Section Manager - Security Standards & Design

You will own the library of technical security standards, hardening baselines, and design governance processes that keep CP Axtra's infrastructure secure by default. Think of yourself as the person who takes the architect's blueprint and turns it into the building code that every project must follow.

This means writing CIS-aligned hardening guides for Windows, Linux, databases, and cloud services; running POCs to validate that security controls work without breaking production; and building automated compliance checks that catch drift before auditors do. You'll work closely with infrastructure, cloud, and DevOps teams — your standards need to be practical enough that teams adopt them willingly, not just because policy says so.

You'll also lead technical testing efforts — validating security configurations, running internal technical assessments, and ensuring that what's documented as 'standard' is actually what's deployed.

Key Responsibilities

You will own the library of technical security standards, hardening baselines, and design governance processes that keep CP Axtra's infrastructure secure by default. Think of yourself as the person who takes the architect's blueprint and turns it into the building code that every project must follow.

This means writing CIS-aligned hardening guides for Windows, Linux, databases, and cloud services; running POCs to validate that security controls work without breaking production; and building automated compliance checks that catch drift before auditors do. You'll work closely with infrastructure, cloud, and DevOps teams — your standards need to be practical enough that teams adopt them willingly, not just because policy says so.

You'll also lead technical testing efforts — validating security configurations, running internal technical assessments, and ensuring that what's documented as 'standard' is actually what's deployed.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and maintain technical security hardening baselines for all major platforms — Windows Server, RHEL/Ubuntu, databases (Oracle, MSSQL, PostgreSQL), and cloud services across GCP, Azure, AWS
• Translate security architecture decisions into implementable standards documents with clear acceptance criteria, configuration examples, and validation scripts
• Run proof-of-concept testing for new security controls and technologies, documenting performance impact, integration requirements, and operational considerations
• Build and maintain automated compliance scanning — ensuring hardening baselines are continuously validated against deployed configurations using tools like Tenable, Qualys, or cloud-native benchmarks
• Conduct technical security configuration reviews for new infrastructure deployments, cloud landing zones, and major application releases before go-live
• Manage the security standards lifecycle — regular reviews, version control, exception management, and sunset processes for deprecated standards
• Partner with infrastructure and DevOps teams to embed security baselines into golden images, Terraform modules, and CI/CD templates
• Produce technical testing reports for firewall rule reviews, network segmentation validation, and access control configuration assessments
• Maintain a standards adoption dashboard — tracking which teams have implemented which baselines and where gaps exist

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Hardening frameworks: CIS Benchmarks (Windows, Linux, cloud), NIST SP 800-123, vendor-specific security guides
• Scanning and compliance: Tenable Nessus/Tenable.io, Qualys VMDR, cloud-native compliance tools
• Operating systems: Windows Server 2016/2019/2022, RHEL 8/9, Ubuntu — deep configuration knowledge
• Cloud platforms: GCP, Azure, AWS — security configuration and baseline management at the service level
• Scripting: PowerShell, Bash, Python — for compliance validation, automated checks, and reporting
• IaC familiarity: Terraform, Ansible — understanding security integration points

MUST-HAVE REQUIREMENTS

These are non-negotiable. If you do not meet all of these, this role is not the right fit.

• 5+ years in information security with hands-on experience in infrastructure hardening, security configuration, and technical standards development
• Deep knowledge of CIS Benchmarks or DISA STIGs — you've implemented these on real systems, not just read the PDFs
• Hands-on experience with at least two: Windows Server hardening, Linux hardening, database security configuration, or cloud security baselines
• Experience with vulnerability scanning and compliance tools — Tenable, Qualys, or cloud-native equivalents (AWS Config, Azure Policy, GCP Security Health Analytics)
• Ability to write clear technical documentation that infrastructure teams can implement without hand-holding
• Working proficiency in scripting (PowerShell, Bash, or Python) for configuration validation and automation

NICE-TO-HAVE

These will set you apart from other candidates

• Experience with infrastructure-as-code security — writing security-hardened Terraform modules or Ansible playbooks
• Familiarity with container and Kubernetes security hardening (CIS Kubernetes Benchmark, pod security standards)
• CompTIA Security+, CIS Benchmarks certification, or relevant cloud security certifications (AZ-500, GCP Professional Cloud Security Engineer)
• Experience in retail or high-availability environments where security hardening must balance with uptime requirements