Program Operations Lead

Job#: 3025234

Job Description:

Apex Systems is currently hiring for a Cyber Security Program Operations Lead with one of our large Banking clients.

Location: Hybrid - CHARLOTTE, NC

Onsite expectation: 3 days onsite per week

Pay range: $69.54/HR

Contract Length: 12 months

Note: We are unable to consider C2C or third-party submissions.

Position Summary

We're seeking a high-judgment operations leader to run the day-to-day mechanics of an enterprise threat modeling program. You will orchestrate intake and readiness, align schedules and capacity, design metrics, automate repeatable workflows (including leveraging Generative AI), and deliver executive-ready reporting on throughput, cycle time, and model quality. Success requires clear, precise cross-cultural communication and the ability to adapt your style for teams in the U.S. and India to ensure alignment, clarity, and consistency in a global delivery environment.

Required Qualifications

• Proven experience in program operations, workflow orchestration, and process governance.
• Proficiency with Jira (or equivalent) and dashboard/reporting tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).
• Strong metric design skills (throughput, cycle time, quality) and operational analytics.
• Cross-cultural communication competency: demonstrated ability to adapt communication style for global teams and maintain clarity across U.S. and India delivery environments.
• Excellent stakeholder management and written/verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work across time zones and enforce process discipline.
• Tools and technology
  • Teams, Jira, great in excel - generating reports
  • Pulling data and producing reports
  • Familiar with tableau or powerbi - all microsoft products.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on familiarity with threat modeling concepts and SDLC processes.
• Background in application security/AppSec operations or security architecture coordination.
• Working knowledge of cloud, identity, and API architectures.
• Experience building executive-ready reports and dashboards.
• Exposure to agile delivery (Scrum/SAFe/Kanban) and capacity management.

Work Style & Culture

• Operates with clarity, consistency, and a bias for measurable outcomes.
• Thrives in cross-functional, cross-cultural environments.
• Committed to continuous improvement and elimination of process waste.

Core Responsibilities

1) Intake & Triage Governance

• Own the intake process for all threat modeling requests.
• Validate request details for completeness and accuracy.
• Map requests to the correct business unit, application team, and designated champion.
• Set internal milestones and track external commitments.
• Create work items in Jira (or equivalent) and categorize work by type (e.g., cloud, identity, API, legacy) and complexity (low/medium/high).
• Establish timelines and kickoff targets for each request.

2) Readiness Management

• Enforce a readiness checklist prior to analysis.
• Score readiness; immediately identify and resolve missing artifacts.
• Engage champions, application owners, and engineers to close gaps.
• Maintain a readiness dashboard for all in-flight models.
• Issue standardized progress updates at defined intervals.
• Send proactive "risk to commitment" notifications and facilitate working sessions.
• Document outreach, responses, and non-responsiveness.

3) Scheduling & Capacity Alignment

• Maintain an architect capacity view and enforce work-in-progress limits.
• Schedule work around PTO, holidays, and sprint cycles.
• Sequence heavier models to avoid overload; adjust start times based on readiness and team responsiveness.
• Trigger go/no-go decisions at planned internal milestones.
• Maintain a prioritized backlog aligned to program goals.

4) Delay Tracking & Escalation

• Track delays ("waiting on customer/action") with start/stop timers.
• Classify delays by missing artifact (architecture, identity, cloud, API specifics, data classification, environment metadata, dependencies, auth flows, third-party details).
• Log delay durations and escalate at defined intervals through the leadership chain.
• Produce weekly delay summaries and feed data to program dashboards.

5) Communication & Coordination

• Create and track tasks in Jira; monitor application team responsiveness.
• Maintain a shared calendar of milestones and a running interaction log for each model.
• Manage communication cadence (weekly reports, reminders, status updates).
• Schedule clarifying calls between security architecture and engineering.
• Maintain standardized email and escalation templates.

6) SDLC Alignment & Cycle-Time Assurance

• Align internal/external dates with SDLC enforcement cycles.
• Ensure models are tied to the correct change requests/features.
• Monitor SDLC readiness flags and document rationale for any exceptions.
• Issue early warnings when timelines jeopardize SDLC outcomes.
• Maintain historical logs of SDLC misses and upstream causes.

