Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Houston, TX (Hybrid)

Reports to: Chief Information Officer (CIO).

The Opportunity

This role goes beyond traditional security leadership. You will:

• Architect the security foundation for a rapidly evolving, hybrid ecosystem spanning legacy platforms, modern cloud environments, and advanced data/AI capabilities
• Influence enterprise transformation, ensuring security is embedded into how we build, operate, and scale—not bolted on after the fact
• Elevate cybersecurity to a strategic business function, enabling growth, customer trust, and regulatory confidence
• Build and lead a high-impact team, shaping culture, capability, and long-term security maturity

You will inherit an environment with real complexity—and real opportunity—including large-scale data platforms (e.g., Databricks, Snowflake, and similar), legacy systems, and rapidly growing digital products. Your mandate is to stabilize, modernize, and future-proof.

What You'll Do

Define the Security Vision

• Establish and execute a forward-looking cybersecurity strategy aligned to enterprise growth and digital transformation
• Position security as a business enabler, particularly across data, AI, lab operations, and customer-facing platforms

Build a Modern Security Program

• Design and implement end-to-end security capabilities across governance, architecture, engineering, and operations
• Introduce scalable frameworks for risk management, policy, and control standardization

Secure Complex Data Ecosystems

• Protect highly sensitive PHI, genomic, and research data across hybrid environments
• Partner with Data and Engineering teams to embed security into modern data platforms and AI/ML workflows

Strengthen Architecture & Engineering

• Lead the evolution toward zero trust principles, strong identity and access management, and secure-by-design architectures
• Address foundational gaps in logging, monitoring, access control, and environment consistency

Operationalize Security & Resilience

• Build or enhance threat detection, incident response, and vulnerability management capabilities
• Establish robust disaster recovery and business continuity aligned to critical operations

Drive Compliance & Trust

• Ensure alignment with key regulatory and compliance frameworks (e.g., HIPAA, CLIA, and broader healthcare standards)
• Lead audit readiness and strengthen external trust with customers and partners

Partner Across the Business

• Work closely with lab operations, genomic technology, engineering, compliance, and commercial teams
• Drive shared accountability for security outcomes across the organization

What Makes You a Strong Fit

• Proven track record of collaborating across functions and influencing outcomes without relying on mandates, with a commitment to understanding all stakeholder perspectives and driving solutions that work in practice.
• Proven success as a CISO, VP, or senior security leader in complex, regulated environments
• Experience building or transforming enterprise security programs at scale
• Strong background in hybrid architectures (cloud + on-prem) and modern security practices
• Deep expertise in:
  • Identity and access management
  • Security architecture and engineering
  • Threat detection and incident response
  • Risk and governance frameworks (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001)
• Experience securing data platforms and large-scale data environments (e.g., Databricks, Snowflake, or similar ecosystems)
• Familiarity with or exposure to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Acceptable Risk Standards (CMS ARS) is a plus

Leadership Profile

• Strategic and forward-thinking, with the ability to translate risk into business impact
• Hands-on when needed—comfortable operating in both build and scale modes
• Strong communicator and influencer at the executive and board level
• Collaborative leader who can align diverse stakeholders across technical and non-technical domains
• Comfortable operating in an environment with ambiguity, urgency, and high expectations

Why Join Us

• Mission-driven impact: Your work directly contributes to better patient outcomes and the future of precision medicine
• Executive visibility and influence: Direct partnership with CIO and senior leadership
• Transformational scope: Opportunity to build a modern security program in a high-growth, data-rich environment
• Complex, meaningful challenges: Secure one of the most sensitive and valuable data ecosystems in healthcare

Success in This Role

In your first 3–6 months, you will:

• Establish a clear security vision and roadmap aligned to business priorities
• Deliver measurable improvements in risk visibility, control maturity, and resilience
• Implement foundational capabilities across IAM, monitoring, and incident response
• Build credibility as a trusted advisor and business enabler across the organization