Sr. Manager - Cybersecurity

AEVEX is seeking a Senior Manager in Cybersecurity to lead security across enterprise IT and defense program environments. This hybrid role in Tampa, FL focuses on hands-on leadership and technical direction, with responsibility for securing engineering development environments and the full software delivery path that supports embedded systems and airborne platforms.

The Senior Manager will manage a team spanning cloud security, infrastructure security, vulnerability management, and endpoint management. The position also drives security architecture and operations across major cloud and identity environments, endpoint protection and access controls, and measurable security outcomes aligned to business objectives, defense requirements, and organizational risk.

Key responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a technical team covering cloud security, infrastructure security, vulnerability management, and endpoint management.
• Set priorities, establish accountability, and maintain professional development plans while balancing enterprise needs, program delivery, and available resources.
• Develop and execute a cybersecurity roadmap aligned to business objectives, defense program requirements, and organizational risk.
• Manage cybersecurity initiatives, including resource planning, vendor relationships, and associated budgets.
• Communicate cybersecurity risks, priorities, and investment needs in practical terms to support informed decisions.
• Coordinate with IT, Engineering, program management, compliance, and business leadership to build working relationships across functions.
• Direct security architecture and operations across cloud platforms, identity systems, networks, servers, and endpoints.
• Oversee endpoint protection and response effectiveness using CrowdStrike, including threat detection, investigation, and response.
• Guide access and traffic protection using Zscaler across enterprise, cloud, and engineering environments.
• Oversee application control and privilege management with ThreatLocker to reduce unauthorized software execution and excessive permissions.
• Direct endpoint configuration, patching, and security compliance using NinjaOne and Microsoft Intune, ensuring ownership and consistent coverage.
• Direct security architecture across AWS and Azure, including identity and access management, network segmentation, logging, workload protection, and secure configuration.
• Oversee vulnerability identification, prioritization, remediation, and validation across Windows, Linux, cloud, and supporting infrastructure.
• Lead incident response coordination, technical investigations, recovery activities, and security improvements based on outcomes.
• Establish meaningful metrics to measure security effectiveness, remediation progress, and operational performance.
• Support engineering development environments and defense programs for embedded Linux systems and airborne platforms.
• Partner with Engineering leadership and technical leads to incorporate cybersecurity across the software and systems development, deployment, and sustainment lifecycle.
• Assess and improve development environment connectivity, including engineering workstations, repositories, build and test environments, and network pathways.
• Secure source code and software artifact flow from repositories through build, testing, release, and deployment to aircraft and other mission platforms.
• Partner with Engineering to secure GitLab repositories, runners, CI/CD pipelines, secrets, dependencies, and software artifacts.
• Establish controls for repository access, build environments, artifact integrity, release authorization, and deployment traceability.
• Identify and reduce cybersecurity risks across development workflows, inter-environment connectivity, tooling integrations, and software distribution mechanisms.
• Evaluate and secure interfaces and data flows between enterprise systems, engineering environments, cloud services, ground systems, and deployed platforms.
• Guide embedded Linux system hardening, vulnerability assessment, secure configuration, and remediation within operational constraints.
• Support program-specific security requirements, customer reviews, and applicable assessment or authorization activities.
• Partner with Engineering and IT to assess, deploy, and secure self-hosted AI solutions, including security requirements for hosting infrastructure, model access, sensitive data handling, integrations, logging, and vulnerability management.
• Evaluate risks tied to model and software provenance, sensitive data exposure, prompt injection, and AI-connected tools, and ensure AI deployments follow established access, change management, and data protection practices.
• Maintain security policies, standards, procedures, and technical controls supporting contractual and regulatory requirements, including CMMC readiness and SOX IT controls through collaboration with compliance, finance, and internal audit teams.
• Ensure security practices produce consistent evidence such as access reviews, change approvals, vulnerability remediation records, and configuration documentation.
• Oversee recurring activities including risk assessments, incident response exercises, configuration reviews, and firewall and privileged access reviews.
• Track security findings and corrective actions through resolution, escalating material risks and resource needs to leadership.
• Coordinate with customers, assessors, auditors, and external security partners as needed.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in cybersecurity engineering, infrastructure security, or enterprise IT security.
• Proven ability to lead and develop technical teams while staying hands-on.
• Solid understanding of security best practices including vulnerability management, system hardening, and access control.
• Strong troubleshooting, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Familiarity with defense program cybersecurity requirements, the Risk Management Framework (RMF), and system assessment and authorization processes.
• Familiarity with secure boot, code signing, software bills of materials, dependency analysis, and software supply chain security.
• Ability to evaluate security tool configurations, troubleshoot integrations, and guide technical implementation.
• Strong understanding of Git-based source control, CI/CD pipelines, build and test environments, secrets management, and secure software delivery.
• Ability to assess network architecture, system connectivity, trust boundaries, and data flows across enterprise and engineering environments.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing demands and deliver improvements in a complex environment.
• Ability to explain technical risks and recommended actions clearly to both technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Approachable, collaborative leadership style with sound judgment and follow-through.
• Hands-on partnerships with engineers on complex problems, helping leadership make practical cybersecurity risk decisions aligned to program needs and business priorities.
• Ability to establish effective security practices through partnerships across the organization.
• Experience with defense and aerospace environments, including leadership within aerospace, defense, or the Defense Industrial Base.
• Champion AEVEX culture, including employee accountability and goal ownership, and support engagement through delegation, continuous feedback, goal setting, and performance management.
• Maintains employee work schedules and provides oversight in accordance with AEVEX policies and procedures.

Technologies

• CrowdStrike
• Zscaler
• ThreatLocker
• NinjaOne
• Microsoft Intune
• GitLab
• AWS
• Azure
• Self-hosted AI solutions
• Microsoft GCC High
• Azure Government
• CMMC
• SOX
• NIST SP 800-171
• Risk Management Framework (RMF)
• CI/CD
• Git-based source control

Education and clearance

• Bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, computer science, engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CCSP, or comparable technical credentials.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD clearance; U.S. Citizenship required.

Work arrangement and physical requirements

• Hybrid role based in Tampa, FL with up to 20% required travel.
• Frequently required to sit, and to reach to use computers and other office equipment.

Benefits

• 401(k) retirement plan
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance group coverage, with a portion of premiums paid by the company
• Professional development funds
• Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) with counseling, legal help, and child and elder care support