IT- Cybersecurity Operations Manager

Horry County Government is hiring a Security Operations Manager to lead the technical operations of a mature, well-established cybersecurity program. As the County’s technology footprint and service demands continue to grow, we are growing the team in step with that demand - and we are looking for a security professional with the technical and architectural depth to keep this proactive program ahead of a constantly evolving cybersecurity landscape. This is a hands-on, technical leadership role for a seasoned security practitioner who leads through execution. The right candidate brings broad, practical experience across the security and architecture layers that protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of County information. This is delivery work: leading solutions through to completion, not just identifying what needs to change.

Work Location & Residency This position is based in Horry County (Conway, SC), with a hybrid schedule and regular on-site presence. Candidates must reside in, or be willing to relocate to, the Horry County area. The role reports directly to the Chief Information Security Officer and serves as the senior technical manager for the County’s day-to-day security operations.

Duties for this Position

• Serve as the senior technical manager responsible for day-to-day security operations, coordinating priorities and driving execution across security domains.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership across the County’s security operations.
• Lead security technology projects from planning through implementation, ensuring new capabilities are practical, well-integrated, and supportable.
• Drive automation, integration, and process improvement to keep operations efficient and ahead of a growing technology environment.
• Provide day-to-day direction, mentorship, and technical guidance to the security team.
• Partner County departments and agency teams that rely on the Information Technology Department’s security expertise to protect the mission-critical systems they run.
• Advance the County’s Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) program - continuously discovering, prioritizing, validating, and reducing exposure across the attack surface, with monitoring and coordinated response run as part of one proactive operation.

• Seven or more years of progressive, hands-on experience in security operations, security engineering, or infrastructure and cloud security in an enterprise environment.
• Demonstrated technical breadth across multiple security and architecture domains, with the depth to lead implementation directly.
• Experience in hybrid environments spanning on-premises infrastructure and public or private cloud.
• Hands-on experience across enterprise security platforms - SIEM, XDR, endpoint and email protection, identity, and cloud-native tooling - including implementing, integrating, improving, and automating them.
• Proven track record of leading cross-domain technical projects and delivering solutions through to completion across multiple teams, vendors, and stakeholders.
• Experience supervising, mentoring, or providing technical leadership to security or IT professionals.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills across technical and non-technical teams, and a demonstrated commitment to continuous learning.
• Bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, information technology, computer science, or a related field - or an equivalent combination of education, training, and hands-on experience., * Current or recent experience in public-sector government or another regulated environment (e.g., CJIS, HIPAA).
• Security and leadership certifications such as CISSP, CISM, or GIAC.
• Advanced Microsoft security certifications such as Security Operations Analyst (SC-200) or Azure Security Engineer (AZ-500).
• An advanced degree in cybersecurity, information technology, computer science, or a related field.

Pulled from the full job description

• 401(k)
• Health insurance
• Vision insurance
• Dental insurance
• Life insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Disability insurance, * Participate in the South Carolina State Retirement System with strong employer contributions (SCRS or PORS).
• Take advantage of optional retirement saving through tax-favored 401(k)/457 accounts to further secure your future.

Health & Insurance:

• Employer-funded health and dental insurance, plus employer-funded Long-Term Disability (LTD) and Basic Life Insurance coverage.
• Vision coverage and additional insurance options available for employees and dependents.

Wellness:

• Prioritize your well-being with total access to our Wellness Center, free gym, wellness incentives, and employee-family counseling via EAP.

Paid Leave & Holidays:

• Benefit from generous paid leave accruals that grow over time, plus 13 paid holidays.