Observability Operations Manager

Department: IT Information Security

Advertised Salary Range:

Part/Full Time: Full Time

About UofSC

From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, the University of South Carolina system is transforming the lives of South Carolinians through the impact of our eight institutions and 20 locations throughout the state. More than 50,000 students are enrolled at one of eight institutions, including the research campus in Columbia and comprehensive four-year universities in Aiken, Upstate and Beaufort. In addition, our Palmetto College campuses in Salkehatchie, Union, Lancaster and Sumter enable students to earn associate or bachelor's degrees through a combination of in-person, online or blended learning. All of our system institutions place strong emphasis on service — helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and beyond.

Inclusive Excellence Statement

Advertised Job Summary

USC is evolving its traditional Security Operations Center into a Network Operations and Security Center (NOSC)—a blended operational model that brings security operations, enterprise observability, incident response, and service reliability together under one roof. We're looking for an Operations Manager to lead the NOSC's day-to-day operations, managing both full-time and student staff while coordinating closely with threat hunting, Security SRE, and IT teams across the University. This is a hands-on leadership role: you'll manage operational coverage, serve as an escalation point for both security and availability incidents, and turn recurring operational problems into measurable improvement projects.

The Operations Manager leads the people, processes, and daily operations of USC's Network Operations and Security Center (NOSC). The role combines team leadership, incident response, and operational improvement, working across security, observability, threat hunting, and SRE to keep critical university services secure and resilient.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the day-to-day operations of USC's evolving Network Operations and Security Center (NOSC), integrating security operations, enterprise observability, incident response, and service reliability.
• Manage and mentor a blended team of full-time professionals and student analysts, including operational coverage, internships, and staff development.
• Serve as a senior escalation point for both cybersecurity and availability incidents, working across a large, complex university environment.

What You'll Bring:

• Experienced operations leader with a strong background in SOC, NOC, or blended security/network operations and incident response in a complex enterprise environment.
• Strong people leader and mentor who can manage professional and student staff, build effective teams, and work independently with sound judgement.
• Operational problem solver comfortable coordinating across security, infrastructure, SRE, and other teams to turn recurring problems into sustainable improvements.

Why Join Us?

• Invest in your expertise with access to advanced professional development, including SANS training and industry certifications.
• Teach and mentor the next generation by working directly with student analysts and helping them develop real-world security and operations skills.
• Work alongside highly credentialed, experienced professionals across incident response, threat hunting, security engineering, SRE, networking, and enterprise IT.
• Help build something new as USC evolves toward an integrated NOSC model, with opportunities to shape its people, processes, tooling, and culture.

Perks of the University of South Carolina:

• Downtown COLA Location: Enjoy working in the heart of Columbia, SC, with easy access to vibrant city life, dining, and cultural events.
• Energetic Leadership: Thrive under the guidance of an energetic and innovative leadership team dedicated to transforming IT at USC, making your role impactful and exciting.
• Competitive compensation: Some of the BEST benefits you can find!
  • Paid tuition
  • Parental leave
  • Dependent scholarships
  • State benefits
  • State retirement plans
• Work-Life Balance: Full-time pay with a 37.50 hour work week and generous paid time off. (15 paid vacation days, 15 paid sick days, 13 paid holidays, including an extended December holiday!)

Minimum Qualifications (Classified and Unclassified positions)

Preferred Qualifications

• Extensive experience working in a Security Operations Center, blended Network / Security Operations Center, or Network Operations Center, including incident response, subject to federal and state regulatory requirements as applied in large multi-campus higher education environments or similarly complex enterprise or government environments. Experience with standards-based risk management frameworks (i.e. NIST SP-800, ISO, NIST CSF, HEISC, etc.).
• Experience in the evaluation of new technology and security threats as they arise. Familiarity with information security and privacy best practices and related laws, particularly within the context of higher education.
• Professional certifications such as GCFE, GCFA, GNFA, GCIH, GCIA, GSNA, GSLC, GSTRT, CISSP or other information security and privacy certifications are highly desired.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Advanced knowledge of information security, observability, and privacy best practices, with an emphasis on security operations center and incident response functions. Excellent interpersonal, customer service and written/oral communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to develop an effective, collaborative working relationship with a variety of representative groups with potentially dissimilar priorities. Demonstrated judgment and discretion in working with sensitive, confidential information and matters.
• Project coordination experience across diversified operational units. Ability to work with minimal direction and guidance and is self-motivated while also serving as a mentor to more junior and less experienced staff.

