Head of Detection and Response

• Form and set up Plaid's Detection and Response team from scratch, defining its culture and operational standards.

• Lead the day-to-day operations for incident response and evaluate the overall effectiveness of the detection and response program.

• Manage and mentor a technical team responsible for detection infrastructure, AI-driven triage, and investigation tooling.

• Oversee Fraud Operations and Red Team activities to ensure a proactive and comprehensive security posture.

• Partner with senior leadership (CISO, CTO, COO) to communicate security risks and maturity gains achieved through influence and cross-functional collaboration.

• Define and track metrics to evaluate and demonstrate the effectiveness of the D&R program

• Must haves:
• 8-14 years of overall detection and response or security engineering experience.

• Strong technical background in security or detection engineering, with the ability to guide work on SIEMs, EDR, and SOC operations.

• Experience managing a team of security analysts and engineers in an operational, platform, or infrastructure context.

• Ability to build cross-functional relationships and drive security maturity through influence rather than authority.

• High-empathy communication skills with the ability to represent technical work to Staff-level leadership.

• Strong AI-first skillset applicable to security operations.

• Nice to have:
• Experience at a fintech or high-technology organization adjacent to payments/finance.

• Background in fraud investigation or software engineering.

Our mission at Plaid is to unlock financial freedom for everyone. To support that mission, we seek to build a diverse team of driven individuals who care deeply about making the financial ecosystem more equitable. We recognize that strong qualifications can come from both prior work experiences and lived experiences. We encourage you to apply to a role even if your experience doesn't fully match the job description. We are always looking for team members that will bring something unique to Plaid!

Plaid is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion or religious belief, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, military or veteran status, disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Plaid is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance with your application or interviews due to a disability, please let us know at accommodations@plaid.com.

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Additional compensation in the form(s) of equity and/or commission are dependent on the position offered. Plaid provides a comprehensive benefit plan, including medical, dental, vision, and 401(k). Pay is based on factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience and skillset, and location. Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation or benefit plans.