Security Operations Center (SOC) Lead

At Western Digital, our vision is to power global innovation and push the boundaries of technology to make what you thought was once impossible, possible.

At our core, Western Digital is a company of problem solvers. People achieve extraordinary things given the right technology. For decades, we’ve been doing just that. Our technology helped people put a man on the moon.

We are a key partner to some of the largest and highest growth organizations in the world. From energizing the most competitive gaming platforms, to enabling systems to make cities safer and cars smarter and more connected, to powering the data centers behind many of the world’s biggest companies and public cloud, Western Digital is fueling a brighter, smarter future.

Binge-watch any shows, use social media or shop online lately? You’ll find Western Digital supporting the storage infrastructure behind many of these platforms. And, that flash memory card that captures and preserves your most precious moments? That’s us, too.

We offer an expansive portfolio of technologies, storage devices and platforms for business and consumers alike. Our data-centric solutions are comprised of the Western Digital®, G-Technology™, SanDisk® and WD® brands.

Today’s exceptional challenges require your unique skills. It’s You & Western Digital. Together, we’re the next BIG thing in data.

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Security Operations Center (SOC) Manager to lead our cybersecurity defense team. As the SOC Manager, you will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the SOC, ensuring the effective detection, investigation, and response to security incidents. You will work closely with other cybersecurity teams, IT departments, and senior leadership to protect our organization’s assets and data from cyber threats.

Key Responsibilities:

• Leadership & Management: Lead and manage a team of SOC analysts, threat hunters, and incident responders. Develop and maintain SOC processes, playbooks, and standard operating procedures to ensure consistent and effective response to security incidents. Foster a collaborative and high-performance culture within the SOC team, providing mentorship, guidance, and professional development opportunities.
• Incident Management: Oversee the monitoring and analysis of security events to detect and respond to potential threats. Ensure timely and effective response to security incidents, including root cause analysis, containment, eradication, and recovery. Coordinate with other departments during major incidents, ensuring clear communication and alignment.
• Operational Excellence: Continuously improve SOC operations by evaluating and implementing new tools, technologies, and methodologies. Ensure SOC coverage 24/7 through effective staffing and on-call rotations. Develop key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure the effectiveness of SOC operations and drive continuous improvement.
• Threat Intelligence & Analysis: Integrate threat intelligence into SOC operations, ensuring that the team is aware of and prepared for emerging threats. Oversee the creation and refinement of detection rules, ensuring they are aligned with the latest threat landscape. Lead efforts to identify gaps in monitoring and develop strategies to enhance detection capabilities.
• Collaboration & Communication: Work closely with the IT and cybersecurity teams to ensure alignment on security strategies and initiatives. Communicate SOC performance, threat landscape insights, and incident response outcomes to senior leadership and other stakeholders. Collaborate with external partners and industry peers to stay informed of the latest security trends and best practices.
• Compliance & Risk Management: Ensure SOC operations comply with relevant regulations, standards, and best practices. Participate in audits, assessments, and reviews to ensure the organization’s security posture is robust and compliant. Work with the risk management team to assess and mitigate security risks.

Technical Skills:

• Proficiency with SIEM tools, EDR solutions (Defender, CrowdStrike), and other security monitoring technologies.
• Knowledge of network and endpoint security, threat intelligence, and incident response methodologies.
• Experience with scripting or programming languages (e.g., Bash, Python, PowerShell) is a plus.
• Certifications such as CISSP, CISM, GIAC Security Operations Certified (GSOC), Certified SOC Analyst (CSA), or similar.
• Experience with regulatory and compliance requirements related to cybersecurity.

Soft Skills:

• Excellent leadership and team management skills.
• Pragmatic problem solver and organizational
• Strong communication and interpersonal abilities, with experience presenting to senior leadership.
• Ability to make critical decisions under pressure and in complex situations.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, and attention to detail.
• Prior experience in a global or large-scale SOC environment.

Western Digital is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and employees and will not discriminate based on their race, color, ancestry, religion (including religious dress and grooming standards), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), gender (including a person’s gender identity, gender expression, and gender-related appearance and behavior, whether or not stereotypically associated with the person’s assigned sex at birth), age, national origin, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital status (including domestic partnership status), physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, protected medical and family care leave, Civil Air Patrol status, military and veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. We also prohibit harassment of any individual on any of the characteristics listed above. Our non-discrimination policy applies to all aspects of employment. We comply with the laws and regulations set forth in the Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law poster.

Western Digital thrives on the power and potential of diversity. As a global company, we believe the most effective way to embrace the diversity of our customers and communities is to mirror it from within. We believe the fusion of various perspectives results in the best outcomes for our employees, our company, our customers, and the world around us. We are committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect and contribution.

Western Digital is committed to offering opportunities to applicants with disabilities and ensuring all candidates can successfully navigate our careers website and our hiring process. Please contact us at [email protected] to advise us of your accommodation request. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.

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Compensation & Benefits Details

• An employee’s pay position within the salary range may be based on several factors including but not limited to (1) relevant education; qualifications; certifications; and experience; (2) skills, ability, knowledge of the job; (3) performance, contribution and results; (4) geographic location; (5) shift; (6) internal and external equity; and (7) business and organizational needs.
• The salary range is what we believe to be the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting.  We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and this range is only applicable for jobs to be performed in California, Colorado, New York or remote jobs that can be performed in California, Colorado and New York.  This range may be modified in the future.
• You will be eligible to participate in Western Digital’s Short-Term Incentive (STI) Plan, which provides incentive awards based on Company and individual performance.  Depending on your role and your performance, you may be eligible to participate in our annual Long-Term Incentive (LTI) program, which consists of restricted stock units (RSUs) or cash equivalents, pursuant to the terms of the LTI plan. Please note that not all roles are eligible to participate in the LTI program, and not all roles are eligible for equity under the LTI plan. RSU awards are also available to eligible new hires, subject to Western Digital’s Standard Terms and Conditions for Restricted Stock Unit Awards.
• We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid vacation time; paid sick leave; medical/dental/vision insurance; life, accident and disability insurance; tax-advantaged flexible spending and health savings accounts; employee assistance program; other voluntary benefit programs such as supplemental life and AD&D, legal plan, pet insurance, critical illness, accident and hospital indemnity; tuition reimbursement; transit; the Applause Program, employee stock purchase plan, and the Western Digital Savings 401(k) Plan.
• Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.