CYBERSECURITY LEAD USC

Title: CYBERSECURITY LEAD

Duration: 18 months contract + possible extension

Location: Atlanta, GA (HYBRID)

St Date: ASAP (Short period notice also considered)

Client: TCS/Mercedes-Benz

Role Summary

We are seeking an experienced Cybersecurity Lead to direct a blended onshore and offshore security team supporting a global automotive OEM. The candidate will set security standards, implement best-practice methodologies, and ensure compliance with automotive and enterprise cybersecurity regulations across IT, cloud, and connected-vehicle environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and coordinate onshore and offshore cybersecurity teams, ensuring consistent delivery quality, clear handoffs, and follow-the-sun coverage.
• Define and enforce security policies, standards, and guidelines aligned with the client's governance framework.
• Implement best-practice methodologies such as NIST CSF, ISO/IEC 27001, Zero Trust, and secure SDLC/DevSecOps.
• Drive compliance with automotive cybersecurity standards, including ISO/SAE 21434, UNECE WP.29 (R155/R156), and TISAX.
• Oversee threat and risk assessments (TARA), vulnerability management, penetration testing, and remediation tracking.
• Guide security operations, including SOC monitoring, incident response, and root-cause analysis.
• Partner with client stakeholders, engineering, and suppliers on security architecture for vehicle, manufacturing (OT), and enterprise systems.
• Report security posture, KPIs, and risks to client leadership and internal management.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years in cybersecurity, with 4+ years leading distributed onshore/offshore teams.
• Proven automotive industry experience (OEM or Tier-1 supplier), ideally with connected-vehicle or manufacturing security.
• Hands-on knowledge of ISO/SAE 21434, UNECE R155/R156, TISAX, and ISO 27001.
• Experience with SIEM, EDR, cloud security (Azure/AWS), and IAM tools.
• Strong communication skills for executive-level client engagement.

Preferred Certifications

CISSP, CISM, CISA, or CCSP; automotive security certifications (e.g., ISO/SAE 21434 practitioner) are a plus