Chief Information Security Officer

Established in 2021, Independence Pet Holdings is a corporate holding company that manages a diverse and broad portfolio of modern pet health brands and services, including insurance, pet education, lost recovery services, and more throughout North America.

We believe pet insurance is more than a financial product and build solutions to simplify the pet parenting journey and help improve the well-being of pets. As a leading authority in the pet category, we operate with a full stack of resources, capital, and services to support pet parents. Our multi-brand and omni-channel approach include our own insurance carrier, insurance brands and partner brands. 

Location:
Remote with New York, Chicago, or Scottsdale preferred

Job Summary:
The IPH Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is responsible for establishing and maintaining the enterprise vision, strategy, architecture, and multi-year roadmap that ensures that IPHs’ information assets and products are adequately protected and meet all relevant regulations. A key element of this role is communicating security at a strategic level to executive management, the Audit Committee, and the Board of Directors and evangelizing security across the businesses to drive adoption of security best practices. 

Reporting to the Chief Technology Officer – IPH, this role requires the ability to collaborate with and influence multiple stakeholders across IPHs’ operating companies to develop and deploy a robust enterprise-wide cyber security program that protects our enterprise assets as well as product suites.

Focus areas:

• Security Excellence– Exemplify the organization’s commitment to security excellence, building trust and credibility among stakeholders and customers. Enhance the brand reputation, positioning the organization as a leader in cybersecurity and a trusted partner.
• Transformation Enabler - Foster a culture of experimentation and collaboration within the organization, driving continuous improvement, agility, and competitive advantage in the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity. 
• Capability Builder - Identify the organization's security needs and strategically develop the necessary talent resources, tools, processes, and expertise to enhance its cybersecurity posture.
• Customer Champion - Prioritize customer-centric security practices to ensure robust security measures are in place to safeguard data.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement a strategic, long-term information security strategy and roadmap to ensure that IPH’s formation assets are adequately protected. 
• Work with senior leaders across businesses to assess and communicate acceptable levels of risk and approaches to mitigate that risk.
• Identify, evaluate, and report on information security risks, practices and projects to the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors, and provide subject matter expertise on security standards and best practices 
• Lead the development of up-to-date information security policies, procedures, standards, and guidelines, and oversee their approval, dissemination, and maintenance. 
• Ensure the security management program complies with applicable laws, regulations, and contractual requirements. 
• Act as the champion for the enterprise information security program and foster a security-aware culture. 
• Oversee the evaluation, selection, architecture, and implementation of information security solutions that are innovative, cost-effective, and minimally disruptive. 
• Partner with architects, infrastructure, and product development teams to ensure that technologies are developed and maintained according to security policies and guidelines. 
• Ensure our product portfolio adheres to rigorous cyber security standards and that application development teams foster a security-first approach throughout the software development life cycle leveraging a DevSecOps approach
• Manage regular intrusion detection and vulnerability reporting, internal and external IT audit groups reviews, and the coordination of all required fixes. 
• Develop business metrics to measure the effectiveness of the security management program and increase the maturity of the program over time. 
• Monitor the industry and external environment for emerging threats and advise relevant stakeholders on appropriate courses of action. 
• Oversee incident response planning and the investigation of security breaches, and assist with any associated disciplinary, public relations and legal matters. 
• Oversee and lead the creation, communication, and implementation of a process for managing vendor risk and other third-party risk. 
• Lead due diligence and post integration activities related to information security for all M&A activity.

Leadership Responsibility: 

• Develop, mentor, and manage a high performing staff of information security professionals.

Required Skills & Abilities:  

• Forward-thinking strategist skilled in devising and operationalizing a security strategy across multiple operating entities
• A storyteller who translates technical security concepts into business terms and articulates the value of security investments to stakeholders.
• Commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability in managing the organization’s security program.
• Flexible and adaptable to respond to evolving security challenges and organizational needs.
• A change agent that fosters a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, encouraging experimentation, and adapting to evolving circumstances and environment. 
• An authentic and tenacious leader who leans in to partnering with peers and is a collaborative team leader who is steadfast in leading by example. 
• Exemplary organizational skills coupled with proactive initiative-taking meticulous attention to detail, and adept time management, flourishing in a dynamic and rapidly evolving environment.
• Acts as a culture ambassador, living our organizational values.  

Education and Experience: 

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Security, or related field
• 15+ years of experience leading Information Security teams in $1B+ global organizations
• Experience with outsourcing / managed services of infrastructure services
• Professional certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CISA preferred
• Expertise with a cyber security framework like NIST or CIS required
• Experience with both enterprise IT and product development including DevSecOps
• Familiarity with PCI, GDPR, CCPA and other relevant privacy and security regulations

Other:  

• Limited US travel to major hubs is required, and some international travel (CAN, UK, EU) is anticipated.

All of our jobs come with great benefits including healthcare, parental leave and opportunities for career advancements. Some offerings are dependent upon the location of where you work and can include the following:

• Comprehensive full medical, dental and vision Insurance
• Basic Life Insurance at no cost to the employee
• Company paid short-term and long-term disability
• 12 weeks of 100% paid Parental Leave
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Retirement savings plan
• Personal Paid Time Off
• Paid holidays and company-wide Wellness Day off
• Paid time off to volunteer at nonprofit organizations
• Pet friendly office environment
• Commuter Benefits
• Group Pet Insurance
• On the job training and skills development
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)