Security Officer
Protect a European research organization's most sensitive data, intellectual property and innovation assets as its senior security leader. You will define the security strategy, lead a dedicated security office and build trust across cyber, physical and knowledge domains.
CONTEXT
Our client, a major player in its sector, is a European research organization whose discoveries depend on protecting sensitive data, intellectual property and long-term research assets. Innovation cannot flourish without trust: partners, researchers, regulators and the public must know that valuable knowledge is safeguarded. The organization is therefore creating a stronger, centralized security function that spans information, cyber, physical and knowledge security. This is a rare opportunity to shape security from the top, with direct visibility to executive leadership and a mandate to protect the future of scientific advancement.
ACTIVITIES
- Define and implement the organization-wide security strategy, policies, standards and security measures.
- Lead the Security Office, coordinating security professionals and embedding security into daily operations.
- Assess risks across information, cyber, physical and knowledge security domains.
- Advise executive leadership and report directly to the CEO on security posture, incidents and strategic priorities.
- Coordinate with internal departments, research teams, legal, IT and external authorities.
- Develop awareness programmes, incident response plans and crisis management procedures.
- Ensure compliance with relevant regulations, partner requirements and best practices.
- Drive continuous improvement through audits, metrics, threat intelligence and lessons learned.
EXPECTED ACHIEVEMENTS
- A coherent security framework protects critical research assets without slowing down innovation.
- Security risks are identified earlier, escalated clearly and managed with executive-level ownership.
- The organization becomes a trusted partner for research collaborations, funding bodies and public authorities.
- Employees and researchers adopt secure behaviours as part of the culture, not as an afterthought.
ENVIRONMENT
Information security, cybersecurity, physical security, knowledge security, risk management, policy development, incident response, crisis management, compliance, audits, threat intelligence, executive governance, cross-functional coordination, external authorities, research and innovation context.