Platform Engineering Manager – Network Security (Cybersecurity)

At Ford, cybersecurity isn’t just a priority—it’s at the heart of everything we build. We’re on a mission to secure the platforms that move people and data around the world, and we’re looking for a visionary Platform Engineering Manager – Network Security to lead that charge.

In this role, you'll spearhead the strategy, design, and global deployment of Ford’s Network Security Visibility Platforms, guiding the integration of next-generation solutions like Cisco NDR, Arista DMF, and Plixer One across our hybrid, multi-cloud infrastructure. You’ll lead a passionate team of engineers in Chennai, India and Dearborn, USA, collaborating across functions with Cyber Defense, SRE, Network Engineering, and Cloud teams.

If you're energized by building at scale, committed to innovation, and driven to protect critical digital systems, we invite you to bring your expertise to a team that’s shaping the future of secure mobility.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide end-to-end leadership for Arista DMF, Plixer One ensuring robust network telemetry, flow visibility, and threat detection across global environments.
• Drive design and implementation of Cisco NDR to enhance visibility into network behavior, lateral movement, and anomaly detection.
• Develop and execute a forward-looking network visibility and telemetry strategy with comprehensive north-south (ingress/egress) and east-west (lateral) traffic coverage.
• Integrate NDR and telemetry sources with SIEM systems (e.g., Google SecOps) and downstream SOAR pipelines to support real-time detection, triage, and automated response.
• Manage traffic sourcing and visibility through:
  • Gigamon for packet capture, brokering, and SSL decryption
  • Arista DMF (DANZ Monitoring Fabric) for scalable traffic aggregation and deep packet insights
  • Cisco Cyber Vision for industrial and OT network security
• Define and enforce network security policies within Red Hat OpenShift clusters using Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security (ACS) for runtime protection, segmentation, and compliance.
• Partner with SRE teams to deliver end-to-end observability across digital systems using platforms like Dynatrace, ensuring high availability, performance monitoring, and anomaly detection.
• Automate platform deployment and operations using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools including Terraform, Ansible, and Python.
• Lead Agile development using tools such as JIRA and Confluence; manage sprint delivery, backlogs, and roadmap milestones.
• Inspire, coach, and grow a global team of engineers, fostering a culture of collaboration, automation, and continuous improvement.

Experience Requirements

• 15+ years of experience in cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, network security, or platform engineering roles.
• 10+ years of deep hands-on experience in network visibility and telemetry architecture, with demonstrated success using platforms like Plixer One, Cisco NDR, and Arista DMF.
• 3+ years of proven expertise in container security on Red Hat OpenShift, including runtime protection, network segmentation, and policy enforcement via ACS.
• 5+ years of coding and automation experience using Python, shell scripting, or equivalent technologies.
• Solid experience integrating network visibility platforms with SIEMs, deploying SOAR workflows, and operationalizing visibility tools like Gigamon and Cisco Cyber Vision.
• Deep understanding of Zero Trust principles, including microsegmentation, encrypted traffic inspection, and secure network architecture.
• Proficiency in SRE observability tools such as Dynatrace, AppDynamics, or New Relic to ensure proactive monitoring and system health.
• Strong command of Agile methodologies, backlog management, and DevOps tools including Git and CI/CD pipelines.
• Hands-on experience supporting hybrid and multi-cloud environments, particularly Azure and/or Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

Preferred Certifications

• CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional
• CCSP – Certified Cloud Security Professional
• GCP Professional Cloud Security Engineer
• Azure Security Engineer Associate
• Cisco Certified CyberOps Professional
• Certifications from Arista, Plixer, Gigamon, Red Hat, Dynatrace, or similar vendors are a strong plus