Center Director Jobs in Iowa
Center Director jobs in Iowa draw consistent demand across early childhood education, community health, workforce development, and nonprofit services, with openings at every level from first-time directors to senior regional administrators. Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City generate the highest volume of postings, anchored by employers like United Way of Central Iowa, UnityPoint Health, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The most in-demand specialties are early childhood program leadership, community health center administration, and workforce training center management. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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We’re building a world of health around every individual — shaping a more connected, convenient and compassionate health experience. At CVS Health®, you’ll be surrounded by passionate colleagues who care deeply, innovate with purpose, hold ourselves accountable and prioritize safety and quality in everything we do. Join us and be part of something bigger – helping to simplify health care one person, one family and one community at a time.
Position Summary
The Lead Director - Security Operations Center (SOC) is responsible for leading the cybersecurity operations function for a rapidly evolving healthcare business, ensuring the organization can effectively detect, investigate, respond to, and recover from cybersecurity threats. By establishing strong operational processes, actionable threat intelligence, and effective response capabilities, the position helps protect critical business operations, sensitive data, and customer trust.
As the leader of the SOC function, this role is accountable for building and maturing security operations capabilities that balance security, scalability, and business agility. The Lead Director partners closely with infrastructure, cloud, identity, engineering, and business leaders to strengthen cyber resilience and prepare the organization for emerging threats. Through strong leadership, operational discipline, and continuous improvement, this position helps ensure cybersecurity remains an enabler of growth while reducing risk in a highly regulated environment.
Key Responsibilities:
Security Operations Leadership
- Lead the strategy, execution, and continuous improvement of the Security Operations Center, including threat monitoring, detection, investigation, response, and threat hunting activities.
- Establish operational processes, service levels, metrics, and reporting to measure effectiveness and support informed decision-making.
- Build and mature SOC capabilities that align security operations to business priorities, risk tolerance, and growth objectives.
- Ensure operational readiness, escalation procedures, and effective coordination during cybersecurity events and incidents.
Threat Detection & Incident Response
- Serve as the primary escalation point for significant cyber incidents and coordinate response efforts across technical and business stakeholders.
- Drive improvements in detection engineering, investigation processes, and response workflows to reduce risk and improve response times.
- Leverage automation, analytics, and AI-enabled capabilities to improve operational efficiency and strengthen cyber defense outcomes.
Cybersecurity Strategy & Resilience
- Develop and maintain security operations standards, processes, and controls aligned with regulatory requirements and industry best practices.
- Lead initiatives that strengthen cyber resilience, incident preparedness, ransomware response readiness, and recovery capabilities.
- Provide leadership with visibility into threat activity, operational performance, emerging risks, and strategic recommendations.
- Support regulatory, audit, and risk management activities related to cybersecurity operations.
Cloud, Identity & Platform Security
- Lead security operations across cloud, endpoint, identity, and network environments.
- Drive the effective use and continuous optimization of security technologies supporting monitoring, detection, investigation, and response functions.
- Partner with cloud, infrastructure, identity, and engineering teams to improve security visibility, response capabilities, and overall security posture.
- Ensure appropriate monitoring and threat detection coverage across critical systems, applications, and business services.
Leadership & Talent Development
- Build, develop, and lead a high-performing team of security operations professionals.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning.
- Provide mentorship, coaching, and career development opportunities to strengthen team capability and succession depth.
- Align team priorities and resources to evolving business needs, threat landscapes, and organizational objectives.
Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency through process optimization, automation, and standardization.
- Establish meaningful metrics and reporting that demonstrate operational performance, effectiveness, and risk reduction.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance the maturity, scalability, and effectiveness of security operations capabilities.
- Collaborate with stakeholders across technology and business functions to ensure security operations remains aligned with organizational priorities.
Required Qualifications
- 10+ years of progressive cybersecurity experience within medium-large scale environments.
- 5+ years leading Security Operations Center (SOC), Incident Response, Cyber Defense, or Threat Detection teams.
- 5+ years of Sexperience operating and optimizing enterprise security platforms, including SIEM, EDR/XDR, SOAR, and security automation technologies such as Microsoft Sentinel, CrowdStrike Falcon, and Wirespeed.
- 3+ years of demonstrated experience building, managing, and maturing security operations capabilities, including security monitoring, threat hunting, incident response, digital forensics, and security investigations.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting cloud-native and hybrid security operations across Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Amazon Web Services (AWS).
- Hands-on experience with Microsoft Security technologies, including Sentinel, Defender XDR, Defender for Cloud, and Entra ID, as well as Google Security Command Center.
- Experience implementing security automation, orchestration, AI-enabled security operations, or operational workflow optimization within a SOC environment.
- Strong knowledge of Zero Trust architecture, identity security, vulnerability management, cyber resilience, and ransomware response preparedness.
