Texas Health and Human Services · 13 hours ago
TIERS Cybersecurity Operations Director
Austin, TX
Contract
Hybrid
Director/Executive
$7,716/mo - $13,051/mo
10+ years expTexas Health and Human Services is committed to creating a positive impact in the lives of fellow Texans. The TIERS Cybersecurity Operations Director is responsible for leading cybersecurity operations for the Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System, providing strategic direction and operational oversight to ensure the security and integrity of critical systems.
Health Care
No H1B
U.S. Citizen Only
Responsibilities
Provide executive oversight for SOC operations protecting the TIERS environment and interconnected systems
Establish operational security strategy, priorities, and performance metrics aligned with agency cyber objectives
Direct advanced threat detection, triage, investigation, and response activities
Lead cyber incident command for TIERS-related events and coordinate cross-functional response efforts
Ensure continuous monitoring capabilities provide full visibility across application, database, identity, network, and cloud layers
Mature SOC processes through automation, orchestration, and intelligence-driven defense
Deliver executive briefings during major incidents and communicate risk posture to CISO leadership
Provide strategic oversight of SIEM capabilities supporting TIERS, including platforms such as Splunk and Microsoft Sentinel
Ensure comprehensive log ingestion across TIERS infrastructure, applications, and security tooling
Champion detection engineering practices to improve identification of sophisticated attack patterns
Oversee development of correlation rules, behavioral analytics, and threat intelligence integrations
Reduce alert fatigue by improving signal fidelity and optimizing detection logic
Support enterprise logging standards and forensic readiness
Direct vulnerability management activities for TIERS using enterprise tools such as Qualys
Ensure timely identification, prioritization, and remediation of critical and high-risk vulnerabilities
Partner with system owners and infrastructure teams to reduce systemic weaknesses
Provide executive oversight for penetration testing activities and validate remediation of findings
Monitor exploit trends and proactively defend against emerging threats
Establish attack surface reduction strategies aligned with Zero Trust principles
Oversee security operations across hybrid and cloud-hosted TIERS components
Ensure continuous monitoring for misconfigurations, exposed services, identity compromise, and privilege escalation
Collaborate with architecture teams to embed security controls into platform design
Strengthen identity security, privileged access protections, and segmentation strategies
Support secure modernization initiatives impacting eligibility systems
Collaborate with Risk and Compliance teams to operationalize security controls
Provide operational evidence and technical support for audits and assessments when requested
Translate operational threats into actionable intelligence for governance stakeholders
Maintain clear separation between operational security and compliance ownership
Includes participation in emergency response, cybersecurity incidents, legislative inquiries, and Continuity of Operations (COOP) activities as required
Qualification
Required
This position is open to permanent residents or U.S. citizens only
Minimum 10+ years of progressive cybersecurity experience
At least 5 years in a senior leadership role within Security Operations or cyber defense
Experience managing SIEM, vulnerability management, and incident response programs
Experience securing large, mission-critical enterprise applications
Executive-level knowledge of Security Operations and large-scale cyber defense programs
Deep knowledge in SIEM platforms such as Splunk, Sentinel, or equivalent enterprise tools
Advanced knowledge of penetration testing methodologies and remediation practices
Knowledge of hybrid and cloud security architectures
Knowledge of attacker tactics, techniques, and procedures mapped to MITRE ATT&CK
Skilled in building metrics, dashboards, and operational reporting for leadership
Skilled in leading vulnerability management programs utilizing platforms such as Qualys
Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills
Strong leadership capability managing high-performing technical teams
Ability to translate cyber risk into operational and business impact for executive audiences
Ability to operate decisively during high-severity incidents
Proven ability to lead teams during high-impact cyber events
Ability to maintain the security and integrity of critical infrastructure systems by preventing unauthorized access and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations related to national security and foreign ownership restrictions
Preferred
Preferred certifications include one or more of the following:
CISSP or CISSP-ISSMP
CISM
GIAC (GCIH, GCIA, or GCED)
Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
AWS Security Specialty or Azure Security Engineer
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
Benefits
100% paid employee health insurance for full-time eligible employees
A defined benefit pension plan
Generous time off benefits
Numerous opportunities for career advancement
Company
Texas Health and Human Services
Texas Health and Human Services is an agency that focuses on improving health, safety and well-being.
10001+ employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Dr. Napoleon Broughton
Chief Executive Officer: Life Enhancement Solutions
John F. Palermo
CTO Strategic Analyst VI
Recent News
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