Work Arrangement
This is a hybrid position located in Tampa, FL with up to 20% of required travel.
Job Overview
The Senior Manager - Cybersecurity will lead cybersecurity across enterprise IT and defense program environments, combining strong technical expertise with effective people management and a collaborative leadership style. This leader will manage a team responsible for cloud security, infrastructure security, vulnerability management, and endpoint management, while working closely with Engineering leadership and program technical leads to secure development environments, engineering networks, source code repositories, CI/CD pipelines, and software delivery pathways supporting embedded systems and airborne platforms.
This is a hands-on leadership role requiring someone who can evaluate architectures, troubleshoot complex technical issues, and guide technical teams while communicating clearly with executives, program leaders, and business partners. The ideal candidate brings cybersecurity management experience within aerospace, defense, or the Defense Industrial Base, with demonstrated success securing enterprise infrastructure, engineering environments, and the movement of software from development through deployment.
The GCC-High Microsoft technology environment includes CrowdStrike, Zscaler, ThreatLocker, NinjaOne, Microsoft Intune, GitLab, AWS, Azure, and self-hosted AI solutions.
Essential Functions
- Team Leadership and Strategy
- Lead, mentor, and develop a technical team spanning cloud security, infrastructure security, vulnerability management, and endpoint management.
- Establish clear priorities, accountability, and professional development plans while balancing enterprise needs, program delivery, and available resources.
- Develop and execute a cybersecurity roadmap aligned with business objectives, defense program requirements, and organizational risk.
- Manage cybersecurity initiatives, resource planning, vendor relationships, and associated budgets.
- Communicate cybersecurity risks, priorities, and investment needs in practical terms that support informed decisions.
- Build strong working relationships across IT, Engineering, program management, compliance, and business leadership.
- Enterprise Cybersecurity and Core Technologies
- Direct security architecture and operations across cloud platforms, identity systems, networks, servers, and endpoints.
- Oversee the configuration, integration, and effectiveness of CrowdStrike for endpoint protection, threat detection, investigation, and response.
- Guide the use of Zscaler to protect access and traffic across enterprise, cloud, and engineering environments.
- Oversee ThreatLocker application control and privilege management to reduce unauthorized software execution and excessive permissions.
- Lead endpoint configuration, patching, security, and compliance practices using NinjaOne and Microsoft Intune, establishing clear 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 resulting security improvements.
- Establish meaningful metrics to measure security effectiveness, remediation progress, and operational performance.
- Defense Programs and Engineering Environments
- Lead cybersecurity efforts supporting engineering development environments, defense programs, embedded Linux systems, and airborne platforms.
- Partner with Engineering leadership and program technical leads to incorporate cybersecurity throughout the software and systems development, deployment, and sustainment lifecycle.
- Lead the assessment, standardization, and security improvement of development environment connectivity, including engineering workstations, repositories, build systems, test environments, and supporting network pathways.
- Secure the flow of source code and software artifacts from repositories through build pipelines, testing, release, and deployment onto 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 associated with development workflows, inter environment connectivity, tooling integrations, and software distribution mechanisms.
- Evaluate and secure interfaces and data flows between enterprise systems, engineering October 19, 2026 Version: 3 Created By: Mary Nolan Created By: Mary Nolan October 19, 2026 Version: 3 environments, cloud services, ground systems, and deployed platforms.
- Guide embedded Linux system hardening, vulnerability assessment, secure configuration, and remediation within mission performance and operational constraints.
- Support program-specific security requirements, customer reviews, and assessment or authorization activities as applicable.
- Self-Hosted AI Security
- Partner with Engineering and IT to assess, deploy, and secure self-hosted AI solutions supporting business and program needs.
- Establish security requirements for AI hosting infrastructure, model access, sensitive data handling, integrations, logging, and vulnerability management.
- Evaluate risks associated with model and software provenance, sensitive data exposure, prompt injection, and AI-connected tools.
- Ensure AI deployments follow established access, change management, and data protection practices.
- Governance, Risk, and Compliance
- Maintain security policies, standards, procedures, and technical controls that support contractual and regulatory requirements.
- Partner with compliance, finance, and internal audit teams to support CMMC readiness and SOX IT controls.
- Translate compliance requirements into sustainable technical and operational practices.
- Ensure security practices produce consistent evidence, including access reviews, change approvals, vulnerability remediation records, and configuration documentation.
- Oversee recurring security 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.
- Perform other duties as required.
Standard Essential Functions
- Regular and reliable attendance on a full time basis [or in accordance with posted schedule].
