Head of Security Engineering

January; New York (NY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

January is transforming consumer finance with data‑driven, security‑mocused solutions that protect sensitive data and build trust with clients. The Head of Security will shape our proactive defense, ensure regulatory compliance, and drive responsible risk management across the organization.

Reporting to the VP of Engineering, you will lead security strategy, mentor a growing team, and oversee IAM, cloud security, AI risk, and the secure development lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Minimum 6+ years in security leadership roles.
• Hands-on cloud security, IAM, and monitoring systems experience.
• Experience in regulated industries (finance, healthcare, payments).
• Proven ability to set security strategy and execute at growth-stage companies.
• Strong communicator and cross-functional collaborator.
• Preferred: understanding of AI/ML risks and their impact on security.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the strategy for security engineering and risk priorities.
• Hire, mentor, and grow the security engineering team as the function scales.
• Lead identity and access management across systems.
• Direct security monitoring, detection, and incident response.
• Own security posture for AI in products and internal tools.
• Manage cloud security architecture and data isolation across multi-tenant platform.
• Own end-to-end vulnerability management with Engineering to bake security into lifecycle.
• Partner with Compliance to support SOC2, PCI, and audits.

Skills

Security leadership

Cloud security engineering

Regulated industries experience

Communication & collaboration

AI/ML risk understanding

Job description

At January, we're transforming the lives of consumers by bringing humanity to consumer finance. Our data‑driven products help financial institutions streamline their collections, offering borrowers straightforward and compassionate solutions to regain financial stability and control over their lives. We're not just expanding access to credit – we're restoring dignity and giving millions of people the chance to achieve financial freedom.

About the Role

As our Head of Security, you'll help us maintain and radically improve a proactive security posture that ensures compliance with industry standards, mitigates real risks, and enhances client confidence in how we handle sensitive data. This role will report directly to the VP of Engineering; expect to drive strategic security initiatives, implement effective monitoring and response systems, and foster a culture of security awareness and excellence within the organization.

What You’ll Work On

• Define and own the strategy for security engineering, deciding where the real risk is and what we do about it.

• Hire, mentor, and grow the security engineering team as the function scales.

• Lead identity and access management across our systems.

• Direct security monitoring, detection, and incident response.

• Own our security posture for AI, in both our products and internal tools.

• Manage cloud security architecture and guardrails, including data isolation across our multi‑tenant platform.

• Own vulnerability management end to end, partnering with Engineering to build security into the development lifecycle.

• Partner with our compliance function to support SOC2, PCI, and other audit and regulatory work.

What You Bring to the Table

• 6+ years of experience in security, including 2+ years in a leadership role.

• Hands‑on software or security engineering background. You've built and run cloud security, identity and access, and detection systems yourself.

• Prior experience working in a regulated industry (financial services, healthcare, payments, etc.).

• Track record of setting security strategy and driving it to execution at an early‑ or growth‑stage company, where you build the playbook yourself.

• Strong communicator and collaborator, with a track record of building trust across Engineering, Product, and other teams.

• Preferred: strong understanding of how AI/ML systems work and where they introduce risk.

We Encourage You to Apply If You Value

• Collaborative Ownership beats Fiefdoms. You step into gaps without being asked. You fix issues. You seek to bring in the right people.

• Speed beats perfection. You make decisions with incomplete information, iterate quickly, and course‑correct based on what you learn. Fast loops beat slow ones.

• Candor beats comfort. You give direct feedback because you care about people's growth. You'd rather hear a hard truth early than a polite sidestep that wastes time.

• Why beats what. You diagnose before prescribing. You're more interested in root causes than symptoms, and you share context so others can make good decisions without you.

We are currently hiring for this position in our New York office.

As a New York City‑based company, we are dedicated to transparent, fair, and equitable compensation practices that reflect our commitment to fostering an environment where all team members are valued and supported. We encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply.

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, age, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic.