WHAT DOES A HEAD OF SECURITY DO?

Published: Apr 25, 2025 - The Head of Security manages ISMS compliance, oversees security certifications, and drives continuous improvement in information security processes across the organization. This role leads risk management initiatives, coordinates security awareness programs, and ensures secure operations through effective governance and incident management. The head also provides senior management with regular updates on security performance and supervises a team of information security specialists.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Head of Security

1. Head of Security Duties

  • Thought Leadership: Contribute thought leadership and counsel in all areas of safety and security as it relates to the company and its locations
  • Stakeholder Partnership: Partner with General Managers, station heads of technology, and other stakeholders at Company sites
  • Security Policy Development: Plan, develop, and implement physical security guidelines, policies, and procedures employing an understanding of security business controls, strategies, and methodologies
  • Access Control Management: Ongoing security in key areas, such as access control and video management systems at all facilities, technical security and early-warning systems
  • Emergency Response Planning: Emergency planning and response, managing major medical incidents or acute threats, etc.
  • Threat Identification: Develop and implement a proactive process for identifying threats/risks, including those from social media interactions
  • Crisis Preparation: Preparing for response and coordination
  • Incident Database Management: Maintain a database of security incidents and threats to understand and mitigate risks
  • Security Metrics Development: Develop security metrics to assist in understanding the spectrum, frequency, and trends of security/safety incidents
  • Incident Report Review: Review, edit, and approve draft incident reports and develop metrics to measure safety and security effectiveness
  • Government Relations: Work with various government agencies and local law enforcement to foster and maintain a positive working relationship
  • Investigation Guidance: Guide sites on conducting safety and security investigations
  • Emergency Coordination: Coordinating with law enforcement, emergency services, building/landlord security, and relevant government agency professionals regularly
  • Best Practice Recommendation: Recommend industry best practices and available applications, hardware, and tools to protect physical facilities and staff

2. Head of Security Details

  • Security Strategy Development: Cooperate with CTO and IT Managers to establish infrastructure and application security strategies and standards
  • Policy Implementation: Implement IT Security policies to protect from data breaches and leaks
  • Team Building: Build, manage a security team and prepare a security roadmap
  • Security Standards Enforcement: Implement security standards with the Development and Operations Teams
  • Cloud Collaboration: Collaborate closely with Google Cloud Security Product, Product Marketing and Cloud Sales Leadership
  • Cross-Functional Leadership: Serving as a key cross-functional representative and point of contact on all things Google Cloud Security Sales Strategy
  • GTM Strategy Shaping: Shape the Google Cloud Security Sales GTM through opportunity assessment, modeling resource allocation, goal setting, and creating the Google Cloud Security compensation/incentive design
  • Global Initiative Leadership: Lead and partner cross-functionally on global Google Cloud Security Sales initiatives as appropriate, ensuring effective execution and tracking
  • Project Management: Lead and project manage global Google Cloud Security GTM projects within and across teams in Google Cloud
  • Metrics and Analytics: Work with Google Cloud Security Product Leadership to define metrics and develop analytics, reporting, and dashboards
  • Sales Insights Delivery: Deliver insights and recommendations from Google Cloud Sales that inform product management discussions and decisions

3. Head of Security Responsibilities

  • Security Vision Setting: Partner with the CISO leadership team to set and drive a comprehensive, multi-year security vision and strategy enterprise-wide
  • Policy Management: Set and manage enterprise security policies, technical standards, exceptions, and mitigating controls requirements
  • Risk Management Partnership: Partner with internal stakeholders to drive an integrated Enterprise Security Risk Management program
  • Security Framework Ownership: Own and manage a tailored security control framework that addresses Gartner’s business risks, emerging/targeted threats
  • Compliance Achievement: Achieving client and industry standards and regulatory compliance requirements
  • Risk Review Ownership: Own and drive a technical security risk review process to ensure platforms and applications are securely designed
  • Vendor Risk Oversight: Partner with internal stakeholders to oversee and manage the vendor risk management, business resilience, and vulnerability management programs
  • Control Audit Management: Manage a continuous enterprise security control audit/testing program to expeditiously identify and resolve control deficiencies
  • Awareness Program Leadership: Oversee an enterprise-wide security awareness and training program
  • Access Management Oversight: Oversee identity and access management operations processes

4. Head of Security Job Summary

  • ISMS Coordination: Coordination of all ISMS and all associated documentation and materials to manage the Information Security audit and certification process (e.g., ISO-27001)
  • Governance Compliance: Provide governance within ISMS to ensure compliance
  • Security Objectives Progress: Drive progress against Information Security objectives
  • Project Management: Manage various Information Security projects and initiatives
  • Risk Management Ownership: Ownership of Information Security risk management processes
  • Security Reporting: Provide relevant MI to senior management and report regularly about ongoing security efforts and initiatives
  • Continuous Improvement: Work across Quantexa to identify areas for continuous improvement and any compliance concerns
  • Team Management: Day-to-day line management of a small team of Information Security specialists
  • Procedure Execution: Management and timely execution of all day-to-day security procedures (security incident management, information transfer etc), allowing the business to operate efficiently in a secure manner
  • Security Architecture Assurance: Assure the security architecture and design patterns for all IT and Cloud systems deployed and used by Quantexa
  • Subject Matter Expertise: Provide subject matter expertise and a point of escalation for any requests for information from parties who have an interest in ISMS
  • Supplier Assurance Management: Manage the supplier assurance process, including pre- and post-contract assessment of suppliers
  • Security Training Coordination: Coordinate security awareness and training activities across the organisation

5. Head of Security Accountabilities

  • TVA Platform Enhancement: Continued focus on enhancing and maturing the TVA platform and efficacy of each input as a key driver of the quarterly top risks certification program, leveraging Data Science techniques
  • Security Intelligence Strategy: Defining, maintaining and implementing the strategy for the Security Intelligence program, inclusive of Threat Intelligence, Ethical Hack, Threat Hunting and Threat and Vulnerability Assessment (TVA)
  • Cross-Team Partnership: Partnering with the Security Operations Center (SOC), Security Platforms and Security Engineering teams
  • Actionable Intelligence Delivery: Provide actionable intelligence to program owners and integrate knowledge of the current MassMutual environment using Business Acumen into intelligence recommendations
  • Regulatory Compliance: Interpret DOE Orders and ensure compliance with DOE Orders, NFPA, state and federal requirements
  • Emergency Strategy Development: Develop, approve, and implement technical and administrative emergency management strategies, policies, and procedures for the protection of LLNL employees, facilities, and intellectual property
  • Executive Direction: Provide executive direction to staff regarding proposed rules, regulations, and standards affecting LLNL's emergency management programs
  • Emergency Management Compliance: Determine applicability and compliance and ensure adequate processes and interfaces are codified and functional to manage events ranging from small to large-scale regional emergencies
  • Stakeholder Relationship Building: Establish and foster effective partnerships and relationships with LLNL customers, stakeholders, state, federal, and local agencies, community, and public affairs
  • Technical Advice Presentation: Present and explain technical information and provide advice to management
  • Performance Management Oversight: Oversee the Department's performance management, salary management, and ranking
  • Recruiting and Career Development: Manage hiring and recruiting and hiring activities including career development of Emergency Management Department employees to ensure their success, as well as succession planning
  • Policy Implementation Oversight: Provide oversight responsibility to ensure implementation of LLNL policies regarding ES&H, EEO/AA, diversity, and business practices
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