Position Overview
The Corporate Security Manager is responsible for architecting, implementing, and governing enterprise-wide physical security programs across aerospace manufacturing, R&D, test, and corporate facilities. This role places strong emphasis on facility protection, ingress and egress controls, and intellectual property (IP) safeguarding within export-controlled and program-restricted environments.
The position ensures the safety and security of employees, visitors, flight hardware, prototypes, tooling, and controlled programs by integrating physical security operations with EH&S, Legal, Compliance, IT Security, Facilities, and Program Leadership. The Corporate Security Manager must balance life safety, regulatory compliance, operational continuity, and high-value IP protection within a fast-paced aerospace manufacturing environment.
Key Responsibilities
Enterprise Physical Security Management
- Design, implement, and maintain comprehensive physical security programs across manufacturing, R&D, integration, test, and corporate facilities.
- Conduct recurring risk assessments, threat analyses, and vulnerability audits, with focus on restricted manufacturing areas, program-controlled spaces, and IP-dense environments.
- Oversee security infrastructure including CCTV, electronic access control systems, intrusion detection, alarms, perimeter security, lighting, and monitoring platforms.
- Establish and enforce enterprise security standards, policies, and procedures aligned with aerospace regulatory, contractual, and customer requirements.
Ingress and Egress Control Governance
- Architect and manage secure ingress and egress processes controlling movement of employees, contractors, visitors, customers, and vendors.
- Administer enterprise access control programs including badging, biometrics, key control, escorting procedures, and visitor management systems.
- Define zoning strategies, tiered access levels, and program-specific restrictions for sensitive manufacturing, R&D, and test environments.
- Partner with Facilities, IT, HR, and Program Management to ensure access provisioning and deprovisioning align with onboarding, transfers, program assignments, and terminations.
- Lead emergency evacuation and shelter-in-place planning, ensuring life safety measures do not compromise controlled or classified assets.
Intellectual Property (IP) Protection
- Implement physical safeguards protecting export-controlled technologies, proprietary designs, trade secrets, prototypes, tooling, and flight hardware.
- Establish secure handling, storage, transport, and destruction protocols for sensitive materials and physical media.
- Coordinate with Legal, Compliance, IT Security, and Program Leadership to ensure physical controls align with ITAR/EAR and contractual obligations.
- Monitor, investigate, and remediate suspected IP compromise or unauthorized physical access incidents.
- Support internal and external audits related to controlled areas, asset accountability, and IP protection frameworks.
Incident Response and Investigations
- Lead security incident response for events impacting personnel safety, restricted facilities, export-controlled programs, prototypes, and hardware in coordination with EH&S leadership.
- Operate within a joint Security-EH&S incident command structure prioritizing life safety, IP containment, regulatory compliance, and program continuity.
- Conduct investigations related to unauthorized access, IP compromise, injuries within secure areas, or environmental incidents impacting restricted spaces.
- Integrate EH&S root cause analysis methodologies with security investigations to address systemic breakdowns in both life safety and physical controls.
- Ensure evidence preservation, chain of custody, and documentation meet regulatory, contractual, and customer standards.
- Lead containment actions including access lockdowns, badge audits, material accountability checks, and secure storage verification.
- Co-author corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) addressing facility hardening, zoning improvements, access control enhancements, and secure material handling processes.
- Plan and execute joint drills and tabletop exercises addressing aerospace-specific threat scenarios.
Vendor and Stakeholder Management
- Manage third-party security providers, guard services, and security technology vendors.
- Establish performance standards, KPIs, service level agreements, and cost controls.
- Serve as primary liaison to EH&S, Facilities, HR, Legal, IT, Engineering, Program Management, and executive leadership on physical security matters.
Training and Security Culture
- Develop and deliver security and IP protection training for employees, contractors, and visitors.
- Promote a culture of shared accountability for security, compliance, and asset protection.
- Advise leadership on emerging threats, insider risk trends, and evolving physical security best practices impacting aerospace operations.
Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Security Management, Criminal Justice, Risk Management, Engineering, or related field; or equivalent professional experience.
- Military or government physical security credentials acceptable in lieu of formal education.
Experience
- 7+ years of progressive experience in enterprise physical security, preferably within aerospace, defense, or advanced manufacturing environments.
- Demonstrated experience securing IP-dense, export-controlled, or restricted manufacturing facilities.
- Strong operational knowledge of electronic access control systems, CCTV platforms, investigations, and incident command frameworks.
- Proven track record leading cross-functional investigations and managing high-impact security incidents.
Preferred Qualifications
- CPP (Certified Protection Professional), PSP (Physical Security Professional), or equivalent certification.
- Direct experience supporting ITAR/EAR or classified programs.
- Familiarity with EH&S management systems, CAPA methodologies, and regulatory audit processes.
- Experience operating in multi-site or program-centric aerospace organizations.
Soft Skills
- Executive-level communication and stakeholder management capability.
- High integrity and discretion handling sensitive and export-controlled information.
- Analytical and risk-based decision-making approach.
- Strong crisis leadership and structured incident management capability.
- Ability to influence cross-functional teams in high-consequence environments.
Technology Stack
- Enterprise Access Control Systems (e.g., badge systems, biometric platforms)
- CCTV and video management systems
- Incident reporting and investigation platforms
- Visitor management systems
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Security analytics and monitoring tools
Physical Requirements
- Ability to walk manufacturing floors, R&D labs, and test facilities regularly.
- Ability to respond onsite to incidents during non-standard hours as required.
- Capability to participate in emergency drills and facility assessments.