Security and Infrastructure Manager (Only Local in TX)

Security and Infrastructure Manager

Houston, TX (Onsite 3 days, 2 days remote)

Contract to Hire after 6 months

Position Description
We are seeking a highly experienced and hands-on Security and Infrastructure Manager to lead the planning, execution, and day-to-day operations of our IT security and infrastructure functions. This role bridges leadership and technical execution, combining strategic planning with tactical delivery of cybersecurity initiatives. The successful candidate will drive implementation of best-in-class security tools and practices while maintaining stable and scalable infrastructure.
This position will focus heavily on Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructure, Microsoft 365/O365 tenant governance, Microsoft Defender XDR for threat protection, and Microsoft Purview for data loss prevention, data privacy, and regulatory compliance. The ideal candidate will also be responsible for managing EDR/XDR/SIEM platforms, configuring SASE/Zero Trust solutions, and ensuring adherence to SOX and NIST CSF 2.0 frameworks.

Core Responsibilities

Lead the design, deployment, and administration of secure Microsoft Azure infrastructure, including network security groups (NSGs), virtual networks, Azure Firewall, Bastion, App Gateways, and Defender for Cloud.
Own tenant-wide governance and administration of Microsoft 365/O365 platforms including Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Microsoft Teams with a focus on policy enforcement, content protection, and secure collaboration.
Configure and manage Microsoft Defender XDR, including Defender for Endpoint, Identity, Cloud Apps, and Office 365, ensuring effective detection, prevention, and response to threats.
Manage Microsoft Purview deployment to support Data Loss Prevention (DLP), Insider Risk Management, data classification, sensitivity labeling, and AI governance policies.
Architect and administer SASE and Zero Trust Network Access solutions for identity-aware secure access to cloud and internal applications.
Lead and execute security incident response efforts, integrating signals from SIEM/EDR platforms. Coordinate root cause analysis and remediation of incidents.
Support vulnerability management, patch deployment, GPO hardening, endpoint protection, and change reviews for production systems.
Review access control requests and enforce policy-based RBAC using Microsoft Entra ID. Manage identity governance including MFA, provisioning, and periodic access certification.
Ensure the company s cybersecurity posture meets compliance standards, particularly SOX IT General Controls and NIST CSF 2.0. Document controls and maintain audit readiness.
Respond to infrastructure-related escalations including outages, backups, connectivity failures, remote access provisioning, endpoint support, and application-level access issues.
Review and respond to internal ITSM tickets related to access, endpoint health, firewall rules, application installations, and user provisioning/deprovisioning.
Continuously monitor security event notifications and investigate correlated alerts across security monitoring and management tools.

Required Qualifications

Minimum 7 years of experience in cybersecurity, infrastructure management, or IT operations, with at least 3 years in a senior technical or management role.
Extensive experience managing Microsoft Azure IaaS/PaaS environments, including infrastructure hardening, policy enforcement, and cost/resource optimization.
Advanced proficiency with Microsoft 365/O365 administration, including security, compliance, collaboration, and retention capabilities.
Hands-on experience with Microsoft Defender XDR (Endpoint, Identity, Office 365, Cloud Apps), and Microsoft Intune.
Proven success implementing and maintaining Microsoft Purview DLP, Insider Risk, data classification, and AI data privacy controls.
Strong knowledge and configuration experience with firewalls and secure remote access technologies such as Cisco ASA, Palo Alto, SonicWall, or Fortinet.
Direct experience with SASE solutions and Zero Trust frameworks
Familiarity with compliance frameworks such as SOX and NIST CSF 2.0 and NERC CIP.
Experience preparing for and responding to internal and external audits.
Relevant certifications such as AZ-500, SC-200, CISSP, CISM, CCSP, or vendor certifications from Microsoft, Zscaler, Palo Alto, etc.
Skills:

• Compliance
• Firewalls
• Leadership
• Network Security