Director of Defense Security

About the role

We are looking for a highly technical and operationally strong Director (target) / Sr. Director of Security to lead defense security, compliance, and IT for our growing Gov Business Unit. This is not a "check-the-box" compliance leadership role. This leader will architect, scale, and operate secure environments handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), classified workloads, regulated development environments, and mission-critical defense programs across multiple geographies and regulatory regimes. You will be leader a team of 10+ security and IT professionals, as well as 6 secure facilities across Applied U.S. locations and drive the execution across security engineering, IT, compliance, and classified operations while partnering closely with the Global Security org, Engineering, Product, Legal, Facilities, Government Programs, and executive leadership. At Applied, you will Lead security and IT strategy for the Defense Business Unit across classified and unclassified environments. Lead and scale the Government Security, Defense Cyber, and Defense IT organizations. Architect and operate secure enterprise and engineering environments supporting CUI and classified data handling. Build and scale secure networks, enclave architectures, endpoint security, identity systems, monitoring capabilities, and operational controls for defense programs. Drive implementation and operational maturity for: CMMC IL4 / IL5 / IL6 environments UK Cyber Essentials Plus NIST 800-171 / 800-53 Additional global government and defense security requirements as business needs evolve Partner with engineering and product organizations to enable secure development and deployment pipelines for regulated environments. Own execution for: Secure enterprise architecture Classified network operations Identity and access management Detection and response Vulnerability management Asset management Endpoint and infrastructure security Security operations and monitoring Insider risk and data protection Collaborate closely with the Enterprise Security and IT org to align long-term security, infrastructure, and operational strategy across the company. Work closely with key Defense Business Unit stakeholders including the General Manager, Government Program Management organization, and defense program leadership teams to ensure security and IT capabilities enable business growth and mission execution. Lead audits, assessments, accreditations, and ongoing compliance operations across government programs. Partner with Facilities and physical security teams to support secure spaces, classified operations, and government inspection readiness. Influence executive stakeholders and drive security-first operational maturity across rapidly scaling defense initiatives. Manage, mentor, and scale high-performing security and IT teams. Build strong relationships with government customers, assessors, auditors, and defense partners. We're looking for someone who has 10+ years of experience in cybersecurity, infrastructure, enterprise IT, or security engineering leadership roles. Experience leading security and IT programs in defense, aerospace, government, or highly regulated environments. Strong hands-on understanding of: CUI handling requirements Classified environments and networks Secure enclave architectures Government cloud and hybrid environments Enterprise security architecture Zero Trust principles Deep familiarity with one or more of the following: CMMC IL4 / IL5 / IL6 NIST 800-171 NIST 800-53 DFARS FedRAMP UK Cyber Essentials Plus Proven experience building and operating security programs beyond basel