Threat Defense Manager

PepsiCo is looking for a technically strong and visionary Manager of Security Engineering to join our global Information Security organization. This role sits at the intersection of leadership and deep technical expertise—leading agile engineering teams responsible for building, enhancing, and maintaining critical Simulation, Detection, and Automation capabilities to protect our digital assets worldwide.

You'll play a key role in shaping how PepsiCo identifies and responds to cyber threats, scaling detection engineering and response automation while fostering innovation and agility. This is a hands-on, high-impact role with the opportunity to evolve into a formal people leadership position in the near future.

What kind of manager is Lech?

Lech is the Threat Defense Engineering Director at PepsiCo. His management style balances technical depth with strategic execution, fostering a structured, process-driven, yet innovative environment. With experience across Threat Defense, Incident Response, Security Architecture, and Engineering, he drives cross-team collaboration and scalable security solutions. If you're looking for a leader who challenges you, supports your growth, and helps you make a real impact, Lech's team is where you want to be.

How do we work and what do we offer?

• We work in a hybrid model (2 days from the office in Warsaw, Plac Konesera, 3 days from home)
• The most important benefits of this position: annual bonus, private healthcare, life insurance, Multisport, private pension plan, employee assistance program, company car or equivalent.

What are your daily tasks?

• Drive Technical Innovation: Collaborate across InfoSec, IT, and business units to design, implement, and continuously improve cutting-edge detection and response solutions.
• Lead with Impact: Guide high-performing agile teams delivering scalable detection engineering, threat simulation, and automation solutions.
• Build & Mature Capabilities: Develop repeatable, metrics-driven processes across security simulation (purple teaming), detection engineering, and automation. Own related documentation, KPIs, and improvement roadmaps.
• Communicate with Influence: Create and present meaningful updates to senior leadership and stakeholders, translating technical insights into business value.
• Be a Technical Leader: Serve as a subject matter expert on cyber defense and threat detection, covering the design and implementation of advanced preventive and responsive controls.
• Develop Talent (Future Scope): Coach and mentor technical team members, with a path toward formal people management as the team expands.
• Deliver Operational Excellence: Oversee execution against plans and budgets, ensure accountability for high-quality outcomes, and foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

What will you bring to the team?

• 5+ years leading or coaching teams within Cybersecurity Operations, Threat Detection, Incident Response, or Security Engineering
• Proven experience building and operationalizing detection, automation, or analytics capabilities at scale

Technical Skills (Must-Have)

• Deep knowledge of SIEM technologies (e.g., Splunk, Sentinel) including rule creation, tuning, dashboards, and analytics
• Strong experience with host and network log analysis, behavioral detection, and threat modeling
• Practical knowledge of offensive and defensive security techniques, including threat hunting, IOC/IOA creation (e.g., YARA, Sigma, OpenIOC)
• Understanding of cloud security principles (Azure, AWS, GCP) and secure architecture
• Familiarity with automation and orchestration frameworks (SOAR, scripting, or serverless architectures)

Leadership & Communication

• Strategic mindset with the ability to align technical initiatives with business outcomes
• Strong communication and storytelling skills across technical and executive audiences
• Ability to set clear goals, prioritize ruthlessly, and influence cross-functional teams

Bonus Points For:

• Passion for building a culture of experimentation, learning, and security excellence
• Experience working in agile/lean environments
• One or more industry-recognized certifications: CISSP, CISM, GIAC, OSCP, etc.
• Prior experience scaling teams or stepping into people leadership roles