Director, Cyber Security

Langara College • Redmond, WA

5d • CA$63 - CA$96 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Cyber Security provides strategic leadership, institutional governance, and enterprise oversight for all aspects of Cyber & Information Security, including strategy, policy formation and implementation as well as oversight of the development, implementation, delivery and support of an enterprise information security strategy aligned with institutional risk tolerance, College priorities, and provincial/regulatory standards. The Director balances security requirements with institutional drivers such as academic agility, digital transformation, and administrative efficiency. The Director applies the highest level of leadership skills; makes critical decisions related to organizational success; manages and leads those responsible for operational and tactical implementation of Cyber & Information Security; and provides vision and inspires the organization. The incumbent will interact and liaise with all levels of the College including but not limited to the Board of Directors, the Senior Leadership team, administrators of the College, bargaining unit members, external audit and compliance bodies, and as necessary, Law Enforcement agencies.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in any discipline.
• Undergraduate degree in computing science or business-related discipline.
• Professional credentials related to information security such as Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), etc.
• Minimum of ten years of progressive technology experience, including at least five years in a cybersecurity capacity.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Comprehensive expertise in security management frameworks such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF) 2.0.
• Excellent business, negotiating, organizational, leadership, managerial, and planning skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills that are necessary to establish and sustain relationships and rapport.
• Good organizational skills and a high degree of self-motivation and business acumen.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative, work with limited direction, and tolerate constant uncertainty.
• Demonstrated understanding and knowledge of current cyber security information technology trends, issues, and mitigation strategies.
• Ability to communicate complex ideas and technology in a form consumable by non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to communicate and explain complex ideas to technical and non-technical audiences at all levels in a persuasive and convincing manner.
• Ability to leverage broad and deep academic and business knowledge, including the activities and practices of other organizations.
• Ability to work in partnership with the College’s Risk Management department to assess the risks of using or not using specific cyber security practices and technologies.
• Ability to understand and assess the impact of current and changing legislation to actively promote compliance.
• Ability to translate current and evolving cyber security defenses so that the organization develops and mobilizes the full range of required digital skills and capabilities to ensure best practice IT cyber security environments.

Nice To Haves

• Solution orientation – Makes timely decisions and advances solutions that are in the best interest of the College and our students.
• Accountability – Fosters and demonstrates a culture of accountability and ownership.
• Relationship intelligence – Demonstrates emotional maturity and operates respectfully in all situations and dynamics.
• Conflict resolution – Acts with courage to take on the tough issues and conversations.
• Mobilization of people – Empowers others to be engaged, motivated and resilient through change.
• Vision and strategic thinking – Energizes people around the vision and supports team alignment with the strategic plan.
• Continuous learning – Cultivates a growth mindset and provides opportunities for development.
• Communication – Uses personal interaction, transparency, and language to effectively build trust and commitment.

Responsibilities

• Directs the development, implementation, delivery and continuous improvement of enterprise information cyber security policies, strategies, and architecture; and aligning them to the strategic requirements of the College.
• Aligns the institution’s cybersecurity strategy and policy environment with provincial and federal legislative requirements.
• Leads an enterprise cyber risk management program in partnership with Enterprise Risk Management and Legal counsel to systematically identify, evaluate, and mitigate risks across academic, research, and administrative domains - including ownership of a cyber specific risk register for the College.
• Establishes key security performance indicators and delivers regular, executive-level metrics and risk reports to the CIO, and Senior Leadership Team and Board of Governors (as required).
• Addresses senior leadership on the cybersecurity and risk implications of emerging technologies and cloud initiatives.
• Directs the creation and institution-wide rollout of Security awareness campaigns, education, and training programs to foster a campus culture of shared responsibility.
• Develops and maintains policies, procedures and guidelines for how the organization conducts digital forensic investigations. Leads and manages complex investigations managing internal resources and external and/or contracted specialists, if required.
• Leads the enterprise Incident Management program and activates/directs the institution-wide Cybersecurity Incident Response Team during large-scale breaches or privacy incidents.
• Oversees continuous threat and vulnerability management, penetration testing, and security assessments across all applications and technical infrastructure.
• Ensures cybersecurity incidents are managed according to established procedures, drives investigation, resolution and recovery, conducts root-cause analysis to prevent recurrence and improve services, ensures proper documentation and closure, and reports on incident management performance.
• Acts as the official point-of-contact for working with law enforcement and other official agencies as required to ensure security incidents are managed appropriately to ensure chain-of-custody and supporting documentation are maintained.
• Formulates annual operating and capital budget plans for the cyber portfolio, managing expenses and authorizing expenditures in alignment with the institutional financial strategy.
• Provides strategic leadership, direct management oversight, coaching, and performance evaluation for direct reports, and matrixed supervision of other IT specialists involved in the design and implementation of IT services and assets to ensure robust and complete compliance with modern cyber security postures and standards.
• Implements resource plans, including recruitment, selection, onboarding, internal allocation, performance reviews, transitions, and development, while providing operational leadership and guidance to direct reports and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and best practices.
• Assesses suppliers' and other third party’s overall security posture and practices to ensure appropriate compliance with the IT cyber security standards and policies of the College. Manages client relationships with respect to all IT cyber security matters.
• In consultation with the CIO and the rest of the Information Technology Department Management team, makes critical decisions regarding the technology directions and subsequent acquisitions and/or implementations for the College.
• Participates as a leadership team member in different committees.
• Collaborates actively within the British Columbia post-secondary sector to share threat intelligence, advance cybersecurity practices, and strengthen collective sector resilience.
• Advances the knowledge and/or exploitation of cyber & information security within the College by forming strong relationships with academic and administrative leaders.
• Becomes familiar with the Senior Leadership Team’s objectives and strategies; and meets with them to provide guidance and portfolio specific information to keep the Senior Leadership Team informed and aware of cyber security best practices, risks, mitigation strategies, and opportunities.
• Develops long-term strategic relationships with customers, partners, industry leaders and government.
• Other duties/responsibilities as assigned.

Benefits

• Extensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Hybrid-work program for eligible positions
• Generous vacation package plus paid time off during college winter closure (1 week in December)
• Employer paid defined benefit pension plan
• Potential eligibility for educational, training, and developmental programs
• Access to on-site daycare subject to availability
• Tuition waivers for courses at Langara College, subject to space availability
• Course/program tuition reimbursements

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director