Director, IT Security

Forward Air • Coppell, TX

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Director, IT Security serves as a senior leader responsible for translating enterprise security strategy into effective, day‑to‑day execution across the organization. They own operational program management, technical security leadership, and cross‑functional security enablement. They ensure that security controls, tools, and processes are effectively implemented, monitored, and continuously improved across cloud, application, and enterprise environments. Acting as a hands‑on leader, they oversee incident response, vulnerability management, and security operations while mentoring technical security teams. They partner closely with IT, Engineering, Legal, and business leaders to embed security into technology and business initiatives.

Requirements

• Undergraduate degree in Information Security, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field from an accredited college or university.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in information security, including leadership of security operations or engineering teams.
• Proven experience translating security strategy into operational programs within complex, enterprise environments.
• Strong background in cloud security, application security, vulnerability management, and incident response.
• Experience partnering with senior technical and business stakeholders to influence security outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage vendors, and operate effectively during high‑impact security incidents.
• Demonstrated discretion and confidentiality in handling and protecting sensitive information.
• Proficient with common office technologies, including Windows PCs, Microsoft O365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and web conferencing (Teams, Zoom, Webex, etc.)

Nice To Haves

• Industry certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CRISC, CCSP, or similar strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day‑to‑day operational management of the information security function, including security teams, tools, vendors, and managed service providers.
• Translate the CISO’s strategic vision into actionable security programs, roadmaps, and operational workflows.
• Oversee cloud and application security programs, including CSPM, DevSecOps integration, and secure software development practices.
• Direct enterprise vulnerability management, remediation prioritization, and risk tracking across infrastructure and applications.
• Lead technical incident response efforts, including investigation, containment, remediation, and post‑incident reviews.
• Conduct ongoing risk assessments and partner with stakeholders to identify, document, and mitigate security risks.
• Manage security vendor relationships, contracts, and performance to ensure cost‑effective and high‑value outcomes.
• Oversee security awareness and training programs to promote a strong security culture across the organization.
• Mentor and develop security team members, fostering technical excellence, leadership growth, and career progression.
• Partner with IT, engineering, legal, and business leaders to conduct architecture reviews and ensure security is embedded into initiatives and solutions.
• Support compliance, governance, and audit activities by ensuring controls are effectively implemented and documented.
• Establish and monitor security metrics, reporting operational effectiveness and risk posture to leadership.
• Continuously evaluate emerging threats, technologies, and best practices to improve the organization’s security maturity.
• Contribute to the cross-functional development and evolution of the enterprise business continuity planning and disaster recovery efforts.
• Serve as the acting security executive in the absence of the CISO, providing continuity of leadership and decision‑making.
• All other duties as assigned to meet evolving business needs.

What This Job Offers

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