Manager – Cyber Defense Engineering

The Manager, Cyber Security Engineering leads the engineering teams responsible for Asset Protection and Threat Detection & Response across Thrivent’s enterprise environment. This leader directs the design, delivery, and operation of core security capabilities including firewall engineering, server and endpoint security solutions, data loss prevention (DLP), infrastructure vulnerability scanning, and SIEM and SOAR engineering.

Accomplishing results primarily through experienced engineers who exercise significant latitude and independence, this manager sets technical direction, strengthens infrastructure security across servers, endpoints, and network boundaries, and matures enterprise threat visibility, detection, prioritization, and response. The role partners closely with product, security operations, infrastructure, architecture, risk, and technology teams to align engineering execution to business, security, and risk-reduction outcomes.

Job Profile Summary
Accomplishes results primarily through management of experienced specialists who exercise significant latitude and independence. Provides strategic direction to cybersecurity engineering teams responsible for Asset Protection—including firewall engineering, server and endpoint security, DLP, and infrastructure vulnerability scanning—and Threat Detection & Response, including SIEM engineering, SOAR, threat intelligence engineering, and vulnerability management engineering. Establishes operating practices, objectives, and metrics derived from organizational and product objectives, and collaborates frequently with technology, cybersecurity, product, and business stakeholders on delivery, operational decisions, engineering priorities, and risk-reduction outcomes.

Duties & Responsibilities 

Cybersecurity Engineering Leadership 

• Lead cybersecurity engineering teams responsible for Asset Protection and Threat Detection & Response capabilities across enterprise environments. 
• Set clear priorities, remove delivery barriers, and align engineering execution to product roadmaps, operational needs, and cyber risk reduction outcomes. 
• Coach engineers and technical leads while building a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and operational excellence. 

Asset & Infrastructure Protection Delivery 

• Oversee engineering delivery for firewall engineering, server and endpoint security solutions, DLP, and network enforcement and policy controls across enterprise infrastructure. 
• Strengthen infrastructure security across servers, endpoints, and network boundaries, including asset visibility, configuration hardening, and infrastructure vulnerability scanning. 
• Ensure protection platforms are reliable, observable, supportable, and aligned to enterprise architecture and security standards. 

Threat Detection & Response Engineering 

• Lead engineering for enterprise threat visibility, detection, prioritization, and response across SIEM engineering, SOAR, threat intelligence engineering, and vulnerability management engineering. 
• Guide teams in aggregating and correlating security telemetry to enable scalable detection, investigation, and response workflows. 
• Partner with cyber response and security operations teams to improve operational outcomes, reduce risk, and strengthen resiliency. 

Product, Platform & Engineering Practices 

• Partner with product management to define product strategies, roadmaps, objectives, measures, and technical priorities for assigned cybersecurity product areas. 
• Review solution design, architecture, platform health, and operational readiness while ensuring engineering practices remain consistent and sustainable. 
• Promote automation, observability, DevOps practices, secure engineering patterns, and continuous improvement across product teams. 

Collaboration & Stakeholder Partnership 

• Build strong working relationships with cybersecurity, technology, product, infrastructure, architecture, risk, and business stakeholders. 
• Represent cybersecurity engineering priorities, accomplishments, risks, and dependencies in product planning, operational reviews, and cross-team forums. 
• Help teams broker solutions across products and identify cross-team challenges that impact delivery, operations, or risk reduction. 

Operational Health & Vendor Management 

• Serve as an escalation point for product-level support, production issues, platform health, and ongoing maintenance of assigned cybersecurity capabilities. 
• Support vendor evaluation, platform selection, build-versus-buy decisions, and vendor relationship management for assigned technology capabilities. 
• Use metrics, monitoring, alerting, and operational insights to prioritize reliability, resiliency, vulnerability remediation, and continuous improvement work. 

Talent & Culture 

• Hold regular one-on-ones and team meetings, provide constructive feedback, and create development plans that help engineers grow their skills and experience. 
• Plan for future people needs, support recruiting, and sustain a high-performing team focused on shared accountability and partnership. 
• Model Thrivent leadership competencies through courage, collaboration, and commitment while supporting a positive team environment. 

Qualifications & Skills 

Required 

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or other technical field or equivalent work experience 
• 8+ years of progressively responsible positions in Information Technology including 5+ years’ experience in IT discipline, e.g., customer relationship management, portfolio strategy and roadmap development. 
• 3+ years of leadership experience in all aspects of a specific IT discipline, e.g. IT/LOB customer relationship management, portfolio strategy and/or demand management. 
• 3+ years’ management/supervisory experience in specific IT functional area discipline, e.g. applications development or equivalent skills leading major technical projects with accountability for enforcing talent management needs and performance standards. 
• Demonstrated leadership and experience managing multidiscipline, high-performance work teams. 
• Strong competency in project management and execution of multiple or large projects. 
• Experience working with customers to develop solutions to complex business problems. 
• Proven ability to communicate effectively with internal/external stakeholders to support business initiatives. 
• Proven ability to function in an environment which requires flexibility, good judgment and intelligent decision making, often based on limited information and/or extreme conditions. 
• Ability to formulate, implement and evaluate plans, programs and procedures applicable to customer relationship and demand management. 

Preferred 

• Financial Services industry experience 
• Experience in IT planning and business relationship management 
• Experience working in a matrix management organization 
• Experience with product development and management 

Pay TransparencyThrivent’s long-term growth depends on attracting, rewarding, and retaining people who are committed to helping others thrive with purpose. We accomplish this by offering a wide variety of market competitive compensation programs to attract, reward, and retain top talent. The applicable salary or hourly wage range for this full-time role is $139,455.00 - $188,676.00 per year, which factors in various geographic regions. The base pay actually offered will be determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to, location, relevant experience, skills, and knowledge, business needs, market demand, and other factors Thrivent deems important.Thrivent is unique in our commitment to helping people to be wise with money and live balanced and generous lives. That extends to our benefits.The following benefits may be offered: various bonuses (including, for example, annual or long-term incentives); medical, dental, and vision insurance; health savings account; flexible spending account; 401k; pension; life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance; disability insurance; supplemental protection insurance; 20 days of Paid Time Off each year; Sick and Safe Time; 10 paid company holidays; Volunteer Time Off; paid parental leave; EAP; well-being benefits, and other employee benefits. Eligibility for receipt of these benefits is subject to the applicable plan/policy documents. Thrivent’s plans/policies are subject to change at any time at Thrivent’s discretion.

Thrivent provides Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) without regard to race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, marital status, citizenship status, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any otherstatus protected by applicable local, state, or federal law. This policy applies to all employees and job applicants.

Thrivent is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please let us know by sending an email to [email protected] or call 800-847-4836 and request Human Resources.

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