Cyber Defense and Response Group Manager

Job Description and Duties

THIS POSITION MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR A HYBRID WORK SCHEDULE. THE AMOUNT OF TELEWORK IS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE DEPARTMENT AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AS BUSINESS NEEDS ARISE.

The Cyber Defense Group is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented IT Manager I to support enterprise cybersecurity operations. This position plays a critical role in protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of state systems and data. Under general direction, the IT Manager I provides leadership and supervision in areas such as vulnerability management, endpoint protection, cloud security posture monitoring, and incident response coordination. The incumbent will work within a collaborative security operations team that partners with infrastructure, cloud, and application teams to ensure proactive defense and risk reduction.

This role requires an individual who is analytical, technically proficient, and comfortable navigating both technical systems and cross-functional communication channels.

This position is eligible for telework under EDD's telework policy. The amount of telework is at the discretion of the Department and is subject to change as business needs arise. Employees are required to report to their headquarters office on their assigned in-office days. Travel expenses to and from the assigned headquarters are the responsibility of the employee.

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without the need for visa sponsorship by the state date of employment.

Position located at 1416 9th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.

This position is headquartered at the New Labor Agency Building (NLAB), a newly remodeled high-rise building. Located in the heart of Downtown Sacramento and in close proximity of the State Capitol and the Golden1 Center, this beautiful and modern building provides the following amenities: Break areas, wellness/lactation rooms, coffee points, a fitness center with private showers, a Career Center for EDD Employees, a micro market, building-wide WiFi, an outdoor terrace, bike storage, nearby public transit options, and much more.

Apply today for the opportunity to work in this state-of-the-art building!

Effective July 1, 2025, specific Bargaining Units and associated Excluded State employees are subject to a salary reduction between 2% - 4.62% in exchange for hours in the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025) per month. For more details, please click here to visit the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) website.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

Visa Sponsorship

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without the need for visa sponsorship by the start date of employment.

Typical Office Environment

Special Requirements

It is strongly encouraged to apply through your CalCareer Account at .

Please only submit ONE application. Electronic applications submitted through your CalCareer Account are highly recommended and will be received/processed faster than other methods of filing.

If you are unable to apply electronically through your CalCareer account, please mail a completed and signed State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 and application package to the mailing address provided in the “Application Instructions’ section below and ensure the following:

• Clearly indicate the Job Code #, Position Number and the Classification Title of this position in the “Examination or Job Title(s) For Which You Are Applying” section located on Page 3 of your State Examination/Employment STD Form 678.

• Clearly indicate the basis of your eligibility (list, transfer, reinstatement, etc.) in the “Explanations” section located on Page 3 of your State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678.

• Remove and do not submit the “Equal Employment Opportunity” questionnaire (Page 10) with your completed State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678. This page is for examination use only.

• Do not include your full Social Security Number on your documents and/or do not provide any LEAP information.

Examination/Assessment

To apply for this position, you must obtain list eligibility by taking and passing the examination. If you already have list eligibility for this classification, you do not need to retake the examination unless your list eligibility has expired.

Click the examination link below for more information and to take the exam:

For more information about the State hiring process, click here . To watch tutorials on how to apply for a State job, click here .

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Experience with vulnerability management
• Experience with secure code development and code scanning
• Experience with the endpoint protection configuration
• Experience with administration and enterprise deployment of endpoint detection and response (EDR) platforms
• Experience with cloud security platforms
• Experience with data security platforms
• Experience with security incident response, investigations, detection rules, and prevention tools/policies
• Experience with creating and delivering presentations to all levels of staff including management and executive leadership
• Bachelor's Degree in IT, Computer Science, or related field of study
• Security related certifications: CCFP, CEH, CEPT, OSCP, ISSAP, CISM, CSSA, CISSP, Security+, Network+

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website, , and the CalPERS website, .

Statement of Qualifications Requirements

A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is REQUIRED. The SOQ will be considered the first phase of the hiring process for this position. If your qualifications are competitive, you may be invited to an interview. The SOQ should be typed and not more than two pages in length, not less than 12-point font, single-spaced, with margins not less than one inch, including your first and last name at the top of the page, and must include a response to the statement(s) below, including specific examples:

We ask that you not use Artificial Intelligence assistance when composing your written response. Written responses are an attempt to assess and gain an understanding of your personal writing and communication skills and abilities.

Please restate the questions with your response.

1. Describe a recent enterprise technology project where you provided cybersecurity leadership. What critical people, process, and technology controls were implemented? What challenges did you face in achieving compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulatory requirements?
2. Describe how your work experience and education qualifies you for the role and responsibilities of this position based on the desirable qualifications. 
   

Résumés and/or cover letters DO NOT take the place of the SOQ. Applications received without an SOQ or SOQs that do not include a response to both statements above may not receive further consideration and may be excluded from the hiring process.

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is required and must be included.
• Statement of Qualifications - A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is Required. Please see “Statement of Qualifications Requirements” section for more information about the SOQ.