vCISO
Role summary
Seeking a part-time, contract vCISO / Virtual OT Security Advisor for a precision manufacturing environment. This remote role focuses on providing strategic, executive-level guidance for operational technology (OT) security governance, prioritization, and architectural guardrails. The advisor will help leadership understand where to start with OT security, minimizing risk to safety-critical and availability-driven manufacturing operations without disrupting production. Key responsibilities include establishing OT security governance, providing manufacturing-aware guidance, defining priorities, and engaging with IT, OT, and manufacturing leadership to translate risks into business terms.
Job Title
vCisco / Virtual OT Security Advisor (Manufacturing Focus)
Location
Remote
Engagement Type
Part‑time, contract
(approximately
160 hours total
, flexible scheduling)
Role Summary
We are seeking an experienced
vCisco / Virtual OT Security Advisor
for our client, to provide
strategic, executive‑level guidance
for a precision manufacturing environment supporting drivetrain and powertrain systems. This role will focus on
operational technology (OT) security governance, prioritization, and architectural guardrails
, helping the organization improve its security posture
without disrupting safety‑critical and availability‑driven manufacturing operations
.
This is a
guidance‑first role
— not tool‑centric and not day‑to‑day operational support — intended to help leadership answer
*“where do we start”*
with OT security while minimizing risk to production.
Key Objectives
- Establish clear
OT security governance and ownership
(IT vs OT alignment)
- Provide
practical, manufacturing‑aware security guidance
- Define
priorities and architectural guardrails
that protect production
- Reduce security risk without introducing operational instability
- Serve as a trusted advisor to technology and manufacturing leadership
Primary Responsibilities
Manufacturing & OT Advisory
- Provide security guidance tailored to
precision manufacturing environments
, including CNC machining, assembly cells, test stands, and industrial control systems.
- Understand and respect
OT realities
such as uptime requirements, safety concerns, legacy systems, and vendor‑controlled technologies.
- Advise on security improvements that
do not disrupt production
or introduce unnecessary operational risk.
OT Security Strategy & Governance
- Help define a
clear OT security governance model
, including ownership, accountability, and decision‑making authority.
- Establish
security principles and architectural guardrails
appropriate for OT environments.
- Provide a pragmatic roadmap to mature OT security in the absence of a formal framework.
Prioritization & Risk Guidance
- Assist leadership in identifying
high‑impact, low‑disruption security improvements
.
- Help prioritize initiatives based on
risk, feasibility, and operational impact
.
- Provide guidance on vendor concentration risk and third‑party dependencies.
Executive & Stakeholder Engagement
- Partner with IT, OT, security, and manufacturing leadership to align on approach.
- Translate OT security risk into
business and operational terms
.
- Support leadership decision‑making without driving tool‑centric solutions.
Current Environment Context
- Precision manufacturing environment supporting drivetrain and powertrain systems
- OT systems include CNC machining, assembly cells, test stands, and control systems
- No formal OT security framework currently in place
- Previous penetration testing completed with limited findings
- SOC and NOC services provided by third parties
- Vendor concentration risk identified
- OT security ownership currently unclear between IT and OT teams
Top Skills & Experience Required
Required
- Deep understanding of
manufacturing and OT realities
(availability, safety, legacy systems)
- Experience providing
executive‑level OT security guidance
- Strong background in
governance, prioritization, and security architecture
- Ability to guide organizations
*where to start*
with OT security rather than immediately deploying tools
- Strong communication skills with both technical and non‑technical stakeholders
Preferred
- Experience in precision or discrete manufacturing environments
- Familiarity with OT security standards (e.g., IEC 62443, NIST) applied
pragmatically
- Prior experience serving in a
vCISO, or senior advisory role
- Experience navigating IT/OT alignment challenges
What Success Looks Like
- Leadership has clarity on OT security ownership and governance
- A prioritized, realistic OT security roadmap exists
- Security improvements are implemented
without production disruption
- OT security risk is better understood and actively managed
- Manufacturing teams feel supported—not constrained—by security efforts
