Security Operations Center (SOC) Chief

Security Operations Center (SOC) Chief

This position leads the Security Operations Center for a federal enterprise cybersecurity program operating within government-controlled secure facilities. The SOC Chief is the senior operational authority for all SOC activities — overseeing cyber defense operations, serving as primary incident commander, and coordinating directly with government federal personnel on security events, program risk, and organizational security posture. The environment is high-pressure with rapidly changing priorities, and the SOC Chief is expected to operate effectively in both.

The core challenge: sustaining a high-performing SOC across continuous cyber defense and incident response operations — managing program delivery, leading Information Security GAP Analysis, and commanding incident response efforts — all within a classified, government-controlled environment where execution quality and stakeholder trust are non-negotiable.

As SOC Chief at Revolutional, you are the senior leader and operational authority for the Security Operations Center. You oversee all SOC activities, own program tracking and risk management, lead the Information Security GAP Analysis function, and serve as primary incident commander during active security events. You are the principal interface between the contractor SOC team and government federal personnel, and you carry both the technical credibility and organizational leadership to make that interface work under pressure.

You bring 7 to 10 years of experience spanning SOC management and incident response command — both are explicitly required, not interchangeable. You operate in full alignment with the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework across the Cyber Defense Analyst (PR-CDA-001) and Cyber Defense Incident Responder (PR-CIR-001) work roles, and you ensure your team meets all applicable role-based training requirements.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all SOC activities across cyber defense monitoring, alert triage, incident response, and threat analysis functions; serve as the senior operational and organizational authority for the SOC
• Maintain program tracking mechanisms including project schedules, risk registers, and issue logs; identify risks and issues early, develop mitigation strategies, and drive corrective actions to closure
• Ensure all SOC program deliverables are produced on time and to quality standards; hold the team accountable to contractual and program performance obligations
• Lead the Information Security GAP Analysis function; assess current security posture against applicable frameworks and standards, identify gaps, and communicate findings and remediation priorities to government stakeholders
• Serve as primary incident commander during active security events; direct incident response operations, make real-time decisions on containment and escalation, and ensure coordinated, effective response across all participating teams
• Coordinate directly with government federal personnel on SOC performance, security events, program risk, and organizational security matters; maintain a trusted, transparent stakeholder relationship
• Operate effectively in a high-pressure environment with changing priorities; resource and reprioritize SOC activities dynamically without losing operational continuity or delivery quality
• Ensure full SOC team compliance with NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework role definitions and role-based training requirements across PR-CDA-001 and PR-CIR-001 work roles
• Develop and maintain SOC operational standards, playbooks, and governance documentation; drive continuous improvement through after-action reviews and lessons learned
• Produce executive-level SOC status reports, incident summaries, risk assessments, and program health updates for government and program leadership

What You Bring (Requirements)

Baseline Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 7 to 10 years of experience in cybersecurity with demonstrated, concurrent expertise in both SOC management and incident response command — both are required
• Proven experience as a primary incident commander during active, high-severity security events in a federal or classified environment
• Active Top Secret/SCI clearance (Final) required
• Must work onsite within a government-controlled secure facility

Technical & Domain Capabilities

• Deep experience overseeing SOC operations across cyber defense monitoring, alert triage, threat analysis, and continuous incident response in enterprise federal environments
• Demonstrated incident response command experience: directing multi-team response operations, making real-time containment and escalation decisions, and managing stakeholder communications during active events
• Experience leading Information Security GAP Analysis: assessing security posture against frameworks and standards, identifying deficiencies, and producing prioritized remediation findings
• Proficiency with program management disciplines: project tracking, risk register management, issue mitigation, and deliverable quality oversight in a federal contract environment
• Experience coordinating directly with government federal personnel as the primary contractor interface on security operations and program performance matters
• Working knowledge of NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework PR-CDA-001 (Cyber Defense Analyst) and PR-CIR-001 (Cyber Defense Incident Responder) role definitions and training requirements
• Familiarity with applicable federal cybersecurity compliance frameworks: FISMA, NIST SP 800 series, and related standards as they apply to SOC operations and GAP analysis

Core Strengths

• Composed and decisive under pressure — you command incident response operations in high-stakes, fast-moving situations without losing clarity or organizational control
• Strong program manager: you track risk, manage deliverables, and hold teams accountable without sacrificing the operational tempo the mission requires
• Credible government interface: you communicate with federal personnel with transparency, technical authority, and the professionalism that sustains long-term trust
• Organizational leader who builds high-performing SOC teams, enforces standards, and drives continuous improvement as a standing operating principle

Certifications

One or more of the following is required or strongly preferred:

• CISSP, CISM, GCIH (GIAC Certified Incident Handler), GCIA (GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst), CySA+, or equivalent senior security operations or incident response credential
• Role-based training required per NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework PR-CDA-001 and PR-CIR-001 — must be current or completed within required timeframes

Nice to Have (Differentiators)

• Prior SOC Chief, SOC Director, or equivalent senior SOC leadership experience in a federal civilian or intelligence community environment
• Formal incident command training or experience applying ICS/NIMS frameworks to cybersecurity incident response operations
• Experience leading Information Security GAP Analysis against NIST CSF, RMF, or equivalent federal frameworks
• Experience managing classified SOC operations at the TS/SCI level within SCIFs or other government-controlled secure facilities
• PMP certification or equivalent program management credential
• Experience building or maturing a SOC from early operational capability to full program maturity