- Proven ability to lead teams, establish operational metrics, and communicate cybersecurity risks, incident impacts, and program performance to senior leadership.
- Industry certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CCSP, GIAC certifications, Microsoft Security certifications (SC-100, SC-200), Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer, or CrowdStrike Falcon Certification
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience.
Pay Range
The typical pay range for this role is:
$144,200.00 - $288,400.00
This pay range represents the base hourly rate or base annual full-time salary for all positions in the job grade within which this position falls. The actual base salary offer will depend on a variety of factors including experience, education, geography and other relevant factors. This position is eligible for a CVS Health bonus, commission or short-term incentive program in addition to the base pay range listed above. This position also includes an award target in the company’s equity award program.
Our people fuel our future. Our teams reflect the customers, patients, members and communities we serve and we are committed to fostering a workplace where every colleague feels valued and that they belong.
Great benefits for great people
We take pride in offering a comprehensive and competitive mix of pay and benefits that reflects our commitment to our colleagues and their families.
This full‑time position is eligible for a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the physical, emotional, and financial well‑being of colleagues and their families. The benefits for this position include medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, retirement savings options, wellness programs, and other resources, based on eligibility.
Additional details about available benefits are provided during the application process and on Benefits Moments.
We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on: 09/30/2026
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state and local laws.
We’re building a world of health around every individual — shaping a more connected, convenient and compassionate health experience. At CVS Health®, you’ll be surrounded by passionate colleagues who care deeply, innovate with purpose, hold ourselves accountable and prioritize safety and quality in everything we do. Join us and be part of something bigger – helping to simplify health care one person, one family and one community at a time.
Position Summary
The Lead Director - Security Operations Center (SOC) is responsible for leading the cybersecurity operations function for a rapidly evolving healthcare business, ensuring the organization can effectively detect, investigate, respond to, and recover from cybersecurity threats. By establishing strong operational processes, actionable threat intelligence, and effective response capabilities, the position helps protect critical business operations, sensitive data, and customer trust.
As the leader of the SOC function, this role is accountable for building and maturing security operations capabilities that balance security, scalability, and business agility. The Lead Director partners closely with infrastructure, cloud, identity, engineering, and business leaders to strengthen cyber resilience and prepare the organization for emerging threats. Through strong leadership, operational discipline, and continuous improvement, this position helps ensure cybersecurity remains an enabler of growth while reducing risk in a highly regulated environment.
Key Responsibilities:
Security Operations Leadership
- Lead the strategy, execution, and continuous improvement of the Security Operations Center, including threat monitoring, detection, investigation, response, and threat hunting activities.
- Establish operational processes, service levels, metrics, and reporting to measure effectiveness and support informed decision-making.
- Build and mature SOC capabilities that align security operations to business priorities, risk tolerance, and growth objectives.
- Ensure operational readiness, escalation procedures, and effective coordination during cybersecurity events and incidents.
Threat Detection & Incident Response
- Serve as the primary escalation point for significant cyber incidents and coordinate response efforts across technical and business stakeholders.
- Drive improvements in detection engineering, investigation processes, and response workflows to reduce risk and improve response times.
- Leverage automation, analytics, and AI-enabled capabilities to improve operational efficiency and strengthen cyber defense outcomes.
Cybersecurity Strategy & Resilience
- Develop and maintain security operations standards, processes, and controls aligned with regulatory requirements and industry best practices.
- Lead initiatives that strengthen cyber resilience, incident preparedness, ransomware response readiness, and recovery capabilities.
- Provide leadership with visibility into threat activity, operational performance, emerging risks, and strategic recommendations.
- Support regulatory, audit, and risk management activities related to cybersecurity operations.
Cloud, Identity & Platform Security
- Lead security operations across cloud, endpoint, identity, and network environments.
- Drive the effective use and continuous optimization of security technologies supporting monitoring, detection, investigation, and response functions.
- Partner with cloud, infrastructure, identity, and engineering teams to improve security visibility, response capabilities, and overall security posture.
- Ensure appropriate monitoring and threat detection coverage across critical systems, applications, and business services.
Leadership & Talent Development
- Build, develop, and lead a high-performing team of security operations professionals.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning.
- Provide mentorship, coaching, and career development opportunities to strengthen team capability and succession depth.
- Align team priorities and resources to evolving business needs, threat landscapes, and organizational objectives.
Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency through process optimization, automation, and standardization.
- Establish meaningful metrics and reporting that demonstrate operational performance, effectiveness, and risk reduction.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance the maturity, scalability, and effectiveness of security operations capabilities.
- Collaborate with stakeholders across technology and business functions to ensure security operations remains aligned with organizational priorities.
Required Qualifications
- 10+ years of progressive cybersecurity experience within medium-large scale environments.
- 5+ years leading Security Operations Center (SOC), Incident Response, Cyber Defense, or Threat Detection teams.
