Lead DevOps and Security Engineer - FT Freelance - Americas

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced DevSecOps Manager to lead our systems support and CI/CD teams. This role is pivotal in ensuring the security, stability, and scalability of our infrastructure, while fostering collaboration across security, development, operations, and engineering functions. The DevSecOps Manager will oversee a team of System Administrators and a CI/CD Engineer, driving best practices in security, cloud, systems, and database management.

The ideal candidate is both a strong technical leader and a people manager, with proven expertise across multiple IT disciplines and the ability to align technology strategies with business goals.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead and mentor a cross-functional team including System Administrators and a CI/CD Engineer.
• Set priorities, manage workloads, and oversee performance management for direct reports.
• Drive a culture of accountability, security awareness, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with development, operations, and leadership teams to align initiatives with organizational goals.

Security Engineering

• Own and implement security best practices across infrastructure, applications, and cloud environments.
• Manage vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, and incident response processes.
• Ensure compliance with security standards, policies, and regulatory requirements (e.g., SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR).

Systems & Infrastructure

• Oversee administration of servers, networks, and enterprise applications.
• Manage patching, system monitoring, troubleshooting, and escalation of technical issues.
• Champion automation and infrastructure-as-code practices for reliability and efficiency.

Cloud Engineering & CI/CD

• Oversee design, implementation, and optimization of cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Manage CI/CD pipelines to ensure secure, reliable, and repeatable deployments.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to improve software delivery performance.

Database Administration

• Guide team members in managing databases (SQL/NoSQL) for performance, security, and availability.
• Oversee data backup, disaster recovery, and integrity processes.

Required Skills

• 7+ years of experience in DevOps, SecOps, or Systems Administration roles, with at least 3+ years in leadership/management.
• Strong knowledge across:
    • Security engineering and compliance frameworks.
    • Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
    • Systems administration (Linux/Windows).
    • CI/CD pipelines and automation (Jenkins, GitLab, GitHub Actions, etc.).
    • Database administration (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, etc.).
• Proven leadership, mentoring, and communication skills.
• Demonstrated success in building high-performing technical teams.

Nice to Have

• Cloud: AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, AWS Solutions Architect, Azure Administrator, or equivalent.
• Security: CISSP, CISM, CEH, or equivalent.
• Other: CompTIA Security+, Linux+, or related systems certifications.