Manager Cyber Defense & Expertise

About the Job

As the Team Lead for the Cyber Defense & Expertise team within the Governance & Security Expertise (GSE) area of Allianz Technology CISO, you will lead and grow a high-performing team that sets and governs various cyber defense capabilities across the enterprise. In close partnership with other capability teams of GSE (IAM Governance, Security Engineering, Data & AI), you will ensure that our area provides cohesive, end-to-end coverage of cyber capabilities across Detection & Response, Threat & Attack Surface Management, and DevSecOps, translating our cyber vision and strategy into patterns, blueprints, and fit-for-purpuse controls that support measurable risk reduction and resilient operations. You combine strong people leadership with hands-on technical depth, taking accountability for selected topics yourself to drive quality outcomes at scale.

What You Do

• Lead, develop, and scale the global Cyber Defense & Expertise team with members in various countries where Allianz Technology is present; define vision, strategy, and OKRs; plan capacity and ensure continuous improvement.
• As part of the GSE Management Team, co-own the overall capability map with the leads of IAM Governance and Security Engineering, Data & AI to ensure holistic coverage and clear accountability across the capability areas.
• Establish / maintain governance for Detection & Response (logging, security monitoring, incident response), Threat & Attack Surface Management (threat and vulnerability management, endpoint management, end-of-life management, cyber threat intelligence) and DevSecOps (pipeline and build security, secure coding practices, threat modeling) and partner with relevant product/platform teams to embed the controls by design and measure progress.
• Serve as the senior technical escalation point; contribute hands-on to selected initiatives (e.g. internal transformation initiatives as well as Information Security Measures driven by Allianz Group Information Security) to accelerate outcomes and ensure quality.
• Maintain control frameworks and conformance to group policies and external standards (e.g., ISO 27001, NIST CSF, MITRE, CIS), including evidence, reviews, and audit support.
• Partner with SOC/CSIRT, Red/Blue teams, platform owners, and business product teams to prioritize risks, track remediation to closure, and improve mean time to detect/respond.
• Define and report KPIs/KRIs, risk posture, and capability maturity to senior stakeholders; communicate progress, issues, and decisions clearly and on time.
• Manage supplier and tool landscapes (selection, onboarding, performance), and drive cost-effective, outcome-focused delivery.
• Hire, onboard, coach, and develop team members in collaboration with People & Culture; foster a culture of ownership, learning, and psychological safety.

What You Bring

• Experience leading cyber defense/security engineering or governance teams in a complex, global enterprise (or MSSP) environment.
• Solid expertise in the capability areas relevant to this role, including hands-on familiarity with the technical aspects of these.
• Strong track record establishing and operating security governance (policies, standards, controls, metrics) with measurable risk and performance outcomes.
• Stakeholder and vendor management skills; able to influence across technology and business, prioritize effectively.
• Excellent communication skills in English; strong coaching/mentoring mindset and the ability to translate technical risk into business impact.
• Basic knowledge of AI technologies, principles, and their practical use.

What We Offer

• We offer a hybrid work model which recognizes the value of striking a balance between in-person collaboration and remote working incl. up to 25 days per year working from abroad.
• We believe in rewarding performance and our compensation and benefits package includes a company bonus scheme, pension, employee shares program and multiple employee discounts (details vary by location).
• From career development and digital learning programs to international career mobility, we offer lifelong learning for our employees worldwide and an environment where innovation, delivery and empowerment are fostered.
• Flexible working, health and wellbeing offers (including healthcare and parental leave benefits) support to balance family and career and help our people return from career breaks with experience that nothing else can teach. Access to over 10,000 on-demand learning resources and programs, to support you in taking control of your career development.
• Access to the AYMC Sportpass with the opportunity to engage in various sports and fitness activities.
• Parking support, ensuring a seamless and stress-free commuting experience to and from the workplace.

About Allianz Technology:
With its headquarters in Munich, Germany, Allianz Technology is Allianz's global IT service provider and delivers IT solutions that drive the group's digitalization. With more than 11,000 employees in over 20 countries around the world, Allianz Technology is tasked with running, optimizing, transforming, and innovating the infrastructure, applications, and services together with Allianz companies to co-create the best customer experience. We service the entire spectrum of digitalization – from one of the industry's largest IT infrastructure projects that spans data centres, networks, and security, to application platforms ranging from workplace services to digital interaction. In short: We deliver comprehensive end-to-end IT solutions for Allianz in the digital age. We are the backbone of Allianz.
Find us at:
www.linkedin.com/company/allianz-technology.

Commitment to Integrity, Fairness & Inclusion:
Allianz Technology is proud to be an equal opportunity employer dedicated to fostering an inclusive work environment for everyone. We embrace individuals of all gender identities and expressions, sexual orientations, ethnicities, ages, nationalities, religions, disabilities, and philosophies of life. Ultimately, our greatest strength as a company lies in the unique skills, experiences, and backgrounds our employees contribute.

To Recruitment Agencies:
Allianz Technology has an in-house recruitment team that sources great candidates directly. Therefore, Allianz Technology does not accept unsolicited resumes from agency or search firm recruiters. When we engage with recruitment agencies, the partnership is formalized by a contract. Fees will only be paid when there is a contract in place. Without a contract in place, we will not accept invoices on unsolicited resumes, even if the candidate is ultimately employed by Allianz.

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