- 5+ years of Sexperience operating and optimizing enterprise security platforms, including SIEM, EDR/XDR, SOAR, and security automation technologies such as Microsoft Sentinel, CrowdStrike Falcon, and Wirespeed.
- 3+ years of demonstrated experience building, managing, and maturing security operations capabilities, including security monitoring, threat hunting, incident response, digital forensics, and security investigations.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting cloud-native and hybrid security operations across Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Amazon Web Services (AWS).
- Hands-on experience with Microsoft Security technologies, including Sentinel, Defender XDR, Defender for Cloud, and Entra ID, as well as Google Security Command Center.
- Experience implementing security automation, orchestration, AI-enabled security operations, or operational workflow optimization within a SOC environment.
- Strong knowledge of Zero Trust architecture, identity security, vulnerability management, cyber resilience, and ransomware response preparedness.
- Proven ability to lead teams, establish operational metrics, and communicate cybersecurity risks, incident impacts, and program performance to senior leadership.
- Industry certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CCSP, GIAC certifications, Microsoft Security certifications (SC-100, SC-200), Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer, or CrowdStrike Falcon Certification
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience.
Pay Range
The typical pay range for this role is:
$144,200.00 - $288,400.00
This pay range represents the base hourly rate or base annual full-time salary for all positions in the job grade within which this position falls. The actual base salary offer will depend on a variety of factors including experience, education, geography and other relevant factors. This position is eligible for a CVS Health bonus, commission or short-term incentive program in addition to the base pay range listed above. This position also includes an award target in the company’s equity award program.
Our people fuel our future. Our teams reflect the customers, patients, members and communities we serve and we are committed to fostering a workplace where every colleague feels valued and that they belong.
Great benefits for great people
We take pride in offering a comprehensive and competitive mix of pay and benefits that reflects our commitment to our colleagues and their families.
This full‑time position is eligible for a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the physical, emotional, and financial well‑being of colleagues and their families. The benefits for this position include medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, retirement savings options, wellness programs, and other resources, based on eligibility.
Additional details about available benefits are provided during the application process and on Benefits Moments.
We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on: 09/30/2026
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state and local laws.
See All 12 Center Director Jobs in Iowa
Find roles in Iowa that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Center Director JobsCenter Director Jobs by City in Iowa
Where Iowa roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Center Director Job Market in Iowa
A snapshot from current Iowa openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
What Iowa Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in center director jobs across Iowa.
- Active Iowa child care program director credential or equivalent state-recognized qualification
- Bachelor's or master's degree in education, public health, social work, or related field
- Minimum of three to five years of program management or supervisory experience
- Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, grants, and compliance reporting
- Experience with licensing requirements set by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
- Strong communication and community partnership skills relevant to Iowa service populations
Center Director Jobs in Iowa: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a center director in Iowa?
Most center director roles in Iowa require at minimum a bachelor's degree in education, public health, social work, or a closely related field, combined with several years of supervisory experience. For early childhood centers, Iowa requires directors to meet credentialing standards set by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, including the Iowa Child Care Director Credential. Healthcare and workforce center directors typically need field-specific licensure or certification recognized by the relevant Iowa regulatory body.
Which companies hire center directors in Iowa?
Companies currently hiring center directors in Iowa include Target, CVS Health, and Ryder System, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Iowa's mix of nonprofit organizations, university extension programs, and regional health systems means center director openings appear across a wide range of sectors statewide.
Which Iowa cities have the most center director jobs?
Des Moines, Iowa City, and Iowa account for the greatest concentration of center director openings in Iowa. Des Moines leads as the state's largest metro with a dense cluster of nonprofit headquarters, health systems, and government agencies, while Cedar Rapids and Iowa City support strong demand through manufacturing-linked workforce programs, university institutions, and regional health networks.
Are there remote center director jobs in Iowa?
Yes, but they're rare. Center director roles are largely on-site by nature, requiring day-to-day oversight of staff, facilities, and in-person programming. About 29% of center director openings tied to Iowa are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, with remote arrangements most common in statewide workforce development, grant administration, or policy-focused director positions that do not require a physical facility.
How can I get hired as a center director in Iowa with little or no experience?
The most realistic path is moving into a center director role from a lead teacher, program coordinator, or case manager position within the same organization. Large Iowa employers like United Way affiliates, Area Education Agencies, and Iowa's Community Action agencies regularly promote from within and sometimes run formal leadership development programs. Earning the Iowa Child Care Director Credential ahead of applying signals readiness for early childhood roles, even without prior director-level experience.
Where can I find and apply to center director jobs in Iowa?
You can find and apply to center director jobs in Iowa on Migrate Mate, which lists current Iowa openings across early childhood education, community health, nonprofit services, and workforce development. Find roles that fit your background and apply directly to the employers posting them.
See All 12 Center Director Jobs in Iowa
Find roles in Iowa that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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