Director of Cybersecurity

Lead the enterprise cybersecurity strategy, SOC operations, and compliance roadmap for Apex Technology, Inc. This role is onsite at the Playa Vista office in Los Angeles, CA, reporting to the VP of IT & Security.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute a multi-year cybersecurity strategy, aligning security investments and controls with business objectives and emerging threats.
• Establish and maintain security policies, standards, reference architectures, and playbooks across infrastructure, cloud, endpoints, and applications.
• Own the security budget, technology evaluations, and resource allocation, optimizing spend while strengthening defensive posture.
• Direct the Cybersecurity (SOC) Lead and team to deliver 24/7 monitoring, including detection, triage, and response, with appropriate staffing, coverage, and surge support.
• Act as the senior escalation point for complex incidents; own incident response readiness, containment and eradication, and post-incident analysis and remediation.
• Oversee proactive threat hunting, malware analysis, and threat intelligence integration.
• Own selection, tuning, and optimization of SIEM, EDR/XDR, IDS/IPS, CASB/SASE, SOAR, and vulnerability management systems to maximize detection and reduce false positives.
• Drive automation, develop and track KPIs and dashboards, and deliver executive reporting on threats, incidents, and defensive posture.
• Lead efforts to achieve and maintain CMMC, ISO 27001, NIST 800-171, and other required accreditations supporting government and commercial programs.
• Own risk assessments, audits, tabletop exercises, data protection, and continuous monitoring; ensure timely remediation of findings.
• Build, mentor, and develop a high-performing security team, including goals, performance management, hiring, training, and professional development.
• Partner with IT to embed security into infrastructure, projects, and daily operations; support IT tickets and projects as needed.
• Report security posture, incidents, KPIs, and risk to the VP of IT & Security and executive leadership, translating technical risk into business terms.

Requirements

• 8+ years in cybersecurity operations, including 4+ years in a SOC leadership or security management role.
• Proficiency in security tooling: SIEM, EDR/XDR, IDS/IPS, CASB/SASE, NESSUS, Burp Suite, firewalls.
• Security scripting capability (e.g., Python, PowerShell) and strong understanding of networking protocols and operating systems (Windows/macOS/Linux).
• Experience leading CMMC, ISO 27001, and/or NIST 800-53 or NIST 800-171 programs, including audits and continuous monitoring.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills; proven ability to lead teams in high-pressure environments.
• Must be a U.S. person (U.S. citizen or permanent resident) due to the nature of Apex’s programs.

Technologies

• SIEM, EDR/XDR, IDS/IPS, CASB/SASE, SOAR
• Vulnerability management systems, CMMC, ISO 27001, NIST 800-171, NIST 800-53
• NESSUS, Burp Suite, firewalls
• Python, PowerShell, Windows, macOS, Linux
• AWS GovCloud, FedRAMP

Benefits

• Equity in Apex (Shared upside).
• 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision for you and your dependents, plus $100k life insurance.
• Comprehensive PTO: starting at 15 days vacation, growing to 20+ days annually, plus 10 paid holidays.
• 401(k) plan: 100% match on first 3%, 50% match on next 2%.
• 8 weeks paid parental leave; childcare reimbursement up to $350/day for work-related travel.
• Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks.
• Monthly office socials (including pickleball tournaments, run club, and family gatherings).
• Desk setup with tools needed to be productive.
• World-class Playa Vista office and real impact opportunity.

Nice-to-Have

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Information Technology, or related (Master’s preferred).
• One or more: CISSP, CISM, GIAC GCIH, CompTIA Security+.
• Experience in aerospace, defense, satellite, or advanced manufacturing environments.
• Experience operating in classified or controlled environments; active or prior U.S. security clearance (e.g., Secret or TS/SCI) is a strong plus.
• Familiarity with AWS GovCloud and FedRAMP-aligned cloud operations.
• Hands-on experience with Elastic SIEM and building SOC automation and playbooks.

Additional Information

• Compensation ranges depend on role, level, location, and alignment with market data.
• Specific level and base pay are determined case by case and may vary based on skills, education, experience, technical capabilities, and internal equity.
• Full-time hires may be eligible for long-term incentives (stock options) in addition to base salary.

ITAR Requirements

• Apex work is governed by U.S. export control laws, including ITAR and EAR.
• Applicants must either: (1) qualify as a U.S. person (U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident, refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or asylum under 8 U.S.C. § 1158), or (2) be able to obtain the required export authorizations from the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Commerce, or another applicable U.S. government agency.

Equal Opportunity Employer

• Apex Technology, Inc. evaluates candidates and employees based on merit, qualifications, and performance.
• Non-discrimination across race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, and mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.

Compensation: USD 195,000 - 270,000 per year.