Principal of Access and Data Security SME

Early Warning® • Chicago, IL

1d • $154,000 - $232,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

At Early Warning, we’ve powered and protected the U.S. financial system for over thirty years with cutting-edge solutions like Zelle®, Paze℠, and so much more. As a trusted name in payments, we partner with thousands of institutions to increase access to financial services and protect transactions for hundreds of millions of consumers and small businesses. Positions located in Scottsdale, San Francisco, Chicago, or New York follow a hybrid work model to allow for a more collaborative working environment. Candidates responding to this posting must independently possess the eligibility to work in the United States, for any employer, at the date of hire. This position is ineligible for employment Visa sponsorship. Overall Purpose: The Principal of Access Control & Data Security Oversight is responsible for ensuring the organization’s Access Control and Data Security programs are effective, risk-aligned, and defensible—through independent challenge, governance, and validation. This role provides independent risk-based governance within a Three Lines of Defense (3LOD) model, ensuring access management and data protection practices are effective, measurable, and aligned to risk appetite and regulatory expectations. The position partners closely with engineering, identity, data, and application teams, acting as a credible challenger—not an operator. This role will support the Cybersecurity and Technology Risk Management team within the Second Line of Defense (2LOD) and report directly to the 2LOD VP of Information Security Risk.

Requirements

• Deep expertise in data security domains including encryption, tokenization, masking, and DLP.
• Experience with data classification frameworks and data lifecycle management.
• Strong understanding of data architectures across cloud, on-prem, and hybrid environments.
• Ability to translate data risk into business impact and regulatory implications.
• Deep expertise in IAM, PAM, and access governance models.
• Experience with identity systems, federation, and modern authentication (e.g., SSO, MFA, Zero Trust).
• Strong understanding of least privilege, role-based and attribute-based access control models.
• Ability to assess and communicate access-related risks at scale.
• 15+ years of IT experience with 8+ years in Information Security.
• Experience operating in a Three Lines of Defense model and/or regulated environment (financial services preferred).
• Ability to translate technical findings into business risk and executive-level insights.
• Experience in fintech or highly regulated industries.
• Familiarity with regulatory expectations for data protection and access control.
• Background in risk management, audit, or control validation.

Responsibilities

• Provide independent challenge and oversight of data protection practices across enterprise environments.
• Define and maintain policies, standards, and controls for data classification, encryption, retention, and handling.
• Challenge control validation and effectiveness testing of data security controls, including DLP and encryption.
• Assess and challenge data access, data sharing, and data lifecycle decisions.
• Deliver risk-based reporting on data exposure, control gaps, and trends.
• Provide oversight of data security tooling to ensure coverage, configuration, and data integrity.
• Provide independent challenge and oversight of Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Privileged Access Management (PAM) programs.
• Define and maintain policies, standards, and controls for authentication, authorization, and access governance.
• Challenge control validation of provisioning, deprovisioning, access reviews, and segregation of duties (SoD).
• Assess and challenge access decisions, entitlements, and privilege escalation risks.
• Deliver reporting on access risks, excessive privileges, and control weaknesses.
• Provide oversight of IAM/PAM tooling to ensure effectiveness and integrity.

Benefits

• Healthcare Coverage – Competitive medical (PPO/HDHP), dental, and vision plans as well as company contributions to your Health Savings Account (HSA) or pre-tax savings through flexible spending accounts (FSA) for commuting, health & dependent care expenses.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Featuring a 100% Company Safe Harbor Match on your first 6% deferral immediately upon eligibility.
• Paid Time Off – Flexible Time Off for Exempt (salaried) employees, as well as generous PTO for Non-Exempt (hourly) employees, plus 11 paid company holidays and a paid volunteer day.
• 12 weeks of Paid Parental Leave
• Maven Family Planning – provides support through your Parenting journey including egg freezing, fertility, adoption, surrogacy, pregnancy, postpartum, early pediatrics, and returning to work.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal
• Education Level: No Education Listed