Sr Manager Cybersecurity

Remote from
USA
Salary, yearly, USD
177,050 - 196,700
Department
Cybersecurity
Employment type
Full Time,
Job posted
Apply before
6 Aug 2026
Experience level
Senior
Views / Applies
64 / 3

About Southwest Airlines

To connect people to what's important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel.

Verified job posting
This job post has been manually reviewed for authenticity and compliance.

AI Summary

This Sr Manager Cybersecurity role at Southwest Airlines involves leading the Security Platform Services Team to deliver secure, scalable, and automated cybersecurity capabilities. You will oversee advanced security platforms, SaaS solutions, and AI-enabled protections, driving vulnerability management and intelligent automation. The position requires strong leadership, technical expertise, and collaboration across enterprise teams. It is a remote role with limited travel, and candidates must be U.S. citizens or authorized to work without sponsorship. The role emphasizes a People-first approach and fostering a culture of inclusion and innovation.

Role DNA

Job Complexity
Easy Hard
Pace & Pressure
Relaxed Fast-paced
Autonomy Level
Guided Full Ownership
Communication Load
Independent Highly Collaborative
AI Insight This is a senior leadership role requiring strategic oversight, deep technical expertise in cybersecurity, and the ability to manage complex, cross-functional teams, making it highly challenging.

Salary Analysis

Median Highly Competitive
USD186,875
US Market
USD150k โ€“ 220k
0 USD242k
AI Insight The offered salary range of $177,050-$196,700 is competitive and slightly above the market median for Sr Manager Cybersecurity roles in the US. The median of $186,875 indicates a strong compensation package that aligns with the responsibilities and seniority level.

Dear Hiring Team,

I am excited to apply for the Sr Manager Cybersecurity position at Southwest Airlines. With over a decade of experience in cybersecurity leadership, I have a proven track record of building and leading high-performing teams to deliver secure, scalable solutions. My expertise in SaaS security, AI-driven protections, and vulnerability management aligns perfectly with the requirements of this role.

At my previous company, I led the implementation of automation and observability strategies that reduced incident response time by 40%. I am passionate about fostering a People-first culture and driving innovation, which I see as core values at Southwest.

I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to Southwest's cybersecurity posture and would welcome the chance to discuss how my skills can benefit your team.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Describe your experience leading a cybersecurity team and how you ensure alignment with business objectives.
I have led teams of 8-12 engineers focusing on security platforms. I prioritize understanding business goals, then translate them into security roadmaps. Regular cross-functional meetings and metrics reporting ensure alignment. For example, I implemented a risk-based prioritization system that reduced critical vulnerabilities by 50% while supporting rapid product releases.
How do you approach the integration of AI-powered security solutions into existing infrastructure?
I start by assessing the current environment and identifying high-impact use cases, such as threat detection automation. I pilot solutions in a sandbox, evaluate false positive rates, and gradually roll out with continuous monitoring. Collaboration with data scientists and IT is key to ensure seamless integration and model accuracy.
Can you give an example of a time you drove cultural change in a security team?
At my last company, the team was reactive. I introduced a 'security champions' program, weekly knowledge-sharing sessions, and gamified vulnerability reporting. Within six months, the team's proactive threat hunting increased, and employee engagement scores rose by 30%. I believe in empowering team members and celebrating small wins.
How do you stay current with emerging cybersecurity trends and ensure your team does too?
I subscribe to threat intelligence feeds, attend industry conferences (e.g., RSA), and encourage my team to pursue certifications. We hold monthly 'tech talks' where team members present on trends like zero trust or AI security. I also allocate budget for continuous learning and labs to experiment with new tools.
Describe a time you had to manage a critical security incident. What was your approach?
During a ransomware incident, I activated our incident response plan, coordinated with legal and PR, and led a cross-functional team to isolate affected systems. We communicated transparently with stakeholders and conducted a post-mortem that led to improved backup procedures and employee training. The key was calm leadership and clear decision-making under pressure.

Department:

Technology

Our Company Promise

We are committed to provide our Employees a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Creativity and innovation are encouraged for improving the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. Above all, Employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer.

Job Description:

As Sr Manager Cybersecurity, youโ€™ll lead with a Peopleโ€‘first approach while guiding the Security Platform Services Team in delivering secure, scalable, and highly automated capabilities that strengthen Southwestโ€™s Cybersecurity posture. Youโ€™ll oversee advanced security platforms, SaaS security solutions, and AIโ€‘enabled protections, ensuring they are wellโ€‘integrated, comply with cybersecurity and technical strategy, and meet or exceed Customer requirements. Leveraging technical expertise and leadership across distributed Teams, youโ€™ll drive vulnerability management, intelligent automation, and observability at scale while building trusted partnerships across the enterprise. By empowering your Teams and advancing our security ecosystem, youโ€™ll play a critical role in safeguarding Southwestโ€™s systems, data, and Customers.

Additional details

  • This role is offered as a remote workplace position, which may require travel for training, meetings, conferences, etc. Outside of thoseย requiredย visits,ย the majority ofย your working time may be spent in a remote location, away from our Corporate Campus.

