Senior Director of IT and Cybersecurity

RFG Advisory•Birmingham, AL

7h•$150,000 - $175,000•Hybrid

About The Position

RFG Advisory's technology infrastructure is growing fast, and this role exists to make sure the firm's security, architecture, and AI integrations grow with it, not behind it. The Senior Director of Technology takes hands-on ownership of the systems, safeguards, and AI integrations that infrastructure, cybersecurity, corporate technology, and helpdesk run on every day. This is a player-coach role that combines senior technical judgment with direct execution: architecting secure platforms, building AI integrations personally when speed matters, and leading the team that keeps all four functions running as one coordinated operation. At RFG, leadership means modeling the behaviors we expect, rolling up our sleeves, and actively contributing to the success of our teams. Our leaders inspire through action, foster trust through transparency, and elevate others by investing in their growth.

Requirements

8+ years of progressive experience in technology leadership, with demonstrated ownership across infrastructure, cybersecurity, and corporate technology functions.
Proven track record setting and executing cybersecurity strategy in a regulated or compliance-sensitive environment.
Hands-on experience architecting and building AI integrations and automations in a production environment.
Experience leading multi-functional technology teams including infrastructure, security, and helpdesk.
Background in financial services, wealth management, or a similarly regulated industry preferred.
Experience managing vendor relationships and holding partners accountable to SLAs and delivery timelines.
Player-coach who combines strategic judgment with direct execution; comfortable moving between architecture decisions and hands-on builds.
Strong security instincts with the ability to set guardrails for AI and emerging technology without blocking adoption.
Clear communicator who can translate technical risk and architecture decisions into plain language for non-technical leaders.
Builds cultures of accountability and ownership; sets clear expectations and follows through on development commitments.
Operates with urgency and precision on incident response while maintaining composure and clear escalation judgment.
Thinks in systems; reduces key person risk, documents processes, and builds functions that can run without them.
Deep familiarity with ZohoOne, RingCentral, Zoom, and comparable corporate technology platforms.
Experience with AI tooling evaluation, governance, and production deployment.
Infrastructure and endpoint security platform experience required.
Familiarity with identity and access management, audit readiness, and penetration testing processes.
Proficiency with AI tools such as Claude, ChatGPT, or Microsoft Copilot; actively uses them to improve productivity, architecture decisions, and team workflows.
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field; equivalent professional experience considered.
Relevant certifications in cybersecurity, cloud architecture, or AI integration are a meaningful advantage.

Nice To Haves

Background in financial services, wealth management, or a similarly regulated industry preferred.
Relevant certifications in cybersecurity, cloud architecture, or AI integration are a meaningful advantage.

Responsibilities

Own RFG's cybersecurity strategy and posture across infrastructure, endpoint, identity, and emerging AI tools.
Set security standards and guardrails for how AI tools access and handle firm and client data, and represent RFG's posture to auditors, regulators, and vendors as needed.
Lead incident response for security events, escalating material incidents to the VP of Technology immediately.
Maintain a cybersecurity posture that is mature, audit-ready, and continuously improving.
Set the architecture standards that keep AI integrations and broader platform work secure, scalable, and maintainable.
Build AI-powered workflows and integrations personally when speed matters, without compromising security or data governance.
Evaluate new AI tools and platforms; partner with the Project Manager on build versus partner decisions for new technology initiatives.
Move standard AI integrations from concept to secure production use within 30 days.
Drive adoption of ZohoOne, RingCentral, Zoom, Insider, and AI tools across RFG, partnering with teams to measurably reduce manual work and repeat support requests.
Ensure infrastructure and corporate technology reliability protects the systems Advisors and corporate staff depend on daily, maintaining uptime at or above 99.9%.
Partner with vendors across the technology stack, holding them accountable to SLAs, timelines, and quality standards.
Establish KPIs for adoption and service quality and track them quarter over quarter.
Lead the Director of Infrastructure and the Systems Administrator, Business Applications, along with their teams, setting clear priorities and standards across infrastructure, cybersecurity, corporate technology, and helpdesk.
Build career paths, ownership structures, and a culture of accountability through regular one-on-ones and direct, growth-oriented feedback.
Reduce key person risk by ensuring every function has documented processes and more than one person who can run it.
Coach and develop the team to operate as one coordinated function with shared standards, not four disconnected teams.

Benefits

Competitive salary + bonus pool
Generous PTO, holidays, and a Charitable Service Day
Health, dental, vision insurance + RFG Advisory stipend
Flexible Spending Account (Health and Dependent Care) + HSA for applicable coverage
Lifestyle Spending Account
401(k) with Safe Harbor contribution
Paid parental leave, short- and long-term disability, life insurance
Surface Pro + home office setup
Pet Insurance
Continuing education and professional development support