Director of Security

Cb•Palm Beach Gardens, FL

About The Position

The Director of Security is responsible for developing and executing AMPERA's enterprise security strategy, with primary emphasis on protecting the company's intellectual property, proprietary technology, sensitive business information, personnel, facilities, and physical assets. This role establishes a practical, risk-based security program that safeguards AMPERA's competitive advantage while enabling rapid research, engineering, prototype development, manufacturing, and commercialization. As the company progresses toward licensed nuclear operations, the Director of Security will expand the program to incorporate applicable regulatory security and physical protection requirements, ensuring compliance without imposing unnecessary operational burden. The Director of Security applies security controls that are commensurate with risk, recognizing that overly burdensome requirements can hinder innovation as effectively as inadequate security can expose the company to unacceptable risk.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in engineering, information security, criminal justice, cybersecurity, business, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
10+ years of experience developing enterprise security programs for technology, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, defense, energy, semiconductor, or other IP-intensive organizations.
Demonstrated experience developing security programs that protect intellectual property, proprietary information, and business-critical assets.
Experience balancing security requirements with business objectives through practical, risk-based decision making.
Strong understanding of physical security, information protection, access control, personnel security, and incident response.
Experience working collaboratively across engineering, operations, information technology, and executive leadership.
Excellent judgment, communication, and leadership skills with the ability to influence without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.

Nice To Haves

Working knowledge of NRC security requirements, including 10 CFR Part 73, Safeguards Information, access authorization, and physical protection planning.
Experience in nuclear energy, advanced reactors, fuel cycle, national laboratories, defense, aerospace, semiconductor, or other high-technology industries.
Familiarity with cyber-physical systems, industrial control systems, cloud security, and protection of engineering and design information.
Experience building or scaling a security program within a rapidly growing technology company.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement an enterprise security strategy that protects AMPERA's intellectual property, proprietary technology, trade secrets, sensitive business information, personnel, facilities, and critical assets.
Establish practical policies for identifying, handling, storing, transmitting, and disposing of confidential and business-sensitive information throughout the organization.
Develop a risk-based physical security program for offices, laboratories, prototype facilities, manufacturing areas, testing environments, and future regulated facilities, ensuring security measures remain appropriate to operational risk.
Partner with engineering, software, IT, operations, legal, and executive leadership to integrate security into business processes while minimizing unnecessary friction to innovation and execution.
Coordinate with Information Technology to ensure cybersecurity, identity management, access control, and data protection measures appropriately safeguard the company's critical information and technology.
Develop and administer personnel security processes, including access authorization, visitor management, badging, contractor controls, and employee security awareness training.
Lead security risk assessments for new facilities, projects, partnerships, vendors, cloud services, and technology deployments to ensure appropriate protection of company information and assets.
Develop incident response procedures for security events involving unauthorized access, theft, loss of proprietary information, workplace security, or physical security incidents, and lead investigations as appropriate.
Establish a culture in which every employee understands the value of the company's intellectual property and their role in protecting it while supporting collaboration and innovation.
As AMPERA transitions toward regulated nuclear operations, develop and implement the physical protection, safeguards information handling, access authorization, and security programs necessary to satisfy applicable NRC requirements.
Coordinate with the Materials & Fuel Licensing Lead and MC&A Lead to ensure required security programs are implemented before regulated nuclear material arrives onsite.
Serve as the primary company interface for security-related regulatory inspections, law enforcement coordination, external security advisors, and other security stakeholders.
Continuously evaluate emerging threats and adapt the company's security posture as AMPERA grows from research and development through commercial deployment.