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The Associate Executive Vice President, Head of Cyber Defense provides senior leadership and strategic direction for SECU’s enterprise cyber defense capabilities, ensuring cybersecurity strategy, operations, and investments align with business objectives, enterprise risk appetite, regulatory obligations, and long-term information technology strategy. As a senior member of the Information Security leadership team, this role partners with the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to establish security priorities, manage material cyber risks, strengthen enterprise resilience, and integrate cybersecurity into business and technology decisions. The position leads the development of modern, risk-based security engineering, control capabilities, oversees cyber defense organizational performance and investment priorities, and develops cybersecurity leaders. This leader demonstrates expert-level judgment and enterprise-wide leadership necessary to assume broader security leadership responsibilities.

Essential Responsibilities:

• 25% Enterprise Cybersecurity Strategy and Risk Leadership: Partner with the CSO to establish and execute enterprise cybersecurity strategies, priorities, and multi-year roadmaps aligned with SECU’s business objectives, risk appetite, regulatory obligations, and technology transformation. Assess the evolving threat landscape, evaluate material enterprise risks, establish strategic priorities, and influence business and technology decisions to strengthen SECU’s overall security posture.

• 20% Cyber Defense, Architecture and Transformation: Provide senior expertise oversight of cyber defense strategy, capabilities, and operational effectiveness, including threat intelligence, monitoring, detection, investigation, incident response, and recovery. Direct strategic collaboration with security architecture, engineering, infrastructure, cloud, application, and technology leaders to modernize security capabilities, implement risk-based controls, strengthen resilience, and prepare the organization to address emerging threats and technologies.

• 20% Expert Advisory, Governance and Enterprise Collaboration: Serve as a senior cybersecurity advisor to the CSO and business stakeholders on material cyber risks, security strategy, mitigation priorities, regulatory matters, and investment decisions. Establish collaborative relationships across Lines of Business, IT, Enterprise Architecture, Risk, Compliance, Audit, Legal, and external partners to embed security into enterprise governance, strategic planning, business transformation, and technology delivery.

• 15% People Leadership and Organizational Development: Build, lead, and develop a high-performing cybersecurity organization, including senior managers, senior technical leaders, and specialized professionals. Establish organizational structures, leadership accountability, performance expectations, succession planning, and talent development strategies. Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, operational excellence, responsible risk-taking, and continuous improvement while strengthening leadership capabilities across the cybersecurity function.

• 10% Security Performance, Executive Reporting and Leadership Continuity: Establish executive-level performance metrics, key performance indicators (KPIs), key risk indicators (KRIs), and reporting to measure cybersecurity effectiveness, risk exposure, operational resilience, and strategic progress. Communicate material risks, security incidents, investment needs, and performance outcomes to executive leadership. Support the CSO in advancing enterprise security priorities and represent the CSO when delegated, exercising sound executive judgment and contributing to enterprise security leadership continuity and succession planning.

• 10% Financial, Investment and Portfolio Management: Manage the financial strategy, annual budget, workforce plans, and resource allocation priorities for Cyber Defense. Direct investment decisions and portfolio prioritization based on enterprise risk, regulatory requirements, business value, operational effectiveness, and strategic objectives. Oversee major cybersecurity initiatives, vendor relationships, and business cases to ensure investments deliver measurable security, financial, and operational outcomes.

Required Education & Experience (Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities):

• Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field.

• At least 12 years of progressive experience in cybersecurity, information security, or related technology disciplines, including at least 7 years of leadership experience with responsibility for teams, senior technical leaders, enterprise programs, or complex cross-functional initiatives.

• Demonstrated experience developing and executing enterprise cybersecurity strategies, multi-year roadmaps, security governance frameworks, and risk management programs. Proven ability to oversee complex security initiatives, evaluate material cyber risks, manage strategic investments and budgets, address regulatory and audit requirements, and influence enterprise business and technology decisions across multiple organizational functions.

• Demonstrated ability to advise executive leadership, communicate material cybersecurity risks in business terms, influence strategic decisions, and lead across business and technology organizations. Exceptional strategic planning, analytical, financial, negotiation, and decision-making skills, with a proven ability to develop senior leaders, manage organizational change, establish accountability, and align cybersecurity priorities with enterprise objectives.

Preferred Education & Experience (Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities):

• Bachelor’s and master’s degree in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field. Relevant professional certifications, such as CISSP, CISM, CCSP, or GIAC, are preferred.
• At least 15 years of progressive cybersecurity experience and 10 years of leadership experience preferred, including executive or senior leadership responsibility across multiple security disciplines such as cyber defense, security architecture, identity and access management, cloud security, incident response, threat management, and enterprise security risk. Experience in financial services, credit unions, or other highly regulated industries is strongly preferred.
• Experience advising executive leadership and presenting cybersecurity defense strategy, material enterprise risks, investment priorities, and security performance to executive committees or board-level audiences. Demonstrated experience leading regulatory examinations, managing significant security incidents, overseeing enterprise security transformation, and contributing to executive succession planning or serving in a deputy or equivalent senior security leadership capacity.

Job Environment & Physical Requirements:

• Primarily an office environment with physical proximity to other employees; remote work arrangements are negotiable.
• Typical office noise may include conversations, copy machines, and telephones.
• The role requires regular engagement with executive leadership, business stakeholders, technology teams, regulators, auditors, vendors, and external partners.
• The position may require availability for significant cybersecurity incidents, executive briefings, regulatory matters, and other time-sensitive enterprise security events.

• Ability to comprehend and carry out verbal and written instructions.
• Ability to sit for extended periods.
• Ability to use hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard and other office equipment.
• Ability to operate a telephone and comprehend telephone conversations.
• Ability to lift up to five pounds.

SECU provides equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other classification protected by law.

Disclaimer

State Employees' Credit Union reserves the right to fill this role at a higher/lower level based on business need.