- Responsible for exhibiting professional behavior with both internal and external business associates that reflects positively on the company and is consistent with the company's policies and practices.
- Embodies AEVEX’s cultural values and aligns daily actions with department goals and company culture.
Qualifications and Competencies
- Proven ability to lead and develop technical teams while remaining 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 abilities
- 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.
- Proven ability to manage people, prioritize competing demands, and deliver improvements in a complex environment.
- Ability to explain technical risks and recommended actions clearly to both technical and nontechnical audiences.
- Strong interpersonal skills and an approachable, collaborative leadership style.
- Ability to express sound judgement, clear communication, and follow through
- Ability to work directly with engineers on complex problems, developing team members, and helping leadership make practical decisions about cybersecurity risk, program needs, and business priorities
- Ability to establish effective security practices through strong partnerships across the organization.
- Champions AEVEX’s culture and empowers employees to take responsibility for their jobs and goals.
- Engages employees by creating a climate in which they want to do their best.
- Sets performance standards and encourages employee engagement and results through delegation, continuous feedback, goal setting, and performance management.
- Maintains employee work schedules.
- Provides oversight and direction to the employees in accordance with AEVEX’s policies and procedures.
Education / Certifications
- 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.
Experience
- 8+ years of experience in cybersecurity engineering, infrastructure security, or enterprise IT security.
- Experience leading cybersecurity or closely related technical teams within aerospace, defense, or the Defense Industrial Base.
- Strong hands-on technical background across cloud security, infrastructure, identity and access management, vulnerability management, and endpoint security.
- Experience implementing, administering, or securing several of the organization’s core platforms: CrowdStrike, Zscaler, ThreatLocker, NinjaOne, Microsoft Intune, GitLab, AWS, and Azure.
- Practical experience securing infrastructure and workloads in AWS and/or Azure.
- Experience securing Linux environments and embedded or mission systems.
- Experience partnering directly with software and systems engineering organizations to secure development infrastructure, software delivery workflows, and software supply chains.
- Experience evaluating and protecting the movement of code and software artifacts from development repositories to operational platforms.
- Experience implementing and sustaining CMMC and NIST SP 800-171 controls.
- Experience supporting SOX IT general controls, particularly access management, change management, and IT operations.
- Direct experience with GitLab repository security, runners, CI/CD pipelines, and software artifact management in regulated or defense environments.
- Experience deploying or securing self-hosted AI solutions, including locally hosted language models, inference services, and supporting infrastructure.
- Experience supporting unmanned aircraft, avionics, or other embedded defense platforms.
- Experience with Microsoft GCC High, Azure Government, and hybrid enterprise environments.
Physical Requirements
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties the employee is:
- Frequently required to sit, and to reach to use computers and other office equipment.
For the purpose of this summary, occasionally is used to represent up to 1/3 of the time given to the work day, frequently represents 1/3 to 2/3 of the time and constantly represents 2/3 or more of the time.
Security Clearance
- Ability to obtain/maintain a DoD clearance, U.S. Citizenship required.
About AEVEX
AEVEX, headquartered in Solana Beach, California, supports the U.S. national security mission and partner nation needs around the world by providing full-spectrum aviation, remote sensing, and analysis solutions. The company's capabilities include custom design and engineering; rapid prototyping; sensor integration and sustainment; aircraft modification and certification; flight test instrumentation and support; mission operations service; advanced intelligence data processing, exploitation, and dissemination solutions; and tailored hardware and software mission-system tools. AEVEX uses agile and customized approaches to rapidly define, develop, and deliver specialized solutions for airborne special mission needs for the U.S. Government, partner nations, and commercial businesses. AEVEX has major offices in California, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia.
AEVEX provides a full suite of comprehensive benefits, including a 401(k)-retirement plan, comprehensive Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability and Life insurance group coverage with a portion of the premiums paid by the company, professional development funds, and an Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) with counseling, legal help, child and elder care support, among other benefits for qualified employees.
Recruitment Communication Notice: All official correspondence regarding your application, application status, interviews, or the AEVEX hiring process will come directly from an AEVEX representative using an @aevex.com email address or through Greenhouse, our applicant tracking system. Please use caution with communications claiming to represent AEVEX from other email domains, and always verify the sender before responding or providing personal information.
Equal Employment Opportunity:
AEVEX is an Equal Opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, religious creed, color, sex (including pregnancy, breast feeding and related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, military and veteran status, marital status, age, protected medical condition, genetic information, physical disability, mental disability, or any other protected status in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws.