Head of Security

Sendbird•San Mateo, CA

20h•$280,000 - $320,000

About The Position

Security at most companies is reactive. A checkbox for auditors. A speed bump for engineers. A department that says no. That’s not what we’re building. We’re an AI company handling enterprise-grade conversations at global scale, and our customers trust us with data that matters. That trust isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a competitive differentiator. It’s why DoorDash and Match Group chose us. It’s why we’ve earned certifications that our competitors are still chasing. Security here means being a partner to the business, not a blocker. It means building systems that scale as fast as we do. It means someone who understands that being a 24/7 global platform demands proactive security thinking—not just incident response. And it means someone who recognizes that AI doesn’t just change our product—it changes the threat surface too. We’re not looking for someone who manages security from a distance. We’re looking for a practitioner who rolls up their sleeves, builds programs that work well, and earns trust across the engineering org by being someone people want to work with. This reports to the CFO. You'll lead a high-functioning, mature, and global team located in the United States and South Korea, with end-to-end accountability for Security, IT, and Compliance, ensuring these functions work in harmony to support our global scale. You'll inherit a world-class program that's already SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO 27001, and ISO 42001 compliant. Your job is to take it further. You'll own Sendbird's comprehensive information security programs, manage and evolve our compliance frameworks, partner with engineering, and continuously build a security culture that's embedded in how we work — not bolted on as an afterthought. You'll champion defense-in-depth philosophy, ensuring a multi-layered approach to security that protects our customers, our data, and our reputation. You'll also own global IT Operations — managing our IT infrastructure, networks, servers, and data, while supporting our expanding use of AI technology across internal systems and how we work. As the primary executive responsible for safeguarding our AI-first innovation, you'll scale our global internal business systems and maintain our position as the most trusted platform for the world's most demanding enterprises. You'll lead the team, own how we secure our infrastructure, respond to incidents, and hold our position against an increasingly complex threat landscape. This is a hands-on builder role — not a talking-head role.

Requirements

10+ years of combined experience across security management, IT operations, compliance, or consulting
3+ years leading or managing a team including information security planning, scheduling assignment, and monitoring of staff resources int or IT function
Hands-on experience with audit frameworks: ISO 27001, SOC 2, and/or HIPAA/GDPR
Background in global B2B technology, SaaS, or cloud-based businesses
Proven track record managing security incidents end-to-end
Strong understanding of security and compliance challenges unique to AI/LLMs.
Bachelor’s degree in Information Security, Computer Science, MIS, or related field

Nice To Haves

Security certifications: CISM, CISA, CISSP, or equivalent
Experience at a global company operating across multiple time zones and regulatory environments

Responsibilities

Maintain and continuously improve Sendbird’s information security program—policies, processes, and controls that hold up under scrutiny.
Drive continuous control monitoring to ensure we stay aligned with our chosen audit frameworks.
Translate complex compliance requirements (HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA) into practical, actionable programs.
Evaluate and adopt AI-powered security tooling to stay ahead of a threat landscape that’s evolving faster than traditional defenses.
Work directly with the CTO and engineering teams to embed security into the product development lifecycle, not just review it at the end.
Raise risk awareness across business stakeholders without crying wolf or creating friction.
Be the person other teams want to work with—because you solve problems, not just flag them.
Work with senior leaders to ensure our data privacy protocols are appropriate with our use of AI tools.
Manage and develop a global lean security team, making sure each hire reflects and advances the goals of the program.
Be a player-coach—this isn’t a delegator role. You’re in the work.
Establish and maintain incident response protocols that are fast, clear, and practiced—not just documented.
Continuously strengthen the security posture of a platform that never sleeps.
Turn every incident into a lesson. Turn every lesson into a control.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision coverage, on us. Sendbird covers 100% of the premium for our employees and roughly 80% for their dependents.
Generous time off. 20 days PTO, 13 company holidays, 7 sick days, 2 rest & rejuvenation days, 1 volunteer day, and your birthday off.
$3,500 annual "Be Your Best Self" boost. Spend it on anything that helps you grow. Gym memberships, therapy, books, courses, massages, and more.
Parental leave for all new parents. Time to be present for the moments that matter most.
401(k) from day one. Auto-enrollment, flexible contributions, and access to Vanguard's investment platform.
HSA & FSA options. Pre-tax accounts to cover healthcare, dependent care, and commuter expenses.
Life & disability coverage, fully paid. Life insurance and AD&D at 2x your salary, plus short- and long-term disability at no cost to you.
AI-First Environment. Enterprise access to top LLMs (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini) and your choice of vibe coding tools

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