, risk, and operations — ideally including OT/ICS environments.
• A strong grasp of OT security frameworks (IEC 62443, NIST SP 800-82) and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, plus the IT/OT boundary.
• Familiarity with NERC CIP obligations relevant to generation and storage assets (low-high impact).
• A proven ability to build and lead teams and to manage service providers and budgets.
• The judgment to weigh security against operational safety and availability, and to communicate risk credibly to executives.
• Bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, engineering, computer science, information technology, or a related field — or equivalent professional experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• CISSP, CISM, GICSP, GSLC, or equivalent senior security certification.
• Experience running OT operations or platform teams in generation, storage, or utilities.
• Experience in energy, utilities, or critical infrastructure.
• Experience standing up or maturing an OT security program from an early stage.
• Experience overseeing a managed security service provider and OT-appropriate security tooling.

Location: The preferred location for this role is one of our office locations: Durham, NC. Our team operates on a hybrid schedule, with in-office schedule of three days per week.

• 15 days of Paid Time Off, accrual up to 20 days, 11 observed holidays.
• 401(k) Match
• Wellness stipend, family planning stipend, and generous parental leave