Information Security Lead

William Blair; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k)

Paid time off

Job summary

William Blair is seeking an Information Security Lead to manage governance, incident response, and strategic risk across the firm. Reporting to the Director of Information Security, you will own policy framework, roadmap, and regulatory requests while coordinating with stakeholders to mitigate risk.

You will lead incident response operations, run tabletop exercises, oversee the security awareness program, and manage client and vendor security due diligence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree in cybersecurity or a related field.
• 6–8 years of progressively responsible information security experience.
• Relevant certifications: CISSP, CISM, CISA, CRISC, GSEC, GCIH, CompTIA Security+, or PMP.
• Knowledge of NIST Cybersecurity Framework and risk governance.

Responsibilities

• Draft and maintain security policies, standards, and guidelines aligned with the firmwide framework.
• Lead governance maturity assessments and report status and risks.
• Manage incident response plans, runbooks, and ransomware templates.
• Coordinate regulatory, audit responses, and industry engagements.
• Oversee security awareness training and metrics.

Skills

Governance & risk

Incident response

Security awareness

Client & vendor due diligence

Regulatory & audit engagement

Risk assessment

Project management

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in cybersecurity or related field

Tools

Power BI

GRC platforms

Microsoft Office

Job description

Solutions for Today’s Challenges. Vision for Tomorrow’s Opportunities.

Join William Blair, the Premier Global Partnership.

The Information Security Lead is accountable for key components of the firm’s Information Security governance and incident response programs. Reporting to the Director of Information Security, the role independently manages the security policy framework, maturity assessments, incident response, security awareness, client and vendor due diligence, and policy exceptions. The Lead serves as the operational lead for cybersecurity incidents, maintains the Information Security roadmap, supports regulatory and audit requests, and works with stakeholders across the firm to identify and mitigate risk.

Governance and Risk Management

• Draft, maintain, and administer Information Security policies, standards, and guidelines aligned with the firmwide security framework, and advise stakeholders on implementation requirements and resource needs.
• Lead governance maturity assessments, including NIST Cybersecurity Framework reviews for Information Security, and report status, risks, dependencies, and decisions required.
• Maintain the Information Security roadmap and improvement initiatives, tracking progress and escalating priority or funding decisions.
• Monitor security reporting with the IT team, identify trends, and recommend risk-mitigation actions.
• Administer the policy-exception process and related reporting dashboards, including Power BI.

Incident Response

• Develop, maintain, and test incident response plans, runbooks, playbooks, and ransomware response templates.
• Serve as the operational incident lead, coordinating response activities, communications, evidence, decision, and documentation; elevate major incidents and external communications to the Director of Information Security.
• Lead post-incident risk assessments and root‑cause analyses and track corrective actions through completion.
• Plan and lead tabletop exercises and simulations, including annual cybersecurity and ransomware, business continuity, vendor, and employee group exercises, and report outcomes and recommended improvements.
• Manage the brand and executive impersonation program and support insider threat monitoring.

Security Awareness

• Manage the security awareness program, including new-hire and ongoing employee training, and use completion and results metrics to recommend program improvements.

Client and Vendor Due Diligence

• Own the client security due diligence workflow, coordinating stakeholder review and escalating material risk positions to the Director of Information Security.
• Lead initial and ongoing vendor security assessments in partnership with the Risk Management team.

Regulatory, Audit, and Industry Engagement

• Manage Information Security responses to regulatory and audit information requests.
• Participate in industry working groups and translate cybersecurity developments into recommended actions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s and or Master’s degree in cybersecurity, information security, computer science, information systems, or a related field.
• 6-8 years of progressively responsible experience in information security, cybersecurity, technology risk, or security governance.
• One or more relevant certifications, held or in progress: CISSP, CISM, CISA, CRISC, GSEC, GCIH, CompTIA Security+, or PMP.
• Working knowledge of security governance and control frameworks, particularly the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Teams, SharePoint) and reporting tools such as Power BI.
• Experience in financial services or another regulated industry, working across a matrix organization.
• Experience using governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) platforms to document risks, controls, exceptions, incidents, and remediation.
• Experience leading security governance or maturity assessment projects.
• Strong analytical and risk‑assessment skills, with sound judgment when managing incidents, exceptions, and material risks.
• Clear written and verbal communication, including the ability to translate technical issues into business‑risk language and executive‑ready materials.
• Strong project‑management, organization, and documentation skills, with a high degree of professionalism, discretion, and attention to detail.
• Ability to collaborate with technical and nontechnical stakeholders and to facilitate exercises, training, and discussions.

A reasonable estimate of the current base salary range at time of posting is below. Base salary does not include other forms of compensation or benefits. Actual base salary within the specified range is based on several factors, including but not limited to applicant's skills, prior relevant experience, specific degrees and certifications, job responsibilities, market considerations and, if applicable, the location of the position.

This role is eligible for either a discretionary annual bonus (based on company, business unit and individual performance) and/or commission‑based incentives.

Our featured benefit offerings include medical, dental and vision coverage, employer paid short & long‑term disability and life insurance, 401(k), profit sharing, paid time off, Maven family & fertility benefit, parental leave (including adoption, surrogacy, and foster placement), as well as other voluntary benefits.

Salary Range

$120,000—$150,000 USD

About Our Firm

William Blair strives to attract qualified candidates who specialize in investment banking, investment management, private wealth management, and other strategic resource groups. We are committed to empowering our colleagues to deliver client success and engage in our communities. Our firm has delivered trusted advice for nine decades, continuing to deepen our expertise and relationships across asset classes and markets throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. We provide advisory services, strategies, and solutions to meet clients’ evolving needs amid dynamic market conditions and varying industries. What sets us apart is that we are an independent partnership, with colleagues who have unique experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. We empower our people to bring their best thinking so we can deliver the tailored, thoughtful work and problem‑solving abilities that our clients expect. We invite you to learn more about us by visiting williamblair.com.

William Blair is an equal opportunity employer. It complies with all laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in employment practice because of race, color, religion, creed, ancestry, marital status, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, unfavorable discharge from the military service or on the basis of a physical or mental disability that is unrelated to the employee's ability to perform the duties of the job applied for. EOE m/f/d/v

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