Executive Director of Cybersecurity

Louisiana Community and Technical College System • Baton Rouge, LA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Executive Director of Cybersecurity serves as a senior technology leader responsible for the strategic vision, operational excellence, and continuous improvement of the Cybersecurity governance, risk management, and compliance functions across the Louisiana Community and Technical Colleges (LCTC) System. Reporting to the Vice President for Technology, the Executive Director of Cybersecurity is responsible and accountable for implementing and monitoring the LCTC and colleges’ information security and privacy programs. The incumbent must be a customer-focused, collaborative leader who works effectively with IT teams, college personnel, and senior leadership to strike an optimal balance between robust security strategies and competing institutional priorities, proactively identifying and managing reasonably foreseeable internal and external threats to safeguard all information assets across the LCTC and its colleges. As a transformational leader, the Executive Director builds and sustains high-performing teams by fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, customer service, and continuous improvement. This position requires an engaging leader who combines strategic vision with hands-on execution, capable of advancing information security operations, developing team capabilities, and establishing a robust, enterprise-wide security program.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a closely related field from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of three (3) years of progressive leadership experience with a demonstrated track record of improving the processes, metrics, services, and the overall cybersecurity posture.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent complex projects, including planning, scheduling, risk management, and resource coordination.
• Excellent customer service orientation with a proven track record of instilling those values in direct reports and peers.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences.
• Within the first year of employment, must have one of the following certifications: Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO), or other appropriate Security Certification (approved by the VP for Technology).

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree from an accredited institution in a relevant field.
• Five (5) years of progressive leadership experience with a demonstrated track record of improving the processes, metrics, services, and the overall cybersecurity posture.
• Experience implementing and managing Federal, State, and industry cybersecurity frameworks and regulatory requirements, including NIST SP 800-53, NIST SP 800-171, and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) Safeguards Rule, preferably within a higher education environment.
• Demonstrated success in establishing and maturing an information security program, including team development, processes, documentation, and supporting technologies.
• Extensive experience with governance, risk, and compliance tools, processes, and strategies.
• Proven ability to build consensus and drive outcomes across organizational boundaries without direct authority.
• Strong leadership and team-building skills, with the ability to drive results through collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Ensure the LCTC and its colleges’ compliance with state and federal requirements and serve as the primary liaison with legal and regulatory bodies on issues related to information security, ensuring compliance with all relevant laws and regulations.
• Provide strategic leadership for governance, risk, and compliance (GRC). Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the organization’s governance, risk management, and compliance framework, ensuring alignment with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices.
• Collaborate with executive leadership and cross-functional teams to embed risk-aware decision-making into business processes.
• Ensure timely and accurate notification of the LCTC System President, Vice President for Technology, relevant college administrators, and appropriate federal and state agencies regarding security breaches, risk events, or regulatory noncompliance, in accordance with established protocols and reporting requirements.
• Ensure appropriate training and awareness programs are in place to educate operating units on security and privacy issues, best practices, and vulnerabilities
• Lead the strategic development of the cybersecurity program and plan that supports institutional resilience and innovation.
• Align security initiatives with enterprise risk management and digital transformation efforts, including cloud, research computing, and third-party ecosystems.
• Drive adoption of modern security frameworks, metrics, and maturity models to continuously improve program effectiveness.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on cybersecurity strategy, risk appetite, and emerging threats.
• Champion a proactive, risk-informed culture across faculty, staff, and students.
• Establish clear performance expectations and ensure team members are positioned in roles that leverage their greatest strengths.
• Motivate, coach, and develop employees through ongoing feedback, recognition, and professional growth opportunities.
• Foster a culture of accountability paired with psychological safety, where excellence is expected and people feel empowered to succeed.
• Remove obstacles and streamline processes that impede individual or team performance.
• Provide appropriate tools, training, and resources to enable each team member to do their best work.
• Establish policies, standards, and controls to promote accountability, transparency, and ethical operations.
• Oversee enterprise risk assessments to identify, evaluate, and mitigate operational, financial, cybersecurity, and regulatory risks.
• In partnership with appropriate stakeholders, create governance mechanisms to assess, mitigate, and address risk.
• Ensure ongoing compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and internal policies through monitoring, auditing, and reporting, while driving a culture of continuous improvement and resilience.
• Prioritize and manage incident response, ensuring timely and transparent risk mitigation and resolution of issues with minimal operational impact.
• Build and mentor a service-oriented support culture committed to high-quality and reliable delivery.
• Drive continuous improvement of security processes, tools, and service delivery to enhance effectiveness, scalability, and user experience.
• Establish and monitor Service-Level Objectives, Process Adherence, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), and operational metrics to drive accountability and continuous service improvement.
• Develop and manage comprehensive project plans, timelines, and budgets for all enterprise initiatives.
• Allocate human and financial resources strategically across a portfolio of concurrent, competing priorities.
• Proactively monitor risks, facilitate cross-functional conflict resolution, and communicate status with transparency to all stakeholders.
• Maintain a regular cadence of status reporting to leadership, ensuring visibility and trust at all organizational levels.

Benefits

• retirement
• multiple medical insurance options
• supplemental insurances (dental, term life, disability, accident, vision, etc.)
• Tax Saver Flexible Benefits Plan (saves tax dollars on some child care and medical expenses)
• holidays (14 per year, typically includes longer break at Christmas)
• generous annual (vacation) and sick leave benefits
• Employee Assistance Program

What This Job Offers

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