Defensive Cyber Ops Lead (Cybersecurity)

Location: Sterling, Virginia, United States

Salary: $147,000–$296,000 per year, based on qualifications, experience, and expertise.

Company

hirify.global provides cyber operations, data operations, systems integration, intelligence mission support, and secure IT services for intelligence, defense, civil, and commercial customers.

What you will do

• Lead daily defensive cyber operations and the operational battle rhythm for 24/7/365 Intelligence Community missions.
• Direct threat detection, incident response, threat hunting, intrusion detection, malware analysis, and network defense activities.
• Manage operational readiness, scheduling, skills alignment, and capability development for teams of 50+ cyber operators.
• Coordinate with military cyber teams, intelligence analysts, mission partners, NOCs, SOCs, and Cyber Operations Centers.
• Track detection, response, containment, readiness, and SLA metrics; provide operational reporting and executive threat briefings.
• Oversee SIEM, EDR/XDR, detection content, correlation rules, alert workflows, and continuous monitoring for accredited systems.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, cybersecurity, IT, or a related STEM field.
• Security+ certification plus at least one of CISSP, CISM, CCISO, GCDA, CE, CySA+, or an equivalent certification.
• 10+ years of cybersecurity operations experience with defensive team leadership, or comparable experience leading SOC or cyber defense missions of 50+ FTEs and $50M+ scope.
• Deep knowledge of defensive cyber operations, threat detection, incident response, threat hunting, SOC operations, and nation-state or APT activity.
• Experience with SIEM platforms such as Splunk, Elastic, or Sentinel; EDR/XDR tools; threat intelligence; MITRE ATT&CK; network monitoring; and forensic investigation.
• Proven ability to lead high-pressure operations and brief senior military, government, and civilian leadership.

Nice to have

• Intelligence Community, Cyber Mission Force, Hunt Forward, or classified program experience, including TS/SCI or SAP environments.
• Advanced GIAC, CISSP, CISM, GCTI, CEH, or offensive security certifications.
• Experience with malware reverse engineering, advanced threat hunting, cloud security operations, or hybrid network defense.
• Experience managing 24/7/365 SOC operations with multi-tiered support structures.

Culture & Benefits

• Mission-focused work supporting critical national security and Intelligence Community operations.
• Operational leadership with direct impact on system availability, mission effectiveness, and readiness.
• Medical, vision, dental, and additional insurance coverage.
• 401(k) plan, paid time off, and holidays.
• Performance-based incentives tied to operational performance and SLA achievement.