The Manager, CISO Program & Operations is responsible for supporting the execution, governance, and continuous improvement of the enterprise cybersecurity program. Reporting to the Director of Cybersecurity Strategy & Program Operations, this role serves as a central coordination point to ensure cybersecurity and infrastructure initiatives are effectively planned, executed, monitored, and aligned with organizational priorities and risk objectives.
This role manages core CISO program capabilities including project intake, portfolio and project management, financial and vendor oversight, and performance monitoring. It plays a critical role in enabling transparency, consistency, and operational discipline across the CISO Program by establishing standardized processes, facilitating cross-functional collaboration, and delivering data-driven insights to support decision-making.
Qualifications
- 5+ years of experience in cybersecurity, technology risk, portfolio management, or program operations preferred.
- Bachelor's Degree preferred
- Experience supporting cybersecurity project or portfolio management, including tracking initiatives, managing priorities, and reporting performance.
- Strong understanding of cybersecurity frameworks (e.g., NIST CSF, ISO 27001), risk management principles, and regulatory requirements.
- Experience developing executive reporting materials and utilizing metrics to track program performance.
- Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with attention to detail.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively across cross-functional teams.
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Experience in cybersecurity portfolio management, program governance, or strategy execution.
- Experience working in highly regulated industries (e.g., aviation, financial services, healthcare, or government).
- Familiarity with Agile methodologies and project management tools.
- Advanced degree (MBA, MS in Cybersecurity, Information Systems, or related field).
- Professional certifications such as CISSP, CISM, PMP, or PRINCE2.
Responsibilities·Strategy Facilitation & Program Oversight
- Support facilitation of the CISO Program strategy by aligning program activities to enterprise and cybersecurity objectives.
- Collaborate with CISO Program leadership to establish goals, define success metrics, and monitor program performance against strategic priorities.
- Assist in maintaining the cybersecurity services catalog, including services, tools, and technologies utilized across the program.
- Support execution of processes to evaluate program performance and maintain alignment with strategic objectives.
- Contribute to cybersecurity capability maturity assessments and continuous improvement initiatives.
·Project Intake & Demand Management
- Coordinate cybersecurity project intake requests across internal and external stakeholders, including business segments, auditors, vendors, and technology teams.
- Ensure project requests are properly documented, assessed, and aligned with cybersecurity priorities and available resources.
- Facilitate communication between requesting stakeholders and cybersecurity teams to support efficient intake, scoping, and initiation of work.
- Maintain centralized intake processes and ensure consistency in evaluation and prioritization of incoming requests.
·Project & Portfolio Management
- Support management of the cybersecurity project portfolio by tracking initiatives, timelines, milestones, risks, and dependencies.
- Assist in establishing and maintaining standardized project management frameworks, tools, and reporting processes.
- Provide visibility into project status and performance to support execution and leadership oversight.
- Coordinate resource allocation, capacity planning, and workload distribution across cybersecurity teams.
- Drive adherence to defined processes and methodologies to ensure consistent delivery of CISO program initiatives
·CISO Program Continuous Monitoring & Reporting
- Monitor cybersecurity and infrastructure program performance using key performance indicators (KPIs) and key risk indicators (KRIs) to assess program health, operational performance, and identify emerging risks.
- Support development of executive, business unit, and operational reporting materials, including dashboards, metrics, and trend analysis.
- Provide insights into program performance to inform prioritization, funding decisions, and strategic adjustments.
- Ensure consistency and accuracy in CISO program reporting across teams and stakeholders.
- Track progress of CISO program initiatives and support escalation of risks or issues as needed.
·Budget & Financial Management
- Support development and management of the CISO program budget, including operational and capital expenditures.
- Assist in aligning financial plans with program objectives, resource requirements, and demand forecasts.
- Track and evaluate program spend, forecasts, and financial performance to support informed decision-making.
- Collaborate with finance and program leadership to support budgeting processes, financial planning, and reporting activities.
- Establish a scalable financial governance process aligned to cybersecurity program needs.
·Vendor Management & Governance
- Support management of cybersecurity vendors by maintaining vendor inventory, tracking performance, and ensuring alignment with contractual obligations and program objectives.
- Assist in vendor selection processes, including RFP development, evaluation, and coordination with procurement teams.
- Monitor vendor performance, service delivery, and issue resolution across the vendor lifecycle.
- Collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure vendor engagements align with cybersecurity architecture, security requirements, and strategic priorities.
·Stakeholder Coordination & Operational Integration
- Facilitate coordination across cybersecurity, IT, business units, and external partners to support execution of cybersecurity initiatives.
- Serve as a liaison between stakeholders to ensure alignment, communication, and effective delivery of cybersecurity services.
- Support integration of cybersecurity considerations into enterprise projects, audits, and operational activities.
- Promote transparency and collaboration across teams to enable effective program execution.
·Continuous Improvement & Capability Development
- Identify opportunities to improve CISO program processes, tools, and governance structures.
- Support implementation of process improvements to increase efficiency, scalability, and program maturity.
- Contribute to development of standardized documentation, playbooks, and operating procedures.
- Stay informed of evolving cybersecurity trends, regulatory requirements, and best practices to support ongoing program evolution.
What is expected of you and others at this level
- Manages department operations and supervises professional employees, front line supervisors and/or business support staff
- Participates in the development of policies and procedures to achieve specific goals
- Ensures employees operate within guidelines
- Decisions have a short-term impact on work processes, outcomes and customers
- Interacts with subordinates, peers, customers, and suppliers at various management levels; may interact with senior management
- Interactions normally involve resolution of issues related to operations and/or projects
- Gains consensus from various parties involved
Anticipated salary range: $125,300 - $196,790
Bonus eligible: yes
Benefits: Cardinal Health offers a wide variety of benefits and programs to support health and well-being.
Medical, dental and vision coverage
Paid time off plan
Health savings account (HSA)
401k savings plan
Access to wages before pay day with myFlexPay
Flexible spending accounts (FSAs)
Short- and long-term disability coverage
Work-Life resources
Paid parental leave
Healthy lifestyle programs
Application window anticipated to close: 9/28/2026 *if interested in opportunity, please submit application as soon as possible.
The salary range listed is an estimate. Pay at Cardinal Health is determined by multiple factors including, but not limited to, a candidate’s geographical location, relevant education, experience and skills and an evaluation of internal pay equity.