  • Please note, while this is a remote position, there is a limited group of states or localities ineligible for Employees to regularly perform their work. Those ineligible locationsย are:ย Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Washington, Wyoming, and Puerto Rico.โ€ฏ

  • U.S. citizenship or current authorization to work in the U.S.ย requiredย and no current or future work authorization sponsorship available.

Weโ€™reย committed to fair hiring practices and to making employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, military or veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other legally protected characteristics.ย 

Model the Southwest Way

  • Guide and lead Team Members using SWA talent management practices to coach, develop, and engage Employees

  • Adhere to Company values and competencies to foster a Culture of inclusion, recognition, and support of a safe work environment

  • Invest in Leadership and self-growth through participating in continuous learning and development

Responsibilities

  • Lead, support, and influence the achievement of the mission, goals and objectives of the department and organization

  • Participate fully in organizational processes/initiatives; performance management, interviewing, budgeting, training, etc.

  • Lead the resolution of organization, team and individual issues, making appropriate decision

  • Develop and execute strategies and processes to improve performance and the value of products and services provided

  • Lead cross-functional Teams to deliver solutions and services to meet enterprise needs

  • Provide Cybersecurity thought Leadership related to assigned functional areas

  • Deliver Cybersecurity solutions using best practices to achieve maximum Team productivity while delivering high quality products

  • Stay abreast of emerging Cybersecurity trends, processes, and solutions related to assigned responsibilities

  • Build strong, collaborative relationships and credibility while influencing and driving change across respective Business and Technology Teams

  • Work with Technology and business partners to measure financial benefits and demonstrable business value

  • May perform other job duties as directed by Employee’s Leaders

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

  • Knowledge of business/Leadership principals, including planning, organizing, directing, developing, and supervising

  • Knowledge of personnel practices and regulations

  • Knowledge of Cybersecurity best practices, software development practices, concepts, methodologies, tools and trends

  • Knowledge of project management methodologies

  • Skilled in excellent partnering, negotiation and communication in order to facilitate interactions with business Customers and technology teams in order to drive Cybersecurity agenda

  • Ability to provide tactical leadership for Team(s)

  • Ability to use appropriate motivation and influence techniques to achieve desired Team results

  • Ability to set and manage stakeholder expectations

  • Ability to deliver quality projects on time and within budget

  • Ability to manage projects using the organization’s project management methodology

Education

  • Required: High School Diploma or GED

  • Required: Required: Bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems, Computer Science, Business Administration or related field and/or equivalent Cybersecurity formal training

Experience

Required

  • Demonstrated experience in directly or indirectly leading team(s)

  • Fully functioning, broad knowledge in:

    • A Cybersecurity Business and/or Information Technology environment

    • Leading teams and providing work direction

Preferred

  • Experience leading Cybersecurity initiatives using Agile/SAFe, with strong ownership of backlog, roadmap, and PI delivery across cross-functional teams.

  • Proficiency with Jira Align or similar portfolio tools, including authoring Epics/Features, managing dependencies, and tracking benefits and outcomes.

  • Proven ability to translate architecture, governance, and platform constraints into executable delivery plans and prioritized backlog items.

  • Strong cross-functional leadership and executive communication skills, including facilitating alignment forums and producing concise leadership readouts.

  • Familiarity with key Cybersecurity domains such as Automation, Observability, AI Security and SaaS Security platforms.

Licensing/Certification

  • N/A

Physical Abilities

  • Ability to perform work duties from [limited space work station/desk/office area] for extended periods of time

  • Ability to communicate and interact with others in the English language to meet the demands of the job

  • Ability to use a computer and other office productivity tools with sufficient speed and accuracy to meet the demands of the job

Other Qualifications

  • Must maintain a well-groomed appearance per Company appearance standards as described in established guidelines

  • Must be a U.S. citizen or have authorization to work in the United States as defined by the Immigration Reform Act of 1986

  • Must be at least 18 years of age

  • Must be able to comply with Company attendance standards as described in established guidelines

  • Must meet confidentiality expectations as to confidential, proprietary and sensitive Company information

  • Air travel with frequent overnight stays required

  • Ability to work extended hours as needed

Pay & Benefits

  • Competitive market salary fromย $177,050 – 196,700ย per year* depending on qualifications and experience. For eligible Leadership and individual contributor roles, additional bonus opportunities are available and awarded at the discretion of the company.

Benefits youโ€™ll love

  • Fly for free, as a privilege, on any open seat on all Southwest flights (your eligible dependents too)

  • Southwest will help fund your 401(k) retirement savings with Company contributions up to 9.3% of your eligible earnings**

  • Potential for annual ProfitSharing contribution in the Southwest Retirement Savings Plan- when Southwest profits, you profit***

  • Competitive health insurance for you and your eligible dependents (including pets)

  • Southwest offers health plan coverage options that start from the very first day of employment. You will have 30 days to select and enroll in your health plan with coverage retroactively available to your first day of employment.

  • Explore more Benefits youโ€™ll love:ย careers.southwestair.com/benefits

*Pay amount does not guarantee employment for any particular period of time.

**401(k) match contributions are subject to Retirement Savings Plan vesting schedule and applicable IRS limits

***ProfitSharing contributions are subject to Retirement Savings Plan vesting schedule and are made at the discretion of the Company.

Southwest Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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