[Hiring] Senior Director of Information Security @Berklee College of Music

Role Description

The Senior Director of Information Security serves as Berklee’s primary information security authority and hands-on technical leader. Operating in a high-impact, lean team environment, the Sr. Director balances strategic governance, policy development, and budget management with active technical leadership. Reporting to the VP & CIO, the Sr. Director directly supervises the Information Security Analyst and works collaboratively across IT operations to protect Berklee's digital assets, ensure regulatory compliance, and lead incident response efforts.

The Sr. Director possesses a strong technical background in risk management, threat mitigation, and technical controls. As a hands-on leader, they provide strategic vision and technical guidance both to the internal security function and to cross-functional IT operations and engineering teams to build a secure, scalable environment across Berklee’s global networks, applications, and systems.

In partnership with executive leadership and the Office of General Counsel, this role develops, maintains, and enforces the College’s Information Security Policy, standards, and awareness programs to ensure compliance with relevant statutes and regulations. The Sr. Director oversees security system architecture, evaluates emerging technologies, and serves as the primary subject matter expert for enterprise security design.

Additionally, the Sr. Director manages Berklee's overarching IT security strategy, roadmap, and budget. This role requires exceptional communication skills, including the ability to translate complex technical risks into clear concepts for leadership, faculty, staff, and external partners.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive cybersecurity and IT experience, including 3+ years in a team lead or supervisor role.
• Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field (or an equivalent combination of education and experience).
• Demonstrated experience managing enterprise security solutions, SIEM systems, identity and access management (IAM), and cloud security architectures.
• Direct experience leading incident response, threat detection, vulnerability management, and infrastructure risk remediation.
• Proven ability to interpret, implement, and enforce compliance requirements and security standards (e.g., FERPA, PCI-DSS, 201 CMR 17.00, NIST).
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills, including the ability to present security updates to executive leadership and lead vendor contract discussions.

Requirements

• CISSP, CISM, or equivalent professional cybersecurity credentials.
• Master’s degree, MBA, or advanced degree in Information Assurance, Cybersecurity, or Technology Management.
• Experience working within higher education or a similarly decentralized, open-network institutional environment.
• Familiarity with cybersecurity frameworks (ISO 27001, CIS Controls) and higher education security assessment tools (HECVAT).
• Hands-on experience managing IT security budgets, forecasting costs, and negotiating software and service contracts.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace, Rapid Identity, Microsoft 365, Active Directory, endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions, and multi-OS platforms (Windows, Linux).

Benefits

• Exceptional health and dental plans.
• A 403(b) retirement system with matching institutional contributions.
• Tuition benefits for you and your family.
• Extensive paid time off alongside observed holidays and a paid winter break to rest and recharge.

Company Description

Berklee College maintains a global infrastructure. Planned and unplanned work may be required after hours or on weekends. The Senior Director of Information Security may be required to participate in 7x24 on-call coverage. Light physical work as related to server systems may be required. Employees will be required to stand for periods of time or move throughout the college campus, including occasional travel to any off-site hosting facilities.