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Van Andel Institute · 3 days ago

Director of Cybersecurity

Van Andel Research Institute

Full-time

Onsite

Director/Executive

8+ years exp

Van Andel Institute (VAI) is a world-class biomedical research institute dedicated to improving human health. They are seeking an experienced and strategic Director of Cybersecurity to lead and mature the Institute’s enterprise cybersecurity and data protection program, responsible for setting cybersecurity strategy and ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of VAI’s systems.

Health Care

Growth Opportunities

H1B Sponsor Likely

Responsibilities

Develop, execute, and continuously refine VAI’s enterprise cybersecurity strategy and multi-year roadmap aligned with organizational risk tolerance and business priorities

Serve as the Institute’s senior cybersecurity leader and subject matter expert, advising executives and stakeholders on risk, threats, and mitigation strategies

Lead and chair the Cybersecurity Committee, including agenda development, facilitation, follow-through, and executive reporting

Establish, maintain, and enforce cybersecurity policies, standards, and procedures aligned with NIST-CSF and other applicable frameworks

Identify cybersecurity, data protection, and privacy risks; assess impact and likelihood; and implement pragmatic, risk-based controls

Partner with internal stakeholders to understand regulatory, contractual, and research-related security obligations and ensure appropriate controls are in place

Oversee security operations, including threat detection, vulnerability management, and security monitoring capabilities

Lead the development, testing, and execution of incident response, disaster recovery, and business continuity plans

Ensure timely, clear communication during security incidents, including executive briefings and post-incident reviews

Evaluate, select, and implement security technologies that enhance VAI’s cybersecurity posture

Review and assess vendor contracts and third-party relationships to manage cybersecurity and data privacy risk

Collaborate with procurement, legal, and IT to embed security requirements into vendor lifecycle processes

Translates cybersecurity strategy into executable roadmaps and ensures disciplined delivery across multiple concurrent initiatives

Coordinates cybersecurity projects across IT, research, legal, and compliance stakeholders to ensure alignment and successful outcomes

Plans, executes, and tracks cybersecurity projects from initiation through closure, ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery

Manages project dependencies, risks, and milestones across security operations, infrastructure, compliance, and incident response efforts

Partner closely with IT leadership and project teams to embed security by design into systems, processes and initiatives

Ability to translate strategic cybersecurity priorities into actionable project and support related deliverables

Communicate cybersecurity posture, risks, and progress to executive leadership in clear, actionable terms

Foster a culture of security awareness and shared accountability across the organization

Qualification

Cybersecurity StrategyGovernance Risk ComplianceIncident ManagementCybersecurity FrameworksCISSP CertificationData PrivacyProject ManagementAnalytical SkillsCommunication SkillsCollaboration Skills

Required

Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Cybersecurity, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience

Minimum of 8 years of experience in information technology, including:

At least 5 years in cybersecurity and/or data security

At least 3 years in data privacy or closely related risk domains

Minimum of 3 years of experience leading cybersecurity or information security programs and teams

CISSP required; CISM strongly preferred

Demonstrated knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks such as NIST-CSF, ISO/IEC 27001, and COBIT

Preferred

Experience in scientific research, pharmaceutical, healthcare or other regulated industries

Strong executive presence with the ability to influence, advise, and challenge constructively

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate technical risk into business impact

Strong strategic and tactical project management capabilities

Proven ability to collaborate across technical and non-technical teams

Strong analytical, documentation, and problem-solving skills

Experience facilitating committees, leading cross-functional initiatives, and managing vendor relationships

Company

Van Andel Institute

Van Andel Institute is an independent biomedical research and science education organization in Grand Rapids, MI.

Founded in 1996

Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

201-500 employees

https://www.vai.org/

H1B Sponsorship

Van Andel Institute 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 (26)

2024 (12)

2023 (27)

2022 (27)

2021 (15)

2020 (15)