The Rockefeller University · 2 days ago
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) | Information Technology
New York, NY
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
$200K/yr - $245K/yr
10+ years expThe Rockefeller University is seeking a strategic and forward-thinking Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) to lead and manage the university’s information security program. The CISO will build upon the university’s current security strategy to safeguard sensitive research data and infrastructure, while ensuring compliance with federal regulations and advancing business goals.
Education
Responsibilities
Define and lead the university’s enterprise-wide information security strategy to support and advance research and business goals
Develop, implement, and maintain policies and procedures aligned with research compliance, grant requirements, and federal regulations (e.g., NIST 800-171, NIH GDS, , GDPR, FISMA)
Identify and assess cybersecurity risks to scientific data, research systems, and enterprise infrastructure. Work with stakeholders to communicate, manage, and mitigate risks
Work with Human Resources, the Office of General Counsel, external partners, and other stakeholders to support litigation hold implementations
Oversee cybersecurity incident response planning activities; investigate and manage response to security breaches as needed
Continuously evaluate and improve defenses against evolving threats, including those driven by generative AI and adversarial ML techniques
Implement scalable DevSecOps pipelines for secure code development, vulnerability scanning, and automated compliance testing
Stay abreast of how AI is both leveraged for cyberattacks (e.g., phishing, deepfakes, LLM-based social engineering) and as a defensive tool (e.g., anomaly detection, threat intelligence)
Cultivate a campus-wide culture of cybersecurity awareness through regular training and communication
Provide tailored guidance to faculty, lab managers, and data custodians handling sensitive and/or regulated datasets
Manage audits and assessments of security posture and readiness
Support and champion the university’s data classification program; additional duties and special projects as assigned
Qualification
Required
Master's degree in computer science, cybersecurity, information systems, or a related field
A minimum of ten (10) years of progressive experience in information security leadership roles
Must possess a deep knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks (e.g., NIST CSF, ISO 27001), federal research security requirements, and risk management practices
Experience with implementing practical security controls in Bring-Your-Own-Device (“BYOD”) environments
Prior experience with securing hybrid (cloud computing and on premises) computing and storage environments
A desire to support the university's goal to embrace a “cloud first” transformative strategy
Familiarity with the cybersecurity implications of artificial intelligence and machine learning
A demonstrated ability to lead diverse technical teams and communicate effectively with researchers, faculty, executives, and auditors
Prior direct support of scientific research infrastructure, including high-performance computing (HPC), lab systems, or genomic data platforms
Prior hands-on experience integrating security into agile development environments
Preferred
Advanced degree is preferred
Prior experience in an academic or biomedical research setting strongly preferred
Experience deploying and managing DevSecOps pipelines and tools (e.g., CI/CD security scanning, container security, IaC validation) is preferred
Relevant certifications preferred (e.g., CISSP, CISM, CCSP, GIAC)
Company
The Rockefeller University
The Rockefeller University is a center for research and graduate education in biomedical sciences, chemistry, bioinformatics, and physics.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
The Rockefeller University has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (73)
2024 (56)
2023 (43)
2022 (69)
2021 (47)
2020 (27)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$5.2MKey Investors
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
2020-01-01Grant· $2.7M
2015-01-01Grant· $1.5M
2012-01-01Grant· $1M
Leadership Team
Audrey Goldfarb
Co-founder, RU peer mentorship program
Ashton Murray, PhD
Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Recent News
News-Medical.Net
2025-11-23
2025-11-19
Company data provided by crunchbase