Job Description
HII SOC Manager
Start: 7/24 or 7/28
LOA: 6M - Contract to Hire
Location: Newport News, VA / 3 Days a Week Onsite
BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIRED; US CITIZENSHIP REQUIRED
Our client is provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. They are seeking a Security Operations Center (SOC) Manager to lead enterprise cyber defense operations across its business units. The SOC Manager will be responsible for maturing centralized monitoring capabilities, ensuring effective incident detection and response, and driving operational excellence aligned with regulatory requirements and Zero Trust principles. As a leader in our Cybersecurity organization, you will oversee the day-to-day operations of the enterprise SOC, guide threat detection strategies, and support a proactive, intelligence-led defense posture. This role requires a seasoned cyber leader capable of managing people, processes, and technologies in a highly dynamic defense industry environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead a multi-shift Security Operations Center responsible for 24x7x365 monitoring, detection, analysis, and response to cybersecurity incidents.
- Manage and mentor SOC analysts and incident responders; develop training plans and career pathways.
- Oversee the integration of advanced threat detection technologies, including SIEM, SOAR, EDR, and threat intelligence platforms.
- Ensure compliance with DoD cybersecurity regulations (e.g., DFARS, CMMC, NIST 800-171/172, NIST 800-53).
- Collaborate with IT, business units, and governance teams to improve threat visibility and response across multiple classified and unclassified networks.
- Continuously evolve SOC workflows to align with a Zero Trust security model.
- Manage incident response efforts, including triage, containment, eradication, and recovery, in coordination with internal stakeholders and government partners.
- Produce executive-level reporting and briefings on SOC performance, threat trends, and risk posture.
- Evaluate and manage MSSP relationships, as appropriate.
- Contribute to tabletop exercises and cyber readiness activities.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field (Master’s preferred).
- Minimum 8 years of cybersecurity experience, with at least 3 years in a SOC leadership or management role.
- Deep knowledge of threat detection, incident response, and cybersecurity operations.
- Familiarity with MITRE ATT&CK, threat intelligence integration, and behavioral analytics.
- Experience with SIEM/SOAR platforms (e.g., Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, Palo Alto XSOAR, etc.).
- Strong understanding of NIST, DFARS, CMMC, and other federal cybersecurity compliance frameworks.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- CISSP, CISM, GCIA, GCIH, or similar certifications.
- Experience working in or managing cyber operations in a defense industrial base (DIB) environment.
- Familiarity with cloud security monitoring (e.g., O365, Azure, AWS).
- Demonstrated experience in maturing SOC capabilities from regional/divisional models to an enterprise construct.
- Active Secret security clearance (TS/SCI preferred or ability to obtain).