Chief Information Security Officer

The Company: GIA is the world’s foremost authority in gemology. GIA is a global organization with headquarters located in Carlsbad, CA. GIA in Carlsbad boasts a 17-acre ocean view campus that accommodates approximately 800 of its 3,000 total employees worldwide. It offers many competitive health benefits that promotes the well-being of its employees as well as that of the environment. Discover more about GIA's innovative history by clicking here.

What to expect:

• Hybrid role (3 days on-site) at our Carlsbad, CA headquarters
• We offer competitive medical, dental & vision
• Matching 401-K plans up to 8%, no vesting required
• Paid vacation, sick and holidays, tuition assistance, commuter benefits
• On-site café

JOB OVERVIEW

The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is primarily responsible for establishing, implementing, monitoring, and enforcing the Institute's information security governance, standards, and policies. The incumbent will develop strategic direction and oversee the day-to-day execution of operational information security initiatives at GIA. The CISO will report to the Chief Information & Technology Officer (CITO) and collaborate closely with the other Executives and Managers within the organization to ensure the integration and efficacy of security initiatives. The CISO will provide quarterly reports to the Audit and Risk Committee of the Board of Governors.

Secure access to information assets is critical to achieve business objectives. The CISO is responsible for establishing and maintaining information security capabilities that ensure that information assets and associated technology, applications, systems, infrastructure, and processes are adequately protected in the digital ecosystem in which we operate. The CISO ensures that information systems are maintained in a fully functional and secure mode and are compliant with legal, regulatory, and contractual obligations. The CISO is responsible for identifying, evaluating, and reporting on legal, regulatory, IT, and cybersecurity risks to information assets while supporting and advancing business objectives. A key element of the CISO's role is working with executive management to determine acceptable levels of risk for the organization and resulting information security requirements.

The CISO proactively works with business units and ecosystem partners to implement practices that meet agreed-on policies and standards for information security and improve organizational awareness and understanding of operational information security risks and practical mitigations. The ideal candidate should have a strong knowledge of IT and be capable of overseeing various cybersecurity and risk management activities. This role is crucial for ensuring technology-dependent business processes achieve their desired outcomes. The CISO will work closely with the CITO and the IT organization to achieve these goals.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Establish Vision, Strategy, and Governance

• Develop an information security vision and strategy aligned with organizational priorities to enable and facilitate the organization's business objectives. Ensure buy-in and mandate from the board, CITO, executive team, and enterprise risk committee.
• Facilitate an information security governance structure by implementing a governance program in alignment with the Enterprise Risk Management Committee.
• As part of a strategic enterprise risk management program, provide regular reporting on the current status of the information security program to the Enterprise Risk Committee and the  Audit and Risk Committee of the Board of Governors, thus supporting business outcomes.
• Establish, implement, and monitor policies, standards, systems, and controls to ensure appropriate confidentiality, integrity, availability, safety, privacy, and recovery of information assets owned, managed, and processed by the organization.
• Ensure the relevance of vision and strategy through continued knowledge acquisition. Build and nurture external networks consisting of industry peers, ecosystem partners, vendors, and other relevant parties to address common trends, findings, incidents, and cybersecurity risks.

Lead the Organization

• Lead the information security function across the Institute to ensure consistent and high-quality information security management in support of the business goals.
• Lead the information security team, ensuring (1) the acquisition, retention and development of the skills and experiences that advance our organization’s overall information security capabilities; (2) effective collaboration with stakeholders; an