Job Close Date

12/11/2026

Special Instructions to Applicant

Positions are advertised for a minimum of five (5) business days on our job website. After five (5) business days, positions can be closed at the discretion of the department at any time. This employment site is updated on a regular basis. The length of the recruitment and screening process may vary from position to position, depending upon a variety of factors. Should review of your qualifications result in a decision to pursue your candidacy, you will be contacted by phone or email. We are only accepting applications submitted by December 11, 2026. The University of South Carolina offers a valuable benefits package including but not limited to:· Health and Life Insurance· Retirement Programs· Paid Tuition· Dependent Scholarships· Annual Leave· Sick Leave· 13 Paid Holidays (including an extended December holiday)· Paid Parental Leave· Professional Development Opportunities

To apply, please visit: https://uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/215086

Organization

Working at University of South Carolina

With more than 200 years of history and tradition, the University of South Carolina is redefining itself for decades to come. There's never been a better time to be at South Carolina, the state's flagship university and one of only 62 public universities to receive the Carnegie Foundation's highest designation for research.

The University is located in the heart of South Carolina in the capital city of Columbia, which is the nexus of government, a thriving arts and culture center, a venue for big-time Southeastern Conference intercollegiate athletics, and a community that is reinventing itself with redevelopment projects citywide. Much of the development is tied to land along the scenic, slow-moving Congaree River. Working with government, business, and community leaders, Carolina has developed a unified plan that will allow the University to expand from its origins on the historic Horseshoe to its future-Innovista, a research and innovation district that will stretch to the banks of the Congaree.

Innovista represents a new vision for research by creating a vibrant, urban community where students and researchers, including those from private firms, will live, work, learn, and play. Innovista will represent the University's four core research areas-hydrogen fuel cells, nanoscience and technology, biomedical and public health, and the environment-but will include other initiatives and business partners that serve the knowledge economy. Innovista's first private tenant, for example, is a leader in software applications for the insurance industry and will create several hundred high-paying jobs.

By attracting similar companies and jobs-and by capitalizing on an attractive location for restaurants and residential and retail space-Innovista will help drive the economy and increase per-capita income in the city and state. Recreational space will include a world-class waterfront park along the Congaree River and a new stadium for the Gamecocks' nationally ranked baseball program. Greenway paths for biking, walking, and running already line much of the river area. Innovista's 8 million square feet will blend seamlessly with the Vista, the city's nearby entertainment district of restaurants, bars, shops, and art galleries.

Chartered in 1801, Carolina began classes in 1805 with nine students and a single building, Rutledge College. As the campus grew and buildings were added during the next 50 years, a horseshoe layout was adopted. Today, the Horseshoe is on the National Register of Historic Places, with 10 of its 11 buildings dating to the 19th century. Those renovated buildings house, among other areas, the South Carolina Honors College and Undergraduate Admissions, representing much of the University's current and future lifeblood.

In fact, incoming freshman classes have never been larger or more competitive. The freshmen from fall 2006 set records for their size (more than 3,700) and SAT scores (1171 average). Freshmen enrolling in the Honors College had average SAT scores of 1398. Members of the University's prestigious scholarship programs, Carolina Scholars for in-state students and McNair Scholars for out-of-state students, had average scores of 1449 and 1477, respectively. Total enrollment at Carolina for undergraduates and graduates is more than 27,300, with some 350 degree programs to choose from. Since 1994, Carolina students have earned more than $9.9 million in prestigious national scholarships such as the Goldwater, Truman, Rhodes, and NSF scholarships and the Fulbright Fellowships.

South Carolina's student body is diverse. In fact, Carolina was recently recognized as the state flagship university with the highest percentage of African-American student enrollment in the nation. Research by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education shows African-American students made up 14.7 percent of enrollment in 2004, the latest year available. The JBHE also ranks Carolina eighth in the nation in percentage of African-American faculty at a state flagship university with 4.3 percent.

The University's faculty garnered a record $173.3 million in federal, state, and private funding for research, outreach, and training programs in 2005-06, and several key hiring plans will introduce more talent and expertise to the faculty ranks. An aggressive campus building master plan and the faculty recruiting initiatives will change the collective face of the University and the faces of many of its key teachers and researchers.

South Carolina is recruiting world-class faculty to be endowed chairs-and change agents-for a series of "research centers of economic excellence" in areas such as nanoelectronics, polymer nanocomposites, brain imaging, regenerative medicine, cancer therapeutics, drug discovery, vision research, hydrogen fuel cells, and travel and tourism technology. These centers, some in collaboration with other state research universities and health and hospital systems, are funded with $30 million annually in state lottery money, as well as private matching money. Carolina is in the midst of a faculty recruitment plan to hire 600 new members. The Faculty Excellence Initiative is recruiting 150 faculty, many in interdisciplinary clusters of emphasis, while the Centenary Plan will recruit 100 elite research faculty to lead the University's core initiatives. Additionally, 350 faculty will be hired across disciplines to replace retirees over the next few years.

The University has forged a number of international collaborations in research, and the University's global connections are also strong in academics, particularly in international business. U.S. News & World Report has consistently ranked the Moore School of Business best in the nation for its undergraduate and graduate programs in international business; the undergraduate program is No. 1 for the 10th consecutive time, while the graduate program is No. 1 among public universities for the 18th consecutive year and No. 2 overall, continuing a streak of 18 years with a top-two overall ranking.