SOC Director

TENEX.AI; Overland Park (KS); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

TENEX.AI is seeking a SOC Director to lead the SOC team, own health and performance metrics, and stay hands-on with complex investigations. You will oversee SOC Managers, collaborate with engineering and product teams, and drive high-quality protection for customers.

In this player-coach role, you’ll set direction, build scalable processes, and mentor analysts while remaining close to critical detection and response work in a fast-growing AI-native MDR environment.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in security operations.
• 3+ years leading SOC teams (including managers).
• Hands-on in detection, incident response, and modern SOC tooling.

Responsibilities

• Lead the SOC Managers; coach and develop the team.
• Own SOC health and performance; define metrics for detection quality and response.
• Stay hands-on in escalations and complex investigations.
• Support customer outcomes; ensure high-quality protection.
• Scale SOC coverage and capacity with processes and playbooks.
• Partner with Detection Eng, Product, and Customer Success.

Skills

Leadership experience

Security operations

SOC metrics

Team coaching

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/Cybersecurity/Engineering

Tools

SIEM

SOAR

EDR

Cloud security

Job description

Company Overview

TENEX is an AI-native, automation-first, built-for-scale Managed Detection and Response (MDR) provider. We are a force multiplier for defenders, helping organizations enhance their cybersecurity posture through advanced threat detection, rapid response, and continuous protection. Our team is composed of industry experts with deep experience in cybersecurity, automation and AI-driven solutions. Backed by leading investors, we are rapidly growing and seeking top talent to join our mission of revolutionizing the AI‑Native MDR landscape.

We’re a fast growing startup backed by industry experts and top tier investors led by Crosspoint Capital Partners and also backed by Shield Capital, DTCP (formerly Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners), Deepwork Capital, and the Florida Opportunity Fund. Seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). As an early employee, you’ll play a meaningful role in defining and building our culture. Get in on the ground floor. We’re a small but well‑funded team that just raised a substantial round – joining now comes with limited risk and unlimited upside.

Culture is one of the most important things at TENEX.AI—explore our culture deck at culture.tenex.ai to witness how we embody it, prioritizing the irreplaceable collaboration and community of in‑person work.

About the Opportunity

As SOC Director, you’ll lead the team that keeps TENEX’s detection and response engine running around the clock. You’ll manage a group of SOC Managers, own the overall health and performance of the SOC, and stay hands‑on enough to jump into hard technical problems alongside your analysts and engineers. This is a player‑coach leadership role: you set direction and standards while remaining close to the work that protects our customers.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the SOC Managers; manage, coach, and develop a team of SOC Managers responsible for analyst and engineering shifts.
• Own SOC health and performance; define and track the metrics that measure detection quality, response speed, and customer outcomes, and drive continuous improvement against them.
• Stay technical; remain hands‑on in escalations, complex investigations, and detection engineering decisions rather than managing purely from a distance.
• Support customer outcomes; serve as a senior escalation point for customer security operations and ensure the SOC delivers consistent, high‑quality protection.
• Scale the operation; build the processes, staffing plans, and playbooks needed to expand SOC coverage and capacity as customer volume increases.
• Partner cross‑functionally; work with Detection Engineering, Product, and Customer Success to close gaps and improve the overall service.

What You Bring

• 8+ years in security operations, with 3+ years leading SOC teams (including managing managers or team leads).
• Strong hands‑on technical foundation in detection, incident response, and modern SOC tooling (SIEM/SOAR, EDR, cloud).
• Proven track record owning SOC performance metrics and driving measurable improvement.
• Track record of building and retaining high‑performing security operations teams.

Bonus Points

• Experience in a customer‑facing MDR/MSSP environment.
• Experience scaling a SOC in a high‑growth startup.
• Hands‑on cloud security experience (AWS/GCP/Azure).
• Background building automation‑first detection and response operations.

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Relevant certifications such as CISSP, GCIH, GCDA, or AWS/GCP certifications are a plus.

Why Join Us

• Opportunity to lead and scale the SOC at the center of an AI‑native MDR company, shaping how an entire team protects customers.
• Collaborate with a talented and innovative team focused on continuously improving security operations.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• A culture of growth and development, with opportunities to expand your knowledge in AI, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies.