Sr. Director, Information Security

About the Role

The Sr. Director of Information Security is responsible for establishing and maintaining ICANN’s enterprise information security vision, strategy, and programs to ensure information assets and technologies are protected. This role oversees security risk management, compliance, incident response, and cybersecurity initiatives while fostering a security-first culture across the organization.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement an enterprise-wide information security strategy aligned with business objectives.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate security risks while ensuring compliance with regulatory and industry standards.
• Oversee information security operations, including threat intelligence, vulnerability management, and incident response.
• Ensure adherence to security frameworks, policies, and industry regulations such as NIST CSF, ISO 27001, NIST SP 800 series, GDPR, CCPA, and SOC 2.
• Lead efforts to detect, investigate, and remediate security incidents, ensuring minimal disruption to business operations.
• Foster a culture of security awareness by conducting employee training and implementing best practices.
• Guide the selection, deployment, and management of security technologies, including firewalls, SIEM, endpoint protection, and IAM solutions.
• Work closely with executive leadership, Engineering and Information Technology (E&IT), legal, and compliance teams to align security objectives with business needs.
• Evaluate and monitor vendors, partners, and supply chains to manage information security risk.
• Develop and manage the cybersecurity budget, ensuring the efficient allocation of monetary, time, and people resources.
• Provide expertise to the Crisis Management Team; oversight and accountability for resolution of information security incidents.
• Encourage and facilitate the development of a significant knowledge base in others; may define roles of staff members.
• Perform other duties as assigned or requested.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, IT, Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum fifteen (15) years of experience in a related field.
• Minimum eight (8) years of supervisory experience.
• Industry certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CISA, or CCISO.
• Fluency, both written and spoken, in English is required; preference given to candidates with demonstrated skills in additional languages.

Skills

• Strong interpersonal communication skills and the ability to maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, vendors, business owners, and the public.
• Hands-on experience with security technologies, including SIEM, IDS/IPS, encryption, and cloud security solutions.
• Strong knowledge of IT infrastructure, networking, and cloud environments.
• Proven track record in managing security incidents and crisis response.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience in highly regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, or government.
• Familiarity with AI-driven security solutions and emerging threat landscapes.
• Background in ethical hacking, penetration testing, or red teaming.
• General understanding of all areas of ICANN’s business and functional groups, including relevant industry issues.
• Demonstrated expertise in a diverse variety of IT process improvement concepts, practices, and procedures.
• Ability to effectively facilitate meetings at the senior management level.

Working Conditions

• Work is performed in a normal office environment with limited privacy and some exposure to background noise.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand and walk.
• The employee regularly is required to sit.
• The employee is frequently required to talk or hear; use hands and arms to reach, handle, or feel.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.
• The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Pay

Targeted base salary range: $180,000 – $245,000, plus 20% bonus and benefits. The salary range provided is a general estimation based on the primary location. Final compensation packages consider a variety of factors, including geographic region, work experience, knowledge, skills, and other compensable factors.