Senior Director Cybersecurity Engineering and Operations

Penn Medicine; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Penn Medicine is seeking a Senior Director, Cybersecurity Engineering and Operations. The role reports to the CISO and provides leadership for cybersecurity architecture functions, overseeing engineering and operational support of enterprise protection platforms across users, devices, networks, applications, remote access, and cloud services.

The position drives continuous improvement, automation, and service maturity to enhance reliability, scalability, and security outcomes while partnering

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 12+ years of IT experience required.
• 7+ years of cybersecurity experience required.
• Master's degree or 7+ years of management/leadership experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead cybersecurity engineering and operations teams for enterprise protection technologies.
• Establish operating models, service expectations, and platform ownership standards for cybersecurity systems.
• Oversee firewalls, network segmentation, secure web gateways, VPNs, and cloud-delivered security.
• Ensure network security controls reduce risk while enabling clinical, research, and business operations.
• Direct endpoint protection, including next-gen AV, EDR, and device controls.
• Own platform lifecycle activities: upgrades, patching, policy maintenance, capacity planning, vendor management.
• Drive automation, orchestration, and workflow integration across cybersecurity platforms.
• Partner with Cyber Defense, IAM, Privacy, Infrastructure, and stakeholders to implement improvements.
• Translate risks into roadmaps and executive status reporting.
• Mentor and develop cybersecurity engineers and operators.

Skills

Cybersecurity leadership

Security engineering

Operations management

Network security

Endpoint protection

Automation

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor's degree

12+ years IT experience

7+ years cybersecurity

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

Firewall management

Cloud security platforms

Job description

Description

Penn Medicine is dedicated to our tripartite mission of providing the highest level of care to patients, conducting innovative research, and educating future leaders in the field of medicine. Working for this leading academic medical center means collaboration with top clinical, technical and business professionals across all disciplines. Today at Penn Medicine, someone will make a breakthrough. Someone will heal a heart, deliver hopeful news, and give comfort and reassurance. Our employees shape our future each day. Are you living your life's work?

Entity: Corporate Services

Department: IS- Cybersecurity

Location: 3535 Market Street, hybrid

Summary

The Senior Director, Cybersecurity Engineering and Operations reports to the CISO and provides multi-faceted leadership for all cybersecurity architecture functions. The role is responsible for leading the implementation, operation, lifecycle management, and continuous improvement of Penn Medicine cybersecurity protection platforms. This role oversees the engineering and operational support of enterprise security controls that protect users, devices, networks, applications, remote access, cloud services, and other critical technology assets across the organization.

The Senior Director drives operational excellence through continuous improvement, process optimization, platform modernization, automation, and service maturity initiatives across the cybersecurity program. This role is accountable for improving the efficiency, scalability, reliability, and effectiveness of cybersecurity services through standardized processes, technology rationalization, workflow automation, metrics-driven performance management, and ongoing operational enhancements. The position partners closely with business, clinical, and technology leaders to reduce risk while enabling innovation and supporting the organization's evolving cybersecurity strategy.

Responsibilities

• Lead cybersecurity engineering and operations teams responsible for implementation, configuration, lifecycle support, and operational reliability of enterprise protection technologies.
• Establish operating models, service expectations, support processes, and platform ownership standards for cybersecurity systems across the enterprise.
• Oversee enterprise firewalls, network segmentation controls, secure web gateways, remote access technologies, VPN services, cloud-delivered network security capabilities, and related network protection platforms.
• Ensure network security controls are designed, implemented, maintained, and optimized to reduce risk while enabling clinical, research, and business operations
• Direct endpoint protection capabilities including next-generation antivirus, endpoint detection and prevention controls, application control, ransomware protection, attack surface reduction, device control, and endpoint compliance technologies.
• Maintain protection strategies across workstations, servers, virtual environments, remote users, and emerging endpoint/device platforms
• Own platform lifecycle activities including upgrades, patching, policy and configuration maintenance, capacity planning, vendor management, technology refreshes, monitoring, documentation, and service continuity planning.
• Drive improvements in platform reliability, performance, scalability, supportability, and measurable security outcomes.
• Advance automation, orchestration, workflow integration, API-based data exchange, and operational efficiencies across cybersecurity platforms.
• Support modernization efforts that improve visibility, reduce manual work, standardize security control deployment, and enable faster execution of cybersecurity priorities
• Partner with Cyber Defense, GRC, IAM, Privacy, Infrastructure, Clinical Operations, Cloud, Application Development, and business stakeholders to prioritize and implement security improvements.
• Translate operational risks, platform gaps, and emerging threats into clear engineering roadmaps, remediation plans, and executive-level status reporting.
• Lead, mentor, and develop cybersecurity engineering and operations staff through workforce planning, coaching, performance management, succession planning, and skills development.
• Provide coaching and mentorship to nurture the development of staff in line with organization’s mission and values.
• Build organizational readiness to absorb future cybersecurity engineering capabilities, including identity security engineering, data protection technologies, cloud security platforms, AI security controls, and other emerging protection services as assigned.
• Performs duties in accordance with Penn Medicine and entity values, policies, and procedures.
• Other duties as assigned to support the unit, department, entity, and health system organization.

Education or Equivalent Experience

• Bachelor's degree is required.
• 12+ years of IT experience is required.
• 7+ years of cybersecurity experience is required.
• Master's degree OR 7+ years of management/leadership experience is preferred.

We believe that the best care for our patients starts with the best care for our employees. Our employee benefits programs help our employees get healthy and stay healthy. We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits program that includes one of the finest prepaid tuition assistance programs in the region. Penn Medicine employees are actively engaged and committed to our mission. Together we will continue to make medical advances that help people live longer, healthier lives.

Live Your Life's Work

We are an Equal Opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, familial status, genetic information, domestic or sexual violence victim status, citizenship status, military status, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable law.