Upwork Inc.’s (Nasdaq: UPWK) family of companies connects businesses with global, AI-enabled talent across every contingent work type including freelance, fractional, and payrolled. This portfolio includes the Upwork Marketplace, which connects businesses with on-demand access to highly skilled talent across the globe, and Lifted, which provides a purpose-built solution for enterprise organizations to source, contract, manage, and pay talent across the full spectrum of contingent work. From Fortune 100 enterprises to entrepreneurs, businesses rely on Upwork Inc. to find and hire expert talent, leverage AI-powered work solutions, and drive business transformation. With access to professionals spanning more than 10,000 skills across AI and machine learning, software development, sales and marketing, customer support, finance and accounting, and more, the Upwork family of companies enables businesses of all sizes to scale, innovate, and transform their workforces for the age of AI and beyond.

We are looking for a Senior Manager to lead and evolve our Cyber Fusion Center and Security Operations program. This is an opportunity to shape how security work gets done at Upwork by modernizing operations, scaling AI and automation, and building resilient, future-ready capabilities. In this role, you will not only lead day-to-day operations, but also drive systemic improvements that strengthen detection, response, and risk alignment across the business.

Since its founding, Upwork Inc. has facilitated more than $30 billion in total transactions and services as it fulfills its purpose to create opportunity in every era of work. Learn more about the Upwork Marketplace at Upwork.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X; and learn more about Lifted at Go-Lifted and follow on LinkedIn.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Cyber Fusion Center and Security Operations function, with responsibility for protecting Upwork’s people, data, platform, business operations, and customers from cyber threats

• Drive the strategy and roadmap for modern security operations, with a strong emphasis on AI, automation, orchestration, and scalable detection and response

• Identify opportunities to reduce manual effort and improve analyst effectiveness by applying emerging technologies, automation, and workflow optimization across the program

• Build systemic improvements across security operations processes, tooling, and capabilities rather than relying on one-off fixes

• Evolve the program to anticipate and respond to emerging threats, changes in attacker tradecraft, and shifts in business risk

• Ensure security operations priorities are aligned to the highest risks facing the company, using threat intelligence, business context, and risk signals to guide investments and operational focus

• Own and mature core security operations technologies and capabilities, including areas such as SIEM, SOAR, EDR, detection engineering, case management, and response workflows

• Lead the continued development of detection, investigation, threat hunting, and incident response capabilities across cloud, endpoint, identity, and application environments

What it takes to catch our eye

• Experience leading security operations or cyber defense programs with a focus on scaling systems, improving processes, and driving measurable risk reduction

• Strong understanding of modern security operations tooling and practices, including SIEM, SOAR, EDR, and detection engineering across cloud and distributed environments

• Demonstrated ability to apply AI and automation to improve security outcomes, including integrating AI into workflows, refining outputs, and scaling team effectiveness

• Ability to operate at both strategic and operational levels, aligning security investments to business risk while enabling teams to execute effectively

• A collaborative and growth-oriented approach, with a track record of developing teams, influencing stakeholders, and driving cross-functional outcomes

Come change how the world works.

At Upwork, you’ll shape the future of work for a global, remote-first workforce, creating economic opportunities for professionals worldwide. While we have a physical office in Palo Alto, we currently hire full-time employees in 21 U.S. states, making it easier than ever to join our mission from wherever you call home.

Our culture is built on trust, risk-taking, customer focus, and excellence, all in service of our core mission: to create economic opportunities so people have better lives. We embrace authenticity and inclusion, encouraging everyone to bring their whole selves to work. Personal and professional growth is a priority here, supported through development programs, mentorship, and our Upwork Belonging Communities.

We’re proud to offer benefits that go beyond the basics, including comprehensive medical coverage for you and your family, unlimited PTO, a 401(k) plan with matching, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Visit our Life at Upwork page to learn more about our values, working principles, and the overall employee experience.

Ready to help shape the future of work? Check out our Careers page and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X to learn more about life at Upwork.

Upwork is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or other legally protected characteristics under federal, state, or local law.

Please note that a criminal background check may be required once a conditional job offer is made. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered in accordance with applicable law, including the California Fair Chance Act and local Fair Chance ordinances. The Company is committed to conducting an individualized assessment and giving all individuals a fair opportunity to provide relevant information or context before making any final employment decision.

We use BrightHire, an AI-enabled tool, to record interviews and summarize interview transcripts. The tool allows the interviewer to focus on the discussion and does not score or evaluate candidates or make recommendations. The interview transcripts are reviewed, and decisions are only made by humans. Candidates who prefer not to have their interview recorded through BrightHire can opt out when the interview is scheduled.

To learn more about how Upwork processes and protects your personal information as part of the application process, please review our Global Job Applicant Privacy Notice.

The annual base salary range for this position  is displayed below. The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum salary for this position, and individual base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Additionally, this position is eligible for the annual bonus plan or sales incentive plan and eligibility to participate in our long term equity incentive program.

Annual Base Compensation

$163,500—$274,250 USD

To learn more about how Upwork processes and protects your personal information as part of the application process, please review our Global Job Applicant Privacy Notice