Head- Security Operations & Security Architecture

About Company:

Airtel, we are transforming from a telecom giant to a digital force and changing how people consume entertainment, how companies manage their assets to how cities use energy.. Today, our work goes beyond telecom -- we build products that entertain and inform, connect devices to the internet, and enable businesses to securely harness the power of their data. With a remarkable team of talent led by eminent industry leaders, our goal is to expand our people power and deliver solutions that truly enrich the lives of our customers.

There could not be a better time to join us and be a part of this incredible journey…

Job Description:

Location:

Gurgaon (India)

Experience:

12+ years
Role summary:
Own and elevate both day-to-day security operations and forward-looking security architecture for a large telecom environment.
Run high-availability security programs (e.g., SOC, EDR, App Sec, VAPT) with operational rigor, while designing next-gen controls for emerging platforms and threats (e.g., AI security, post-quantum cryptography, cloud-native).

A. Technical Accountabilities
Security Operations (Always-On)
1.a  Oversight  and  strategic guidance  for a 24×7  SOC  with tiered response, playbooks, KPIs, and continuous tuning of SIEM/SOAR.
1.b Drive  endpoint protection  and  EDR , threat intel,  incident handling , and post-incident RCA with measurable  MTTA/MTTR  improvements.
Application & Product Security (Shift-Left + Runtime)
2.a Oversight and strategic guidance for a secure SDLC with SAST/DAST program involving dependency scanning, and SBOM.
2.b Build a pragmatic and “ engineering-friendly ” vulnerability  remediation model ; block high-risk releases by policy, not by surprise.
Vulnerability & Exposure Management
3.a  Pragmatic approach  to  vulnerability management  across app, infra and containers, with the end goal of reducing likelihood of exploitation along with minimal downtime.
3.b Implement  risk-based patching  and virtual patching (IPS/WAF/EDR policy) to cut exposure when downtime is constrained.
Cloud & Platform Security
4.a  Deliver CNAPP  (CSPM/CWPP), Open Shift hardening, container scanning, and IaC guardrails.
Architecture & Emerging Threats
5.a Define and deploy  zero-trust  reference architectures spanning IT, cloud, and edge.
5.b Lead  AI security : model/data/agent protections, prompt/guardrail controls, model provenance, and red teaming.
5.c Lead the  quantum-risk  roadmap: crypto inventory, agility, and transition to PQC for long-lived data/links.

B. Non-Technical & Leadership Accountabilities
Stakeholder Management
2.a Partner with engineering to reduce toil (e.g., virtual patching, safe defaults, golden paths).
2.b Align with product, legal, privacy, and network teams; translate risk into business terms.
Strategy & Road mapping
3.a Maintain a rolling 12–24 month security roadmap covering ops, architecture.
People & Culture
4.a Build and mentor a high-caliber team; succession planning for critical roles.
4.b Raise the bar on “secure by default” through enablement, docs, and incentives.
Communication & Executive Presence
6.a Clear narrative for the board/CXO on threats, posture, and trade-offs.
6.b Calm crisis leadership during incidents; crisp, timely updates.

Qualifications
10+ years in cybersecurity with deep experience across Sec Ops and security architecture; at least 5 years leading managers.
Telecom-scale background preferred (high-throughput networks, 5G core, OSS/BSS, large consumer base).
Proven delivery running SOC/EDR, VAPT, and App Sec in complex, hybrid environments.
Hands-on familiarity with AWS/GCP, Open Shift, service mesh, APIs, and modern data/ML stacks.
Certifications a plus: CISSP, CISM, CCSP/CCSK, GIAC (e.g., GCIA/GCED/GCSA), OSCP—valued but not a substitute for real outcomes.
Excellent written/spoken communication; ability to influence senior engineering and business leaders.

Interview Signals We’ll Look For
Operational depth:  concrete stories improving SOC signal-to-noise, stopping real incidents, reducing toil.
Architectural judgment:  intelligent trade-offs in security vs agility.
Leadership:  building teams, influencing peers, running tough programs without heroics.
Forward-thinking:  practical plans for AI security and quantum risk that