Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is responsible for establishing and executing the enterprise cybersecurity strategy for a high-growth private fintech company operating in a highly regulated cloud-first environment. As a forward-thinking technology and business leader you recognize cybersecurity and artificial intelligence as strategic business enablers. You will partner across technology product legal compliance and operations to protect customer trust enable secure innovation and support the business future direction. Operating effectively at both the Senior Leadership Team/Board and operational levels you will scale a mature risk-based security program to align with regulatory expectations investor scrutiny and rapid fintech growth.

Key Responsibilities

Executive Leadership & Strategy

• Define and execute a multi-year enterprise-wide cybersecurity strategy aligned with business objectives and future growth.
• Serve as a trusted primary security advisor to executive leadership the Board of Directors regulators and external partners.
• Translate cyber risk into business impact and build a modern metrics-driven risk-based security organization focused on enablement automation and measurable risk reduction. 
• Know when a regulated corporate governance function becomes the mainstay of the organization.

Governance Risk & Compliance (GRC) & Public Company Readiness

• Knowledge and Oversight of SEC expectations and Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) ITGCs processes.
• Direct enterprise security governance aligned to critical fintech regulatory obligations including PCI DSS 4.0 SOC 1/SOC 2 GLBA FFIEC guidance and state privacy regulations.
• Develop and maintain board-level reporting and risk disclosures while partnering with Legal Finance and Audit on cyber risk governance.
• Oversee enterprise risk management third-party vendor security and continuous audit readiness across frameworks such as NIST and ISO 27001.

Security Operations Cloud & Product Security

• Oversee the Security Operations Center (SOC) incident response threat detection digital forensics and vulnerability management.
• Drive robust cloud security posture and strategy across AWS Azure and/or GCP environments.
• Partner with Engineering and Product to embed secure-by-design and DevSecOps principles across the software development lifecycle (SDLC).
• Lead enterprise identity and access management (IAM) strategy Zero Trust architecture and data protection programs to safeguard customer financial data.
• Be the Trust Center customers need to know their data is secure.

AI Security Governance & Innovation Strategy

• Serve as the executive sponsor for the secure responsible and business-aligned adoption of AI and machine learning technologies.
• Establish enterprise controls and guardrails to assess and manage AI risks including data leakage prompt injection intellectual property protection and model bias.
• Partner with engineering to enable secure AI innovation that enhances operational efficiency fraud detection and customer experience.
• Drive modernization leveraging AI-driven security operations automation and predictive threat detection.
• Guide the organization on its journey of AI advancements with a security mindset.

Team Leadership Culture & Customer Engagement

• Build mentor and retain high-performing cybersecurity teams fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Drive a shift from reactive compliance mindset to a proactive risk-management framework that enables business velocity and product innovation. 
• Champion a security-first culture across engineering and business teams balancing security rigor with business velocity.
• Act as the executive security lead during customer due diligence strategic partnerships and regulator interactions.

Qualifications :

Required Experience & Competencies

• 12 years of progressive cybersecurity leadership experience including CISO or equivalent senior leadership responsibilities.
• Proven track record in fintech financial services and/or highly regulated environments.
• Technical expertise in cloud security architecture DevSecOps IAM and modern attack vectors.
• Extensive experience with compliance and risk management frameworks (PCI DSS 4.0 SOC 2 NIST CSF ISO 27001 GLBA).
• Demonstrated experience securing AI/ML systems or emerging technologies including understanding AI-driven cyber risks.
• Experience building a defensible security posture that withstands external institutional audits and future investment events. 
• Strong executive presence and communication skills with extensive experience presenting to Boards of Directors and executive teams.
• Strategic thinker with strong operational execution capabilities and the ability to manage cyber crisis events and incident response.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven experience with regulated corporate governance functions.
• Familiarity with M&A security integration and scaling.
• Experience governing enterprise AI programs and familiarity with frameworks like the NIST AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF) and ISO/IEC 42001 7.
• Certifications such as CISSP CISM or CRISC.

Additional Information :

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Achieve well-being with:

• 401 (k) with employer match
• Medical dental and vision with HSA and FSA options  
• Competitive vacation and sick time off as well as dedicated volunteer days
• Access to wellness support through Employee Assistance Program physical and mental health wellness programs
• Pet care discounts for your furry family members
• Financial support in times of hardship with our Achieve Care Fund
• A safe place to connect and a commitment to diversity and inclusion through our six employee resource groups

We are proudly offering hybrid options in the Phoenix AZ and San Francisco CA metro markets. 

Salary Range: $275000 - $305000 bonus equity benefits. 

This information represents the expected salary range for this role. Should we decide to make an offer for employment well consider your location experience and other job-related factors.

Join Achieve change the future.

At Achieve were changing millions of lives.
From the single parent trying to catch up on bills to the entrepreneur needing a loan for the next phase of growth youll get to be a part of their journey to a better financial future. Were proud to have over 3000 employees in mostly hybrid and 100% remote roles across the United States with hubs in Arizona California and Texas. We are strategically growing our teams with more remote work-from-home opportunities every day to better serve our members. A career at Achieve is more than a jobits a place where you can make a true impact have a sense of belonging establish a fulfilling career and put your well-being first.

Attention Agencies & Search Firms: We do not accept unsolicited candidate resumes or profiles. Please do not reach out to anyone within Achieve to market your services or candidates. All inquiries should be directed to Talent Acquisition only. We reserve the right to hire any candidates sent unsolicited and will not pay any fees without a contract signed by Achieves Talent Acquisition leader.

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Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time