CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER

Chief Security Officer

Be part of a team that is committed to promoting innovative technology that transforms government and its ability to service constituents. The County of Monterey Information Technology Department (ITD), a team of diverse and skilled professionals, is at the forefront of delivering essential technology solutions that are vital to meeting the County's evolving and complex business needs. ITD's mission is to keep the County seamlessly connected, by managing and optimizing the County's critical technology framework while pioneering resilient, secure, reliable and competitive solutions.

The ITD Information Security Division plays a pivotal role in ensuring the availability and integrity of County data. Our dedicated team vigilantly monitors information assets for any signs of compromise, employing state-of-the-art techniques and technologies, to detect and respond to potential threats. In the event of security incidents, we employ robust strategies to restore assets promptly, minimizing disruptions to County operations and ensuring continuity of essential services. Through collaborative partnerships and continuous education initiatives, we empower County departments to stay ahead of evolving threats and effectively manage security risks.

The Chief Security Officer (CSO) reports directly to the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and is responsible for leading the County's information security operations and supervising a team of security engineers. The ideal candidate will be a collaborative security technology leader that can successfully navigate a matrixed environment with both an internal team and departmental security officers. In addition, the successful candidate will possess deep knowledge and experience in both on premise and cloud based security technology and will be able to enhance awareness and proactively strengthen our security posture.

The County of Monterey is committed to honoring the service and sacrifice of veterans and eligible military spouses and awards veterans' preference points for this recruitment. To learn more about the eligibility requirements and the process, be sure to read the Hiring Preference for Veterans and Eligible Military Spouses section located towards the end of this job flier.

Examples of Duties

• Acts as a consultant to all County information technology functions in the review of security policies, computer operations, access controls, system security, computer applications, and network and data security.
• Develops, promotes, and presents security awareness education to all levels of the County organization.
• Reviews all system-related information security plans throughout the County's network to ensure alignment between security practices.
• Plans, prioritizes, delegates, and reviews the work of assigned staff.
• Consults with the County Counsel's Office to provide legal investigative services related to information technology.
• Directs the monitoring of County systems and networks for malicious or unusual activity that may allow the unauthorized access and/or attacks, such as the presence of malware, viruses, worms, botnets, backdoors, and runaway services.
• Develops, establishes, implements, and directs the County's information technology security program across all departmental divisions and units.
• Leads and trains the Information Security Response Team; coordinates all incident preparedness activities.
• Upon request, conducts security risk assessments, and business impact analysis of all County departments, in coordination with departmental security assessment teams/staff.
• Acts as the central point of contact related to violations of information technology security policies and investigates or assists in the investigation of violations.
• Maintains current knowledge of applicable federal and state laws, accreditation standards, and monitors information security technologies to ensure organizational adoption and compliance; maintains up-to-date knowledge of general threats to local government and methods of attack.
• Develops, coordinates, and maintains policies pertaining to information technology security.
• Works with County-wide task forces, committees, and departmental liaisons to implement security policies, procedures, and infrastructure modifications.

Examples of Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The successful candidate will have a proven track record demonstrating the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Thorough knowledge of principles and methods used in the analysis and development of information security systems and procedures.
• Principles of management and supervision.
• Currently accepted information security standards, guidelines and theories.
• Computer technology.
• Information technology equipment operation, capacity and capability.
• Analytical techniques relating to the assessment of business needs and the generation of management decision making information.
• Information technology security practices.
• Current information security regulations, including Federal Information Security Management Act, Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, Federal Information Processing Standard, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Personally Identifiable Information, and Protected Health Information, and various other laws, regulations and statues.
• Hacker tools and techniques used to gain unauthorized access to computer systems.

• Skill and ability to analyze, assess, and interpret complex data, policies, procedures, regulations, and legislation.
• Understand and apply the technologies used to collect, access, store, and transmit information in all forms.
• Identify information security needs for the County.
• Effectively motivate, supervise, and direct the work of others.
• Prepare and present effective, clear, and concise reports and correspondence.
• Analyze problems, identify solutions, and make recommendations.
• Prioritize and meet project timelines.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Exercise good judgment, decisiveness, and creativity.

Examples of Experience/Education/Training

Any combination of training, education, and/or experience which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities and required conditions of employment is qualifying. An example of a way these requirements might be acquired is:

• Education: Possession of a bachelor's degree in Information Security, Computer Science, or a closely related field from an accredited four-year college or university; AND
• Experience: At least six (6) years of increasingly responsible professional experience performing varied and complex work in the areas of information security administration, network systems, and/or desktop systems, including at least two (2) years of experience supervising or managing technical staff, and/or serving as a technical expert. Licenses/Certifications: Certification in an information security discipline (i.e., GIAC, ISACA or ISC2 certifications) is desirable.

Additional Information

The required conditions of employment include, but are not limited to the following:

• Successfully pass a background investigation including but not limited to a fingerprint clearance from the Department of Justice.
• Possess and maintain a valid California Class "C" driver's license with a satisfactory driving record or be able to provide suitable transportation that is approved by the appointing authority.
• Be available to work outside of normal business hours as needed, including on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays and during times of emergency and/or disaster.

The County of Monterey offers an excellent benefits package. Please visit our website to view the Unit "X" Benefit Summary Sheet. This information is not legally binding, nor does it serve as a contract. The benefits listed in the Monterey County Personnel Policies and Practices Resolution or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) prevail over this listing.

As a condition of employment, prospective employees may be required to submit to a background review which may include a review of information concerning present and/or prior employment, driving record, and record of criminal convictions. Employment is contingent upon acceptable documentation verifying identity and authorization for employment in the U.S.; a list of acceptable documents is available on the USCIS Form I-9. If you are hired into this classification in a temporary position, your rate of pay will be hourly, and you will not be eligible for the benefits listed in the summary.

Application and Selection Procedures Apply online at by the priority screen date of July 27, 2026, 11:59PM (PST) or Hard copy applications may be obtained from and submitted during normal business hours, Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, by contacting: Information Technology Department Attn: Suzanne Paluck, Human Resources Analyst 1590 Moffett Street Salinas, CA 93905 Phone: View phone number on click.appcast.io | Email: View email address on click.appcast.io