Manager, Cyber Architecture

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

The University of Southern California (USC) is advancing its cybersecurity posture with a renewed focus on resilience, cyber risk management, and threat-informed defense. As a world‑class research institution, USC is building a culture of security that supports its academic and research mission in a rapidly evolving threat landscape.

This role sits within a newly restructured cybersecurity organization that’s leading this transformation. You'll join a team focused on scalable, proactive defense strategies, incident preparedness, and operational excellence—working alongside experts who are deeply committed to service, innovation, and impact.

If you’re driven by purpose, thrive in complexity, and want to help shape the future of cybersecurity at a leading university, we invite you to bring your leadership to the table.

As the Manager, Cyber Architecture you will be an integral leader of the cybersecurity department while also collaborating with stakeholders across the university ecosystem, and reporting to the Director, Cyber Architecture and Engineering. This is a full‑time exempt position, eligible for all of USC’s fantastic Benefits + Perks. This opportunity is remote.

The Manager, Cyber Architecture manages the university's overall security architecture, ensuring the integrity of IT systems and maintaining compliance with all applicable regulatory standards. Leads the specialized teams responsible for executing cyber security strategies in alignment with established architectural principles. Manages assessments and recommends security solutions at the enterprise or local level across the university. Helps shape security policies, conducting rigorous assessments, endorsing robust security solutions that span across the university enterprise and safeguarding research initiatives.

Offers expert technical insights on security matters, as required.

• Responsible for managing assessments and recommending security solutions at the enterprise or local level across the university, including research security. Designs robust security systems and responds swiftly to potential vulnerabilities.

• Provides key input with defined security architecture guidelines. Provides technical security‑related perspectives upon request. Performs regular reporting on security metrics.

• Leads the strategic development and execution of the university's comprehensive security architecture, ensuring alignment with architectural principles. Shapes and influences security policies, performs thorough assessments, and advocates for enterprise‑wide security solutions, emphasizing research security.

• Directs specialized teams to implement security strategies effectively, fostering a culture of excellence and compliance. Participates in staff management activities (e.g., hiring, coaching, training, performance reviews, pay actions, and promotions). Offers recommendations to leadership on security monitoring and incident response strategies based on informed analysis.

• Provides expert technical insights on security‑related matters upon request, serving as a resource for the organization. Collaborates with stakeholders to ensure the security architecture supports the university's goals and risk management strategies.

• Maintains a forward‑looking perspective on security trends and technologies, ensuring the architecture evolves to meet emerging threats and opportunities.

• Ensures architecture evolves with changes in legal, regulatory, and technology environments that may affect operations, and communicates updates to senior management and staff.

• Encourages a workplace culture where all employees are valued, value others and have the opportunity to contribute through their ideas, words and actions, in accordance with the USC Code of Ethics.

• 7 years of experience in security architecture design and network security and/or related fields.

• A bachelor's degree or combined experience and education as substitute for minimum education.

• Extensive experience in security architecture design, with the ability to conceptualize and implement effective security frameworks.

• Proven knowledge of…