Director of IT and Information Security CISO

About Guardz

Established in 2022, Guardz rapidly emerged as a noteworthy player in the cybersecurity sphere, securing $85M in funding and rallying a dedicated team of 100 industry professionals. Our vision is to foster a safer digital landscape for small and medium businesses across the globe. To this end, we introduced our comprehensive all-in-one Secure & Insure platform, and continue to grow and expand our team, our partnerships and our revenue.

Job Overview

We are looking for an experienced Director of IT & Information Security (CISO) to lead Guardz's internal security and IT domain. This role combines hands-on execution with strategic ownership, with a strong focus on protecting the organization's systems, data, and people. You will play a key role in shaping and implementing our security posture, while ensuring a seamless and secure IT environment that supports day-to-day operations and company growth. In addition, you will act as an internal stakeholder for our cybersecurity platform, contributing product feedback based on real-world usage and helping drive continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute Guardz's information security strategy, including risk management, threat detection, and incident response
• Design, implement, and maintain security controls and processes to protect internal systems, data, and production environments
• Drive AI security practices, ensuring safe and effective adoption of AI tools across the organization
• Monitor, detect, and respond to security incidents in a hands-on manner
• Define and enforce security policies, standards, and best practices
• Oversee and manage the company's IT environment, including endpoints, SaaS applications, cloud infrastructure, and identity systems
• Ensure a high-quality employee IT experience, with reliable, secure, and efficient internal services
• Develop and improve IT processes and operations to support business needs
• Lead and mentor a team of Security Engineer and IT Support professionals, while actively contributing to day-to-day work
• Act as an internal "dogfooding" user of the Guardz platform, testing features and providing actionable feedback
• Collaborate closely with Product, Engineering, and Business teams to align security and IT with company priorities

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in cybersecurity, with strong hands-on involvement
• Experience in IT environments and infrastructure management
• Proven experience in a lead or ownership role within security or IT
• Strong knowledge of: Security principles (risk management, incident response, threat detection) and Cloud environments (AWS, GCP, Azure)
• Experience managing or mentoring technical teams
• Strong communication skills and ability to work cross-functionally
• Practical, execution-oriented mindset with attention to detail
• Background in a cybersecurity or SaaS company - advantage
• Relevant certifications (CISSP, CISM, Security+)

Key skills/competency

• Information Security Strategy
• Risk Management
• Incident Response
• Threat Detection
• AI Security
• IT Infrastructure Management
• Cloud Security (AWS, GCP, Azure)
• Team Leadership
• Policy Enforcement
• Security Controls Implementation