TransUnion

Principal Technical Program Manager, Cyber Defense

TransUnion$168K — $281K *
Information Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 10+ years in Technical Program Management or Security Operations in complex environments.
  • Experience with SOC, Detection & Response teams, and technical engagement.
  • Proven record in building operational systems for organizational improvement.
  • Experience in managing post-incident review programs for systemic learning.
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field; advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as a strategic leader and partner to enhance Cyber Defense operations.
  • Build and own the continuous improvement system for Cyber Defense initiatives.
  • Drive post-incident reviews focused on high-quality, systemic learnings.
  • Define and implement operational metrics to support executive decision-making.
  • Lead critical cross-functional Cyber Defense initiatives end-to-end.
  • Deliver structured executive communications about Cyber Defense health.
  • Improve leadership rhythms through clear agendas and accountable follow-ups.

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage from day one.
  • Company-paid life and disability insurance options.
  • Adoption assistance and paid parental leave.
  • 401(k) plan with employer match and Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
  • Tuition reimbursement and flexible paid time off.
Full Job Description
Team Overview
TransUnion's Cyber Defense organization helps protect the enterprise by strengthening detection, incident response, threat intelligence, and security operations capabilities across the business. The team supports the broader TransUnion story by helping the business respond effectively to cyber risk, continuously improve from incidents and near-misses, and provide leadership with clear visibility into Cyber Defense health, priorities, and progress. This role reports to the SVP, Cyber Defense.This is a hybrid position and involves regular performance of job responsibilities virtually as well as in-person at an assigned TU office location for a minimum of two days a week.

Role Overview and Core Responsibilities

  • Serve as a key leader and strategic partner to the Head of Cyber Defense, increasing operational rigor, learning velocity, and executive effectiveness across the organization.
  • Build and own the Cyber Defense closed-loop learning system, connecting incidents, near-misses, detections, and exercises into a continuous improvement engine that drives durable changes across people, process, and technology.
  • Own the post-incident review framework and cadence, driving blameless, high-quality reviews focused on systemic improvement while tracking remediation actions to closure.
  • Define, implement, and evolve Cyber Defense operational metrics, including detection effectiveness and coverage, response quality and speed, and learning throughput, ensuring metrics drive leadership decisions rather than reporting alone.
  • Operate the Detection Council as a structured decision-making forum, owning agendas, materials, follow-through, prioritization of detection gaps, strategic coverage decisions, and cross-team alignment.
  • Lead critical cross-functional Cyber Defense initiatives end-to-end, managing milestones, risks, dependencies, execution blockers, and escalations with clear options and trade-offs.
  • Deliver clear, structured executive communications on Cyber Defense health, translating detection posture, incident trends, program progress, and decisions needed into executive-relevant narratives.
  • Build and maintain the Cyber Defense wins and maturity narrative by capturing key wins, improvements driven by learning, and maturity progress over time.
  • Improve leadership operating rhythm and meeting hygiene by driving clear agendas, documented decisions, and accountable follow-ups across Cyber Defense leadership forums.


Required Knowledge and Experiences

  • 10+ years of experience in Technical Program Management, Security Operations, or Engineering Program Management, with demonstrated ability to operate at both strategic and execution levels in complex, cross-functional environments.
  • Experience working in or alongside Detection & Response, SOC, or Reliability/SRE teams, with sufficient technical depth to engage credibly with detection engineers, incident responders, and threat intelligence analysts.
  • Proven track record building operating systems, including cadences, metrics frameworks, feedback loops, and governance structures that drive measurable organizational improvement.
  • Demonstrated ability to own and run post-incident or post-mortem review programs focused on systemic learning, action tracking, and durable improvement rather than one-off remediation.
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field required; advanced degree preferred.


Required Technical Skills

  • Cyber Defense, SOC (Security Operations Center), Detection Engineering, SIRT (Security Incident Response Team), and Threat Intelligence operating concepts.
  • Incident response and post-incident review frameworks, including blameless review practices, systemic learning, remediation tracking, and action closure management.
  • Operational metrics design and governance, including detection effectiveness, detection coverage, response quality, response speed, and learning throughput.
  • Cross-functional program management practices, including milestone planning, dependency management, risk escalation, stakeholder alignment, and executive decision support.
  • MITRE ATT&CK and detection operations concepts sufficient to partner effectively with technical security teams.


We're also looking for the preferred skills below. Whether you are proficient or could use some brushing up, we're happy to support your career development and growth in:
  • Cyber Defense, SOC, or Detection Engineering program management experience.
  • Prior Chief of Staff or leadership-adjacent experience in a technical organization.
  • Experience building knowledge management or organizational learning systems that improve how teams capture, share, and apply lessons learned.
  • Financial services, fintech, or similarly regulated enterprise experience.
  • PMP, CISSP, or equivalent program/security management credentials.


#LI-KJ1

Benefits that support every part of your life:

At TransUnion, we design benefits to help you feel well, do well, and plan well-from day one.

For Your Health: Enjoy day-one eligibility for medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus supplemental plan options. Spousal, domestic partner, and other eligible dependent coverage is available on select plans. Choose tax-advantaged HSA and FSA accounts to make everyday care more affordable.

For Your Protection: We've got your back with company-paid basic life and AD&D, optional voluntary life and AD&D for you and your family, and short- and long-term disability. You can also opt into a legal plan, pet insurance, and travel accident coverage.

For Your Family: From adoption assistance and fertility planning coverage to caregiver support, we're here for every chapter. Access Dependent Care FSA for possibility of an employer match, a complimentary Care@Work membership, and up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave with eligibility for a thoughtful, gradual return.

For Your Future: Build toward what's next with our 401(k) with employer match and Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). Tap financial wellness resources, career coaching, and optional long-term care insurance to plan confidently.

For You: Grow and recharge with tuition reimbursement, flexible time off for exempt employees or paid time off for nonexempt employees, up to 12 paid holidays per year, commuter benefits, employee discounts, charitable gift matching, and paid volunteer time off, plus corporate volunteer events that make it easy to give back.

For Your Wellness: Access 24/7 support including professional therapy, coaching, and emotional well-being programs alongside guided meditation and resources that support physical, mental, social, and financial wellness.

Pay Scale Information:

The U.S. base salary range for this position is $168,750.00 - $281,250 annually. *The salary range for this position reflects a reasonable estimate of the range of compensation for this job. At TransUnion, actual compensation is based on careful consideration of additional factors such as (but not limited to) an individual's education, training, work experience, job-related skill set, location, and industry knowledge, as well as the scope and responsibilities of the position and market considerations. Regular, fulltime non-sales positions may be eligible to participate in TransUnion's annual bonus plan. Certain positions may be also eligible for long-term incentives and other payments based on applicable company guidance and plan documents.

TransUnion's Internal Job Title:
Principal, Cybersecurity

Company:
TransUnion LLC

About TransUnion

TransUnion is a consumer credit reporting agency. TransUnion collects and aggregates information on over one billion individual consumers in over thirty countries including "200 million files profiling nearly every credit-active consumer in the United States". Its customers include over 65,000 businesses. Based in Chicago, Illinois, TransUnion's 2014 revenue was US$1.3 billion.
Learn more about TransUnion
Size
10,200 employees
Market Cap
$10.5 billion
Industry
Net Income
$343.1 million
Founded
1968
5 Year Trend
+11.7%
Revenue
$2.7 billion
NASDAQ

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