Fractional Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

We are seeking an experienced Fractional CISO to provide hands-on security leadership as we evolve our security function to support continued growth and European expansion. This is a permanent fractional engagement reporting directly to the CTO.

You will own our information security strategy, maintain our ISO 27001 certification, build our security roadmap, and prepare the organisation for SOC 2 readiness in 2026-2027. This role requires someone who can operate both strategically and tactically — developing policy one day and reviewing cloud configurations the next.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Governance

• Develop and own the Information Security strategy aligned with ApprovalMax's business objectives and European expansion plans
• Maintain and continuously improve the Information Security Management System (ISMS)
• Create, review, and maintain core security policies, standards, and procedures
• Establish and chair a cross-functional Security Working Group (Engineering, Architecture, IT, HR)
• Build and present a multi-year security roadmap with clear milestones, resource requirements, and priorities
• Serve as the central authority on risk assessment, risk treatment, and risk acceptance decisions
• Assess and provide guidance on secure AI adoption across the organisation, including AI-powered product features and internal AI tooling

Compliance & Certification

• Maintain ISO 27001 certification and prepare for the 2027 recertification audit
• Lead SOC 2 Type II readiness programme (target: 2026-2027), including gap analysis and control mapping
• Ensure compliance with GDPR and data protection requirements across EU/UK/US/AU/NZ/CA/ZA jurisdictions
• Collaborate with external DPO support provider on privacy-related matters and customer security questionnaires as needed

Cloud & Technical Security

• Provide security oversight across Azure, AWS, and Google Workspace environments
• Conduct access reviews and advise on identity and access management best practices
• Evaluate and guide implementation of security tooling (SIEM, vulnerability management, endpoint protection)
• Oversee VMware Workspace ONE MDM deployment and device security policies
• Advise engineering teams on secure SDLC practices, DevSecOps integration, and application security principles

Operational Security

• Develop and maintain incident response plans and procedures
• Lead incident response tabletop exercises and post-incident reviews
• Provide guidance on business continuity and disaster recovery planning
• Advise on vendor security assessments and third-party risk management

Awareness & Culture

• Design and deliver company-wide security awareness training programmes
• Mentor and upskill internal staff on security best practices
• Foster a security-first culture across all departments
• Act as a trusted advisor to leadership on emerging threats and security trends

Stakeholder Engagement

• Report regularly to the CTO on security posture, risks, and programme progress
• Prepare board-level security presentations as required (infrequent)
• Support commercial teams by contributing to customer security discussions when escalated