Department Manager, Operational Technology (OT) Cybersecurity Strategy

Overview

Responsibilities

• Define and own the multiyear OT cybersecurity strategy and transformation roadmap, ensuring alignment to enterprise Cyber, ETS initiatives, and operational business needs.
• Develop an OT security operating model that clarifies roles across Cyber Operations, Cyber Engineering, Cyber Governance, IAM, and operational teams.
• Establish OT specific standards, architectures, and security patterns, including network segmentation, zero trust alignment, cloud adoption considerations, and medium value/critical zone strategies.
• Partner with leaders across Cyber, OT Operations, Engineering, Risk, and Compliance to drive governance, structured decision making, and program accountability.
• Influent multiyear capital and O&M budgets, prioritizing investments that deliver measurable improvements in risk reduction, resilience, and operational efficiency.
• Provide executive level reporting on program maturity, key risk indicators, threat landscape trends, strategic KPIs/OKRs, and regulatory readiness.
• Manage and lead the selection, deployment, integration, and lifecycle management of OT security technologiesincluding asset management, IDS/behavior analytics, vulnerability management, secure remote access, and threat intelligence platforms.
• Drive tool consolidation and rationalization across IT and OT where possible to reduce redundancy, streamline processes, and improve incident response.
• Ensure seamless integration of OT security tooling with SCADA, EMS, and hybrid IT/OT control center environments in a way that does not disrupt operations.
• Oversee pilot programs and adoption of emerging capabilities
• Collaborate with Cyber Operations and the OT CSOC to improve monitoring, detection, response workflows, case management, dashboards, and metrics.
• Lead, manage, mentor, and grow a team of engineers and analysts specialized in OT/ICS security, elevating technical expertise and building a high-performance culture.
• Advance strong partnerships with Operations, Control Centers, Engineering, Enterprise Architecture, IT Infrastructure, Cyber Governance, and Program Management teams.
• Embed security early in projects by shaping design requirements, guiding architecture reviews, and influencing operational technology modernization initiatives.
• Act as a strategic partner to vendors and managed service providers, ensuring SLAs, delivery quality, and technology outcomes align with program goals.
• Represent OT Cyber in cross functional governance forums, strategic workshops, audits, tabletop exercises, and business planning cycles (MBRs/QBRs).
• Ensure strategies and implementations align with NERC CIP, NIST CSF, NIST 800-82, DOE and DHS guidance, and utility sector best practices.
• Oversee internal and external audits, assessments, and regulatory inquiries related to OT cybersecurity systems and controls.
• Embed risk based prioritization into decision making and governance, leveraging threat intelligence, incident trends, and operational constraints.
• Partner with Risk, Compliance, and Governance to refine OT metrics, dashboards, KRIs, and maturity assessments for business and executive stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree and 8 years of related work experience or
• Master's Degree and 6 years of related work experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or related discipline and 10 years of related work experience in cybersecurity, engineering, or industrial operations.

• 6+ years of experience in cybersecurity, engineering, or industrial operations, required.
• 5+ years dedicated to OT/ICS security, critical infrastructure, or utility operations, required.
• 3+ years of leadership experience managing teams, complex initiatives, and budgets, required.
• Deep understanding of ICS/OT security concepts including industrial protocols (Modbus, DNP3, BACnet), Purdue Model architecture, segmentation, and ICS engineering principles, required.
• Proven ability to translate cyber risk, technical issues, and operational impacts for executive audiences, required.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary programs with measurable outcomes, including roadmap execution and capability maturation, required.
• Relevant industry certifications such as GICSP, GRID, CSSA, CISSP, or equivalent ICS/OT focused credentials, preferred.
• Handson experience with OT visibility platforms (Dragos, Claroty), OT vulnerability management, PAM in OT environments, or modern SOC toolsets, preferred.
• Experience collaborating on large-scale operational modernization programs, cloud-security initiatives, or hybrid IT/OT architectures, preferred.

• Driver's License Required

• Sit or stand to use a keyboard, mouse, and computer for the duration of the workday
• Ability to stoop, bend, reach, and kneel throughout the workday
• Ability to read small print and symbols

• The selected candidate will be assigned a System Emergency Assignment (i.e., an emergency response role) and will be expected to work non-business hours during emergencies, which may include nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Travel as necessary
• Ability to respond to emergencies during off-hours