Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Security Manager

💰 $110,000 - $185,000

SecurityManagementITRisk ManagementCybersecurity

🎯 Role Definition

A Security Manager is a cornerstone of an organization's resilience and integrity. This individual is the strategic leader responsible for creating and maintaining a secure environment, protecting the company's people, property, information, and reputation from a wide array of threats. More than just a technical expert, the Security Manager bridges the gap between executive leadership and on-the-ground security operations. They are tasked with developing a holistic security vision, implementing robust policies, managing a team of security professionals, and making critical decisions under pressure. In essence, the Security Manager ensures that security is not just a function, but an integral part of the business culture and strategy.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Senior Security Analyst (Information or Physical)
  • IT Project Manager (with a security focus)
  • Lead Systems Engineer (with security specialization)
  • Law Enforcement or Military professional (with corporate transition)

Advancement To:

  • Director of Security / Head of Security
  • Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
  • Vice President of Risk Management
  • Head of Global Security Operations

Lateral Moves:

  • Enterprise Risk Manager
  • Senior IT Compliance Manager
  • Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Spearhead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of a comprehensive suite of corporate security policies, standards, and procedures to protect company assets and ensure regulatory compliance.
  • Direct and execute regular, thorough risk assessments across all business units, identifying vulnerabilities in physical infrastructure, IT systems, and operational processes, and presenting findings to senior leadership.
  • Provide strong leadership, mentorship, and day-to-day management for the security team (including both physical and cybersecurity personnel), fostering a culture of high performance and collaboration.
  • Lead the security incident response team during active threats, ensuring a swift, coordinated, and effective response to minimize impact, and conduct post-mortem analyses to prevent future occurrences.
  • Oversee the design, installation, and maintenance of all physical security systems, including access control, video surveillance (CCTV), and alarm systems, to ensure a safe and secure physical environment.
  • Manage the organization's cybersecurity posture, including the oversight of firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS), endpoint protection, and data loss prevention (DLP) technologies.
  • Develop and manage the annual security department budget, including forecasting for capital expenditures and operational costs, and ensuring fiscally responsible use of resources.
  • Act as the central point of contact for all internal and external security audits, ensuring the organization's adherence to relevant legal and regulatory frameworks like ISO 27001, NIST, GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI-DSS.
  • Design and implement comprehensive security awareness and training programs for all employees to promote a culture of security consciousness and reduce human-centric risk.
  • Manage relationships with third-party security vendors, service providers, and contractors, ensuring service level agreements (SLAs) are met and performance is optimized.
  • Conduct and oversee complex internal and external investigations into security breaches, policy violations, and other sensitive incidents, maintaining strict confidentiality and producing detailed reports.
  • Serve as the primary liaison with external entities, including law enforcement agencies, emergency services, and intelligence vendors, to build strong working relationships and stay ahead of emerging threats.
  • Develop, maintain, and regularly test the company’s business continuity and disaster recovery plans in coordination with other key departments.
  • Stay abreast of the latest security trends, threats, and technologies through continuous research, professional networking, and attending industry conferences.
  • Prepare and present regular, clear, and concise reports to executive management on the status of the security program, significant incidents, and risk posture.
  • Oversee the travel security program, providing risk assessments, briefings, and support for employees traveling to high-risk locations.
  • Manage the organization's vulnerability management program, including the identification, prioritization, and remediation of security flaws in systems and applications.
  • Lead threat intelligence gathering and analysis efforts to proactively identify and mitigate potential threats before they can impact the organization.
  • Oversee the identity and access management (IAM) program, ensuring the principle of least privilege is enforced and access rights are regularly reviewed.
  • Champion security-by-design principles by collaborating with IT and development teams to embed security controls into the earliest stages of project and system lifecycles.

Secondary Functions

  • Develop and manage the department's operational and capital budgets, justifying expenditures and demonstrating ROI for security investments.
  • Evaluate, select, and manage relationships with external security vendors, consultants, and managed security service providers (MSSPs).
  • Lead security-focused training and awareness initiatives, tailoring content to different audiences from new hires to executive leadership.
  • Participate in cross-functional strategic planning sessions to ensure security considerations are embedded in all major business initiatives.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Risk Management Frameworks: Deep understanding and practical application of frameworks like NIST (CSF, 800-53), ISO 27001/27002, and COBIT.
  • Physical Security Systems: Proficiency with enterprise-level Access Control Systems, Video Management Systems (VMS), and alarm monitoring technologies.
  • Network & Cyber Security: Strong knowledge of firewalls, IDS/IPS, VPNs, web/email filtering, Data Loss Prevention (DLP), and endpoint security solutions.
  • SIEM & Log Management: Experience managing and utilizing Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platforms for threat detection and analysis.
  • Incident Response: Proven ability to lead incident response efforts, including containment, eradication, recovery, and digital forensics principles.
  • Vulnerability Management: Expertise in using vulnerability scanning tools (e.g., Qualys, Nessus) and managing the remediation lifecycle.
  • Cloud Security: Familiarity with security best practices and services within major cloud environments like AWS, Azure, or GCP.
  • GRC Platforms: Experience with Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) tools for automating controls management and reporting.
  • Identity & Access Management (IAM): In-depth knowledge of IAM principles, including single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and privileged access management (PAM).
  • Investigative Procedures: Competency in conducting corporate investigations, including evidence handling, interviewing, and report writing.

Soft Skills

  • Leadership & Mentorship: The ability to inspire, manage, and develop a diverse team of security professionals.
  • Strategic Thinking: Capable of developing a long-term security vision that aligns with and supports business objectives.
  • Exceptional Communication: Can effectively articulate complex security concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences, from engineers to the C-suite.
  • Calm Under Pressure: Demonstrates composure and sound judgment during high-stakes security incidents and crises.
  • Stakeholder Management: Adept at building consensus and influencing decision-making across all levels and departments of the organization.
  • Analytical Problem-Solving: A systematic and creative approach to identifying the root cause of problems and developing effective solutions.
  • Decisiveness: The confidence to make critical, timely decisions with the information available, especially during an incident.
  • Negotiation & Influence: Skillful in negotiating with vendors and influencing internal teams to adopt security best practices.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field.

Preferred Education:

  • Master's Degree in Cybersecurity, Information Assurance, or Business Administration (MBA).
  • Professional certifications such as CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional), CISM (Certified Information Security Manager), or CPP (Certified Protection Professional).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Computer Science / Information Technology
  • Cybersecurity / Information Security
  • Criminal Justice / Security Management
  • Business Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 7-12 years of progressive experience in the security field.

Preferred: At least 3-5 years of direct experience in a management or leadership capacity, overseeing security personnel and programs. Experience in an environment that requires management of both physical and information security is highly desirable.

Explore More Careers