Remote Senior Director, Cyber Defense & Risk Ops

UNFI; Providence (RI); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

UNFI is seeking a Senior Director of Security Operations and Risk to lead the defensive security strategy and the SOC, VM, and GRC programs. This role prioritizes strategic oversight, operational excellence, and continuous maturity of security operations with a focus on threat resilience and risk management.

Remote role with a strong preference for candidates near Providence, RI within New England. Ideal candidate will drive large-scale security improvements, mentor engineers and analysts, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems or related field.
• At least 1 industry recognized data, compliance, and/or cybersecurity certification.
• Extensive experience in security operations, risk management, and governance.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a multi-year roadmap for Defensive Security aligned with SecOps, VM, and GRC objectives.
• Act as the main point of contact for defensive security metrics and risk reporting to senior leadership.
• Oversee the lifecycle of security policies and standards, ensuring compliance and practical runbooks.
• Direct 24/7 SOC operations to deliver monitoring, threat detection, analysis, threat hunting, and incident response.
• Manage escalations of anomalies, vulnerabilities, and major cyber events with coordinated response.
• Advance protection and detection through analytics, automation, and cybersecurity architecture best practices.
• Foster an inclusive, high-performance environment with ongoing learning and career development.
• Implement retention and succession plans to address burnout in high-tempo operations.
• Promote transparency and accountability to address systemic security weaknesses.
• Direct proactive threat hunting, red-team exercises, and tabletop drills to validate readiness.
• Maintain audit readiness by automating compliance evidence collection.
• Inspire teams and cultivate workforce excellence.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Security Operations

Risk Management

GRC

Threat Intelligence

Leadership

Incident Response

Metrics & Reporting

Strategic Planning

Education

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems or related field

Industry-recognized data/compliance/cybersecurity certification

Job description

UNFI is seeking a Senior Director of Security Operations and Risk to lead the defensive security strategy and the SOC, VM, and GRC programs. This role prioritizes strategic oversight, operational excellence, and continuous maturity of security operations with a focus on threat resilience and risk management.

Remote role with a strong preference for candidates near Providence, RI within New England. Ideal candidate will drive large-scale security improvements, mentor engineers and analysts, and