Head of Security

PortX, Inc.; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 210,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

401(k)

Job summary

PortX, Inc. in Seattle, WA is seeking a Head of Security to own the company’s security posture end-to-end. This hands-on leadership role will build the function from the ground up and prepare for SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certification.

You will lead a small team, partner with Engineering, manage cloud and on‑prem security, drive incident response, audits, and security reviews with customers and auditors.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in information / product security roles, with at least 2 years in a leadership capacity at a SaaS or fintech company.
• Proven track record delivering SOC 2 Type II or equivalent at a company of 50–200 employees.
• Deep hands‑on cloud security experience (AWS) and IAM, plus on‑prem connectivity like VPNs.
• Experience supporting enterprise sales cycles with security docs and customer audits.
• Strong ability to translate risk into business terms for executives and board.

Responsibilities

• Own and evolve the security strategy, roadmap, and risk register; report to leadership and the board.
• Lead all compliance efforts — SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and AI security standards.
• Mature cloud security posture across AWS and on‑prem environments; manage IAC security, secrets, and network segmentation.
• Partner with Engineering to embed security into the SDLC: threat modelling, secure code review, and tooling.
• Own the incident response plan and serve as on‑call escalation for security events.
• Build and run a security awareness program for all staff.
• Manage relationships with MSSPs, pen‑test vendors, and external auditors.
• Support Sales/CS on enterprise security reviews, RFPs, and DPAs/MSAs.
• Hire and grow a small security team (1–2 hires in Year 1).

Skills

Security leadership

SOC 2 Type II

Cloud security (AWS)

IAM / IAM

Secure SDLC / DevSecOps

Incident response

Compliance documentation

Tools

SAST/DAST tooling

VPNs / on‑prem connectivity

IAC security

Job description

Head of Security

Seattle, WA

$210K/yr - $250K/yr

Full-time Hybrid

Overview & Scope

PortX is a leading AI-powered data and integration company for modern banking, bringing systems together and data to life through our unified platform for modern integration, governed customer 360 data, and next-generation payments.

We're in strong growth mode and are hiring our first dedicated Head of Security role in our HQ on Mercer Island, to own the company’s security posture end-to-end. You will build the function from a strong but informal foundation, establish repeatable processes, and position us for SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certification as we quickly scale. This is a hands-on leadership role — you will be both the strategist and, initially, the primary executor running a small but dedicated team.

In addition to a competitive basic salary, benefits include an attractive equity package, insurance (medical, dental, vision), unlimited PTO, and 401(k).

Duties & Responsibili ties

• Own and evolve the company’s security strategy, roadmap, and risk register; report quarterly to leadership and the board.

• Lead all compliance efforts — SOC 2 Type II (in-flight), ISO 27001, applicable AI standards and customer security questionnaires.

• Manage and mature our cloud security posture across AWS and on-premises customer environments, including IAC security, secrets management, and network segmentation.

• Partner with Engineering to embed security into the SDLC: threat modelling, secure code review, SAST/DAST tooling, and pen-test remediation.

• Own the incident response plan; be the on-call escalation point for security events.

• Build and run a lightweight security awareness and training program for all staff.

• Manage relationships with MSSPs, pen-test vendors, and external auditors.

• Support Sales and Customer Success on enterprise security reviews, RFPs, and contractual DPA/MSA negotiations.

• Hire and grow a small but mighty security team (1–2 hires in Year 1) as budget permits

Experience & Qualifications

Required

• 8+ years in information / product security roles, with at least 2 years in a leadership capacity at a SaaS or fintech company.

• Proven track record driving SOC 2 Type II or equivalent compliance at a company of comparable size (50–200 employees).

• Deep hands‑on expertise in cloud security (AWS), identity & access management, and application security as well as on‑premises connectivity e.g. VPNs etc.

• Experience supporting enterprise sales cycles with security documentation and customer‑facing audits.

• Strong communication skills — able to translate technical risk into business language for executives and board members.

Nice to Have

• CISSP, CISM, or equivalent certification

• Background in financial services, banking technology, or regulated data environments.

• Familiarity with PCI‑DSS and banking industry financial regulations.

• Experience building a security function from scratch at high‑growth startup.

Featured Benefits

• Medical insurance

• Vision insurance

• Dental insurance

• 401(k)

PortX complies with industry-standard controls and is SOC2 certified.