IT Security Architect / Engineer – Contract Role (6 Months)
Summary
Six-month remote contract as Head of Information Security, defining and governing security strategy, governance, and Azure tenant security architecture during a business carve-out and tenant separation. Core work spans IAM/Zero Trust design, SOC and incident response setup, and risk/compliance frameworks.
This is a remote position.
- Define, maintain, and communicate the organization's information security strategy, policies, standards, and control framework.
- Establish and lead the Information Security Program, ensuring alignment with business objectives, regulatory obligations, and industry best practices.
- Obtain executive leadership approval for security initiatives and ensure ongoing alignment with Board-approved risk appetite.
- Develop and maintain security governance structures, reporting mechanisms, and decision-making forums.
- Create and manage security policies, standards, procedures, and governance documentation.
- Own the security architecture and design for the new Azure tenant environment.
- Define and implement identity and access management controls, conditional access policies, privileged access management, and Zero Trust security principles.
- Ensure security requirements are embedded into the design and deployment of all new platforms and services.
- Establish tenant security boundaries and governance controls to support secure business separation.
- Deliver a Day-1-ready security architecture that supports business operations immediately upon transition.
- Ensure security-by-design principles are applied throughout the carve-out and migration lifecycle.
- Review, challenge, and approve migration and transformation initiatives from a security risk perspective.
- Identify and remove inherited security dependencies on the source organization.
- Provide security oversight and assurance across all technology workstreams involved in the separation program.
- Validate security controls before, during, and after migration activities.
- Maintain governance over identity services, authentication mechanisms, access controls, and tenant security boundaries.
- Ensure appropriate segregation of duties and least-privilege access principles are implemented.
- Oversee the establishment of secure identity management processes and privileged access controls.
- Govern user lifecycle management and access certification processes.
- Lead Security Operations Center (SOC) onboarding and operationalization activities.
- Establish security monitoring, detection, alerting, and response capabilities.
- Define and implement incident response procedures, escalation paths, and crisis management processes.
- Ensure effective integration of security operations with business and IT support functions.
- Coordinate security incident investigations and post-incident reviews.
- Establish and maintain the organization's security risk register.
- Define the compliance baseline and security control requirements applicable to the new organization.
- Conduct risk assessments for technology, business, and transformation initiatives.
- Monitor compliance with regulatory, contractual, and internal security requirements.
- Report security risks, compliance status, and remediation activities to executive stakeholders.
- Information Security Strategy and Roadmap
- Security Policies, Standards, and Governance Framework
- Azure Tenant Security Architecture (Day 1 Ready)
- Identity and Access Management Governance Model
- Security Risk Register and Compliance Baseline
- Security Operations Center (SOC) Operating Model
- Incident Response and Escalation Framework
- Security Assurance and Risk Assessments for Migration Activities
- Tenant Separation Security Controls and Governance
Requirements
- Minimum 10+ years of relevant experience required.
- Extensive experience leading enterprise information security programs.
- Strong expertise in Microsoft Azure security architecture, identity management, and Zero Trust principles.
- Proven experience supporting mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, carve-outs, or tenant separation initiatives.
- Experience establishing security governance, risk management, and compliance frameworks.
- Strong understanding of SOC operations, incident response, and cyber security monitoring.
- Experience engaging with executive leadership, boards, regulators, and external auditors.
- Information Security Governance
- Security Architecture
- Azure Security & Cloud Security
- Identity & Access Management (IAM)
- Zero Trust Architecture
- Risk Management
- Regulatory Compliance
- Security Operations (SOC)
- Incident Response
- Stakeholder Management
- Program Leadership
- Security-by-Design