Principal, Patching and Vulnerability

The Options Clearing Corporation; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 179,700 - 299,700; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition Reimbursement

Student Loan Repayment Assistance

Technology Stipend

Generous PTO

401k Employer Match

Job summary

The Options Clearing Corporation in Chicago is seeking a Principal, Patching and Vulnerability Management Coordinator to lead their patching and vulnerability management program. This position involves strategic technical leadership across on-premises and AWS cloud-based infrastructure. Candidates should have over 7 years of experience in patching and vulnerability management, demonstrating skills in coordinating teams and developing robust solutions. Benefits include a hybrid work environment, tuition reimbursement, and competitive health benefits. Salary ranges from $179,700 to $299,700.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in patching and vulnerability management.
• Proven design of scalable vulnerability management solutions.
• Excellent mentorship skills with a focus on team success.

Responsibilities

• Lead the patching and vulnerability management program.
• Coordinate patching activities across multiple infrastructure teams.
• Develop a near-real-time patching strategy.

Skills

Vulnerability scanning and assessment

Patch lifecycle management

CVE analysis and risk‑based prioritization

Zero‑day and critical vulnerability response

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Qualys

ServiceNow Security Vulnerability Response

Windows Server

Linux (RHEL)

Job description

*****THIS POSITION IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR VISA SPONSORSHIP*****

What You'll Do

The Principal, Patching and Vulnerability Management Coordinator, leads the coordination and execution of the patching and vulnerability management program across the organization, working in close partnership with platform engineering and infrastructure teams responsible for hands‑on patching activities. This role provides strategic technical leadership across a mixed environment of on‑premises and AWS cloud‑based infrastructure, ensuring robust security, seamless system integration, and operational excellence. The position serves as the central coordinating authority, aligning schedules, standards, and outcomes across infrastructure domains, while actively participating in patching execution alongside those teams. The position also focuses on fostering “dotted line” team development through cross‑training, mentoring, and promoting continuous learning to enhance team resiliency and expertise.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Patching and Vulnerability Management Architecture and Design: Serve as the principal architect dedicated to the design and architecture of OCC's patching and vulnerability management program across on‑premises and AWS cloud environments. Ensure robust, scalable, and secure vulnerability management across the organization by translating complex business requirements into technical solutions that align with industry best practices and regulatory standards. Lead efforts to optimally integrate the Vulnerability Management endpoint and network scanning solution (currently Qualys) with the ServiceNow Security Vulnerability Response module.
• Program Coordination and Execution Partnership: Serve as the central coordinator for all patching and vulnerability management activities across the organization. Work directly alongside infrastructure teams including server, network, and cloud engineering to plan, schedule, and help execute patching cycles. While infrastructure teams perform the hands‑on work within their respective domains, this role ensures alignment, accountability, and consistency across all efforts, removing barriers and maintaining momentum throughout the patching lifecycle.
• Strategic Leadership and Integration: Provide technical leadership in designing workflows, automation, and governance frameworks that maximize the value of the vulnerability management system. Work with Security and End User Experience SMEs to ensure seamless integration between Qualys and ServiceNow to enable unified policy enforcement and lifecycle management for vulnerabilities across both on‑premises and cloud‑based infrastructure.
• Near‑Real‑Time Patching Strategy: Aggressively drive the development and maturation of a patching strategy that progressively moves the organization toward near‑real‑time vulnerability remediation without disrupting a 24/7 production environment. While this capability is a future‑state objective, this role will proactively assess architectural barriers, evaluate emerging tooling and automation approaches, and build the operational foundation necessary to reduce patch latency over time. This includes identifying quick‑win opportunities, piloting phased approaches, and collaborating with infrastructure and application teams to design patching windows and methods that support continuous availability.
• Cross‑Domain Expertise: Possess deep expertise in IT server and network administration, including on‑premises infrastructure and AWS cloud‑based solutions. Apply this breadth of knowledge to ensure consistent vulnerability management standards and patching practices are maintained across all environment types.
• Innovation and Operational Excellence: Drive innovation and operational excellence for the IT Operational Security team's vulnerability management initiatives by combining technical depth with broad domain knowledge across on‑premises and cloud environments.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• None

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in server and network administration across on‑premises and AWS cloud environments, as well as vulnerability management. Proven ability to design robust, scalable, and secure vulnerability management solutions in hybrid infrastructure settings.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating patching activities across multiple infrastructure teams, including the ability to drive accountability and execution without direct authority over all participating teams.
• Demonstrated leadership in designing workflows, automation, and governance frameworks that maximize the value of vulnerability management systems, including seamless integration with enterprise infrastructure.
• Strong cross‑domain expertise bridging security and IT best practices regarding patching and vulnerability management across mixed on‑premises and cloud environments.
• Visionary thinking around continuous patching models, with experience or strong familiarity with strategies that support near‑real‑time remediation in high‑availability or 24/7 production environments (e.g., rolling patch windows, blue/green deployment models, live patching technologies).
• Commitment to innovation and operational excellence, with a track record of driving technical depth and broad domain knowledge in vulnerability management initiatives.
• Proven ability to lead consistent cross‑training efforts, mentor team members, and empower advanced learning to increase team resiliency and adaptability.
• Excellent communication and mentorship skills, with a history of taking ownership of team success and driving technical excellence.

Technical Skills

• Vulnerability scanning and assessment (Qualys preferred)
• Patch lifecycle management
• CVE analysis and risk‑based prioritization
• CVSS scoring and vulnerability remediation frameworks
• Zero‑day and critical vulnerability response
• ServiceNow Security Vulnerability Response (SVR) module
• Qualys‑to‑ServiceNow integration and workflow configuration
• Understanding of patch management infrastructure for on‑prem and cloud based environments.
• Familiarity with enterprise server environments including Windows Server, Linux (RHEL), and VMware/vSphere patching workflows
• Understanding of enterprise storage and firmware update coordination across SAN/NAS platforms

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or other related field, or equivalent experience
• 7+ Years Patching and Vulnerability management
• Hands‑on IT or security operations experience
• Industry recognized certifications (CISSP, ITIL, etc)

Certificates or Licenses

n/a

Benefits

A highly collaborative and supportive environment developed to encourage work‑life balance and employee wellness. Some of these components include:

• A hybrid work environment, up to 2 days per week of remote work
• Tuition Reimbursement to support your continued education
• Student Loan Repayment Assistance
• Technology Stipend allowing you to use the device of your choice to connect to our network while working remotely
• Generous PTO and Parental leave
• 401k Employer Match
• Competitive health benefits including medical, dental and vision

Compensation

• The salary range listed for any given position is exclusive of fringe benefits and potential bonuses. If hired at OCC, your final base salary compensation will be determined by factors such as skills, experience and/or education.
• In addition, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity of our current team members as part of any final offer.
• We typically do not hire at the maximum of the range in order to allow for future and continued salary growth. We also offer a substantial benefits package as noted on www.theocc.com/careers.
• All employees may be eligible for a discretionary bonus. Discretionary bonuses are based on various factors, including, but not limited to, company and individual performance and are not guaranteed.

$179,700.00 - $299,700.00

Incentive Range

23% to 30%
This position is eligible for an annual discretionary incentive compensation award, for which the target range is listed above (see Incentive Range). The amount of such award, if any, will be based on various factors, including without limitation, both individual and company performance.

OCC is an Equal Opportunity Employer