Head of Detection and Response

Plaid

Leading the formation of the Detection and Response team at Plaid to protect financial infrastructure. Overseeing security operations and collaborating with senior leadership for risk management.

Posted 7/31/2026full-timeSeattle • Washington • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $216,000 - $329,400 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates extensive experience in leading detection and response operations, managing technical teams, and implementing security measures. Proficient in building cross-functional relationships and effectively communicating security risks to senior leadership.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Detection And Response ManagementSecurity EngineeringTeam LeadershipAI-Driven Security OperationsCross-Functional Collaboration

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Incident ResponseSIEMEDRSOC OperationsFraud InvestigationSecurity Metrics TrackingDetection InfrastructureTechnical MentorshipOperational StandardsSecurity Posture Evaluation

Soft Skills

High-Empathy CommunicationInfluence Without AuthorityRelationship Building

Industry Keywords

FintechHigh-TechnologyPaymentsFinance

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

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.

Requirements

What you’ll need

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.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Additional compensation in the form(s) of equity and/or commission are dependent on the position offered.
Comprehensive benefit plan.
Medical insurance.
Dental insurance.
Vision insurance.
401(k).