7) Reporting & Analytics

• Publish weekly cycle-time and throughput reports.
• Report delay statistics by business unit and track readiness completeness.
• Deliver dashboards with views such as AppSec vs. dependency cycle-time components, SLA adherence, and risk forecasts.
• Provide monthly executive summaries with insights.
• Perform root-cause analysis for recurring delays and produce "projected vs. actual throughput" charts.

8) Program Representation, Audits & Escalations

• Serve as the operational point of contact and represent the threat modeling program in leadership's absence.
• Handle escalations end-to-end and drive timely resolution.
• Assemble data for audits and respond to ad-hoc data requests with complete, accurate artifacts.

9) Enablement & Focus for Architects

• Shield architects from non-essential noise; deliver only ready, well-scoped work.
• Prevent interruptions and early meetings without required artifacts.
• Own follow-ups with partner teams so architects can focus on analysis.
• Document upstream issues to provide clear accountability and protect throughput.

10) Automation & AI Enablement

• Identify and automate repeatable tasks and workflows to improve efficiency and reduce manual effort.
• Leverage Generative AI tools for automation, communication, and personal productivity where appropriate.

Apex Benefits Overview: Apex offers a range of supplemental benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and other insurance plans that offer an optional layer of financial protection. We offer an ESPP (employee stock purchase program) and a 401K program which allows you to contribute typically within 30 days of starting, with a company match after 12 months of tenure. Apex also offers a HSA (Health Savings Account on the HDHP plan), a SupportLinc Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with up to 8 free counseling sessions, a corporate discount savings program and other discounts. In terms of professional development, Apex hosts an on-demand training program, provides access to certification prep and a library of technical and leadership courses/books/seminars once you have 6+ months of tenure, and certification discounts and other perks to associations that include CompTIA and IIBA. Apex has a dedicated customer service team for our Consultants that can address questions around benefits and other resources, as well as a certified Career Coach. You can access a full list of our benefits, programs, support teams and resources within our 'Welcome Packet' as well, which an Apex team member can provide.

EEO Employer

Apex Systems is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate or allow discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, genetic information, registered domestic partner status, marital status, disability, status as a crime victim, protected veteran status, political affiliation, union membership, or any other characteristic protected by law. Apex will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law. If you have visited our website in search of information on employment opportunities or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation in using our website for a search or application, please contact our Employee Services Department at or .

Apex Systems is a world-class IT services company that serves thousands of clients across the globe. When you join Apex, you become part of a team that values innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning. We offer quality career resources, training, certifications, development opportunities, and a comprehensive benefits package. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in many awards, including ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing in Talent Satisfaction in the United States and Great Place to Work in the United Kingdom and Mexico.

Apex Systems is a world-class IT services company that serves thousands of clients across the globe. When you join Apex, you become part of a team that values innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning. We offer quality career resources, training, certifications, development opportunities, and a comprehensive benefits package. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in many awards, including ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing in Talent Satisfaction in the United States and Great Place to Work in the United Kingdom and Mexico. Apex uses a virtual recruiter as part of the application process. Click for more details.

Apex Benefits Overview: Apex offers a range of supplemental benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and other insurance plans that offer an optional layer of financial protection. We offer an ESPP (employee stock purchase program) and a 401K program which allows you to contribute typically within 30 days of starting, with a company match after 12 months of tenure. Apex also offers a HSA (Health Savings Account on the HDHP plan), a SupportLinc Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with up to 8 free counseling sessions, a corporate discount savings program and other discounts. In terms of professional development, Apex hosts an on-demand training program, provides access to certification prep and a library of technical and leadership courses/books/seminars once you have 6+ months of tenure, and certification discounts and other perks to associations that include CompTIA and IIBA. Apex has a dedicated customer service team for our Consultants that can address questions around benefits and other resources, as well as a certified Career Coach. You can access a full list of our benefits, programs, support teams and resources within our 'Welcome Packet' as well, which an Apex team member can provide.