Director of Information Security

Director of Information Security

The Director of Information Security provides strategic vision, leadership, and institutional oversight for the College's information security program. Reporting directly to the Vice President for Information Services and Librarian of the College (CIO), this position is responsible for protecting the College's digital assets, managing institutional risk, and ensuring regulatory compliance in an increasingly complex threat environment. This is an ideal role for a collaborative security leader who is ready to shape an enterprise-wide program, whether as a first director-level opportunity or as a seasoned practitioner drawn to the mission and complexity of a liberal arts college. This position is in-person with potential to work remotely up to two days; in-person collaboration will be essential for key events and meetings.

The Director partners with the VP to translate technical risks for non-technical institutional leaders, fosters a culture of security awareness across the campus community and implements a multi-year security modernization roadmap derived from recent institutional assessments supporting our transition to cloud-first infrastructure and modern identity management. They should endeavor to build an information security program that is designed to protect and enable, not restrict, the open inquiry and academic freedom that define the Connecticut College experience. This is done as a key member of the L&IT leadership team, working in a highly collaborative peer network alongside the DeputyCIO, Assistant Director of Network and Systems Infrastructure, Director of Computer Support Services, and the L&IT Project Manager to integrate security across all campus technology operations. The Director supervises the Senior Systems and Information Security Administrator.

Library & Information Technology (L&IT) at Connecticut College is where librarians, technologists, archivists, media specialists, and everything in between come together as one team. We manage the systems that run the College, the network that connects it, the library that anchors it, and the research support that makes academic excellence possible. Whether someone needs help finding a rare archival document, troubleshooting a classroom projector five minutes before class, or thinking through the future of AI on a liberal arts campus, that's us. And we don't work in a bubble. Our staff regularly connect with colleagues at peer institutions through consortia like the Boston Library Consortium, the Oberlin Group, CLAC, and NERCOMP, because we believe the best ideas rarely stay inside one campus.

Our philosophy is pretty simple: We hire naturally curious people, give them room to be brilliant, and then get out of their way. We treat belonging and inclusion as the foundation of our work, not a footnote. We value collaboration over control, and we believe that while the work is serious, we absolutely do not have to take ourselves too seriously. If you can work hard, lead with curiosity, tolerate the occasional Swedish-inspired coffee break (look up fika), and agree that laughter is a legitimate workplace requirement, you'll fit right in.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Strengthen and scale the College's enterprise-wide information security program, translating findings from recent institutional assessments into a forward-looking strategic roadmap.
• Lead the ongoing development and maintenance of information security policies, standards, and procedures that reflect an evolving threat landscape.
• Serve as a high-level advocate for information security across the institution.
• Serve as the institutional steward of the College's 'Protect the Herd' cybersecurity awareness initiative, evolving it as a campus-wide cultural program that reflects the College's values and community.
• Conduct ongoing risk assessments and vulnerability audits to identify and mitigate potential threats.
• Ensure the College remains compliant with relevant state and federal regulations and applicable data privacy requirements.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for external security audits, cyber insurance requirements, and regulatory inquiries.
• Chair the cross-functional Information Security Team, facilitating regular collaboration between networking, security, computer support services, and IT leadership to ensure a unified approach to institutional risk.
• Oversee the detection, investigation, and remediation of security incidents.
• Supervise the Senior Systems and Information Security Administrator, ensuring that technical security controls including firewalls, EDR, MDM, and access controls are effectively managed and aligned with strategic goals.
• Manage the information security budget and strategically leverage security vendors and managed service providers (such as external vSOC, ManagedSIEM, or specialized tools) to extend the capacity of the campus security program.

Secondary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the development and ongoing refinement of institutional guidelines for the secure and responsible use of emerging technologies, including generative AI tools and agentic AI, in collaboration with the View email address on click.appcast.io initiative; serve on the internal L&IT AI working group.
• Contribute to divisional budget planning and resource prioritization in alignment with the College's budget process.
• Support the VP in developing and presenting security strategy and risk posture updates to the President's Cabinet and Board of Trustees.
• Contribute to policy development related to data governance, information privacy, accessibility, and digital equity.

Tertiary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Engage in professional development by staying current with emerging security threats, technologies, and best practices within the higher education sector; participate in professional organizations including EDUCAUSE, REN-ISAC, CEN, NERCOMP, and relevant peer consortia.
• As appropriate, participate in the life of the College by attending campus events such as L&IT speakers and events, athletic games, gallery openings, arts performances, student exhibits, and other signature experiences.
• Other duties or responsibilities as may be assigned.

Education and Skills:

Bachelor's degree in a related field, OR an equivalent combination of certifications and significant progressive IT/security leadership experience. At least seven years of progressive experience in information technology and security, with demonstrated experience leading projects, initiatives, or teams. Demonstrated ability to lead through ambiguity, including navigating evolving threat landscapes, organizational change, and institutional decision-making processes that are still in formation. Proven experience with risk management frameworks such as NIST and regulatory compliance within a complex organizational environment; higher education experience is a significant plus. Exceptional communication skills with the ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization, including non-technical audiences. Professional certifications such as CISSP, CISM, or CISA are desirable. Demonstrated ability to lead and develop technical staff while maintaining a strategic, institutional perspective. Demonstrated commitment to belonging and inclusion, with experience building and leading teams that reflect a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and professional experiences. Familiarity with identity and access management, data loss prevention, endpoint security, and cloud security principles. A service-oriented mindset with the ability to build trust and credibility across the campus community. Intellectual curiosity and a genuine commitment to the collaborative, mission-driven environment of a liberal arts college.

Preferred Qualifications:

Physical Demands: The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Ability to remain in a stationary position for extended periods while working at a computer or in meetings. Frequent movement within office and campus environments; ability to traverse campus and move between multiple floors and buildings. Ability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds occasionally. Repetitive motions including typing, using a mouse, and handling documents. Ability to communicate effectively in person, by phone, and electronically. Visual and auditory ability to complete job-related tasks. Driving Required: No.

Salary Range: $105,000-$130,000. Note - Connecticut College is committed to fair and competitive compensation. The final offer will reflect the candidate's experience, education, and the institution's pay structure to ensure internal equity.

Applicant Credentialing: Thorough applicant credentialing will be conducted on the selected candidate which will include criminal records check, DMV check and depending on the position psychological exam and pre-placement physical.

Documents needed to Apply:

1. Resume
2. Cover Letter