CHIEF INFORMATION SECURITY OFFICER
THE POSITION IN A NUTSHELL
Sciens is seeking a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), who will be responsible for establishing and operating a right-sized, risk-based cybersecurity program that protects the company, supports growth initiatives, and aligns with value-creation objectives. This role balances hands-on execution with strategic oversight, ensuring security enables business performance and mergers & acquisitions (M&A) activity.
The key objectives of the role will be to:
- Reduce cyber risk that could impact valuation
- Establish repeatable, scalable security controls across the company
- Support due diligence, integrations, and audits
- Build a roadmap that will improve cyber maturity without enterprise-level cost or complexity
- Provide clear, board-level visibility into risk posture
- Deliver measurable reduction in critical vulnerabilities and incident risk
- Perform successful audits and customer security assessments
- Improve/reduce cyber insurance terms and premiums
WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING (and doing well!)
1. Security Strategy & Governance
- Develop and maintain a pragmatic cybersecurity strategy and roadmap aligned to business objectives
- Define security policies, standards, and procedures appropriate for a fast growing SMB environment
- Establish cybersecurity governance, risk appetite, and reporting mechanisms
- Present cyber risk updates to executive leadership and private equity (PE) stakeholders in plain business terms
2. Risk Management & Compliance
- Identify, assess, and prioritize cyber risks using a risk-based approach
- Oversee vulnerability management, penetration testing, and remediation efforts
- Lead compliance initiatives, such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST, CMMC, HIPAA, PCI-DSS
- Ensure third-party and vendor risk management processes are in place
3. Incident Response & Resilience
- Own the incident response plan, tabletop exercises, and breach readiness
- Lead response to security incidents, ransomware events, or data breaches
- Coordinate with legal, insurance, forensics, and external advisors as needed
- Oversee backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity planning
4. Technology & Operations
- Oversee core security tooling (IAM, endpoint security, SIEM/MDR, email security, cloud security)
- Ensure secure configuration of cloud, SaaS, and on-prem environments
- Partner closely with IT and operations teams to embed security into operations
- Make cost-effective build vs. buy decisions
5. M&A Support
- Support cybersecurity due diligence for acquisitions
- Assess security posture of acquisition targets and provide risk summaries
- Lead or advise on post-acquisition security integration and remediation
- Align security maturity with PE exit strategy (strategic buyer or IPO readiness)
6. Culture & Awareness
- Build a security-aware culture through training and phishing simulations
- Act as a business-friendly security advisor
- Educate leadership on cyber risk, insurance implications, and regulatory exposure
WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT YOU
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent work experience).
- 10+ years in information security, IT risk, or cybersecurity leadership
- Experience in SMB, PE-backed, or high-growth environments
- Strong working knowledge of:
- Cloud security (AWS, Azure, GCP, SaaS)
- Identity & access management
- Endpoint and network security
- Incident response and ransomware defense
- Proven ability to communicate cyber risk to non-technical executives and investors
- Experience with at least one recognized security framework (NIST, ISO, CIS)
- Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
- Strong communication and interpersonal abilities.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Prior experience supporting private equity portfolios or M&A
- Experience standing up a security program from scratch
- CISSP, CISM, or equivalent certification
WHAT WE’RE BRINGING TO THE TABLE
- Competitive salary based on qualifications.
- Paid time off plan and holidays.
- 401(k) matching.
- Short term and long-term disability.
- Medical, dental, and vision plans with options.
- Life insurance.
- Company laptop.
- Professional career development opportunities.
- Tuition reimbursement program.