Director of Threat Detection Operations

The pay range is $168,000.00 - $303,000.00

Pay is based on several factors which vary based on position. These include labor markets and in some instances may include education, work experience and certifications. In addition to your pay, Target cares about and invests in you as a team member, so that you can take care of yourself and your family. Target offers eligible team members and their dependents comprehensive health benefits and programs, which may include medical, vision, dental, life insurance and more, to help you and your family take care of your whole selves. Other benefits for eligible team members include 401(k), employee discount, short term disability, long term disability, paid sick leave, paid national holidays, and paid vacation. Find competitive benefits from financial and education to well-being and beyond at https://corporate.target.com/careers/benefits.

About Us

Target is an iconic brand, a Fortune 50 company, and one of America’s leading retailers.

Target as a tech company? Absolutely. We’re the behind-the-scenes powerhouse that fuels Target’s passion and commitment to cutting-edge innovation. We anchor every facet of one of the world’s best-loved retailers with a strong technology framework that relies on the latest tools and technologies—and the brightest people—to deliver incredible value to guests online and in stores. Target Technology Services is on a mission to offer the systems, tools and support that guests and team members need and deserve. We drive industry-leading technologies in support of every angle of the business, and help ensure that Target operates smoothly, securely and reliably from the inside out. Our high-performing teams balance independence with collaboration, and we pride ourselves on being versatile, agile and creative. Use your skills, experience, and talents as a member of a world-class cyber security team!

About the Role

As the Director Engineering – Threat Detection Operations, you will lead the vision, strategy, and execution of Target’s enterprise threat detection capabilities. This role is accountable for overseeing the people, technologies, and processes responsible for identifying, analyzing, and escalating cybersecurity threats across Target’s environment.

You will drive the evolution of detection engineering to ensure timely, high-confidence identification of malicious activity. This includes advancing detection coverage, improving signal-to-noise ratio, operationalizing threat intelligence, and enabling rapid investigation and response in partnership with our CSIRT team.

The Director Engineering – Threat Detection Operations is responsible for measuring operational standards, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and ensuring detection capabilities are prioritized appropriately according to enterprise risk. This leader will collaborate closely with Threat Intelligence, Security Engineering, CSIRT, and broader Target Tech teams to strengthen visibility, automate workflows, and enhance Target’s overall defensive posture.

You will:

• Lead and evolve enterprise-wide threat detection capabilities to ensure timely identification of malicious activity across on-prem, hybrid, and cloud environments.
• Lead the Threat Detection Operations function, including the design, development, and continuous improvement of enterprise detection capabilities, while overseeing security logging coverage and data pipeline integrity to ensure reliable and comprehensive threat visibility.
• Drive the development, tuning, and lifecycle management of detection use cases aligned to enterprise risk priorities and emerging threat trends.
• Partner closely with Incident Response, Threat Intelligence, Security Engineering, and Technology teams to operationalize intelligence, enhance visibility, and improve detection capabilities.
• Establish operational metrics and performance standards that measure detection coverage and program maturity.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and collaboration.
• Champion automation, orchestration, and continuous improvement to scale operations and increase engineer efficiency.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to cybersecurity and technology leadership on detection strategy, threat trends, and defensive readiness.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute long-term strategy for the Threat Detection Operations program, aligning detection capabilities to evolving threat landscapes and enterprise risk priorities.
• Drive the development and lifecycle management of detection use cases, including standards for logging, data onboarding, and quality controls to support effective detection outcomes.
• Identify and address enterprise-wide detection gaps, improving visibility across cloud, on-prem, and hybrid environments.
• Build strong stakeholder relationships across the enterprise and influence product and technology roadmaps to enhance security posture.
• Drive cross-functional initiatives and collaborate with other cybersecurity, engineering, and business teams.
• Provide coaching, performance management, and career development for a team of analysts.
• Effectively communicate technical issues, risks, and strategies to both technical and non-technical audiences, including senior leadership.
• Stay current on emerging threats, technologies, and best practices to continuously enhance program capabilities.

About You

• 8+ years of cybersecurity experience, with demonstrated expertise in threat detection, security monitoring, incident response, or cyber defense operations.
• Proven leadership experience building, scaling, and developing high-performing cybersecurity teams or functions.
• Hands-on knowledge of SIEM, SOAR, EDR/XDR, cloud-native detection capabilities, and telemetry pipelines across hybrid environments.
• Strong problem-solving skills with ability to resolve complex technical issues with minimal assistance.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong cross-functional partnerships and influence enterprise strategy.
• Adept at communicating technical issues in training, mentorship, and executive settings.
• Experience establishing metrics, SLAs, and performance indicators to measure detection coverage and program maturity
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with ability to present complex security concepts clearly to varied audiences.
• Self-directed learner who stays current with evolving cybersecurity trends and threats.

Work Arrangement: 

This position will operate as a Hybrid/Flex for Your Day work arrangement based on Target’s needs. A Hybrid/Flex for Your Day work arrangement means the team member’s core role will need to be performed both onsite at the Target HQ MN location the role is assigned to and virtually, depending upon what your role, team and tasks require for that day. Work duties cannot be performed outside of the country of the primary work location, unless otherwise prescribed by Target. Click here if you are curious to learn more about Minnesota.

Benefits Eligibility

Please paste this url into your preferred browser to learn about benefits eligibility for this role: https://tgt.biz/BenefitsForYou_F

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

In compliance with state and federal laws, Target will make reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please reach out to [email protected]. Non-accommodation-related requests, such as application follow-ups or technical issues, will not be addressed through this channel.