VP IT Cyber Security

Academy Sports + Outdoors•Katy, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

In this role, you protect the systems, data, and digital capabilities that keep Academy Sports + Outdoors operating and growing. Your leadership helps ensure the technology supporting stores, distribution centers, corporate teams, and digital channels is secure, reliable, and resilient. By connecting cybersecurity decisions to business strategy and enterprise risk, you help the company pursue innovation while maintaining strong protection and operational continuity. Working across the enterprise, you develop and execute multi-year cybersecurity and information security strategies, establish practical policies and governance, and prioritize investments based on business impact and risk. You lead cyber risk management, regulatory readiness, security compliance, identity security, threat detection, vulnerability management, threat intelligence, cyber defense, and Security Operations Center capabilities. You also maintain and test incident response, ransomware response, crisis management, disaster recovery, and business continuity programs, lead executive response during significant incidents, manage security budgets and operating plans, evaluate security technologies, and build a leadership team focused on execution and continuous improvement.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Information Security, Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field required
15+ years of progressive cybersecurity leadership
7+ years leading enterprise security organizations
Prior service as a VP Cybersecurity, CISO, or in an equivalent executive role
Background supporting a large retailer, consumer-facing company, or similarly complex enterprise
Proven ability to partner with executive leaders and cross-functional teams
Strong understanding of cybersecurity, IT controls, and governance
Executive presence with the ability to influence senior leaders
Ability to connect security decisions to business outcomes
Strategic and practical decision-making that balances protection and performance
Strong communication, leadership, and organizational skills
A team-first attitude

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree preferred
Retail or large consumer-focused business background strongly preferred
Professional certifications such as CISSP, CISM, or CISA strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Develop and execute multi-year cybersecurity and information security strategies.
Establish practical policies and governance.
Prioritize investments based on business impact and risk.
Lead cyber risk management, regulatory readiness, security compliance, identity security, threat detection, vulnerability management, threat intelligence, cyber defense, and Security Operations Center capabilities.
Maintain and test incident response, ransomware response, crisis management, disaster recovery, and business continuity programs.
Lead executive response during significant incidents.
Manage security budgets and operating plans.
Evaluate security technologies.
Build a leadership team focused on execution and continuous improvement.
Partner with Technology and business leaders to embed security into how work gets done without slowing the business down.
Lead the cybersecurity organization through the Director, IT Security and Compliance, setting direction, priorities, expectations, and accountability while developing leadership talent and organizational readiness.
Collaborate with Internal Audit, Legal, Compliance, Privacy, Enterprise Risk Management, Digital, Infrastructure and Operations, Enterprise Architecture, Applications, and EPMO leaders.
Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, the Audit Committee, and the Board, presenting cyber risk posture, metrics, trends, regulatory matters, resilience priorities, emerging threats, and investment decisions in clear business terms.