Program Director

Ports North; New York (NY); On-site; USD 106,000 - 143,000; Full time

Job summary

Ports North is seeking a seasoned Program Director/Project Lead to spearhead a comprehensive enterprise security initiative in a large academic environment. This remote role requires strategic leadership and hands-on program management to drive multiple workstreams strengthening technology, processes, and governance.

The successful candidate will engage senior leadership, faculty, and IT staff, pairing communication with deep security expertise to drive disciplined execution and a resilient

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience leading enterprise-wide technology/security programs, ideally in complex, decentralized organizations.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication; ability to influence and present to senior leadership and diverse stakeholders.
• Experience navigating academic or similarly decentralized environments with tact and credibility.

Responsibilities

• Act as strategic director and hands-on lead for enterprise-wide security initiatives across infrastructure, applications, data, identity, processes, and governance.
• Partner with AVP and senior leadership to define priorities, align stakeholders, and ensure execution of initiatives.
• Provide program-level direction and long-term planning (6+ months), including milestone-driven execution (30/60/90-day goals) with measurable outcomes.
• Lead enterprise-wide security assessment of CU's technology landscape and deliver remediation recommendations.
• Define and oversee the CU Security Operations roadmap; drive multi-phase initiatives to strengthen security posture.
• Manage detailed project planning, execution, and monitoring of multiple workstreams (updates, architecture reviews, process improvements, governance changes).
• Coordinate with external partners (security vendors, legal advisors, consultants) to ensure cohesive strategy and execution.
• Deliver transparent reporting, risk identification, and mitigation strategies to senior leadership.
• Build relationships across administrative and academic units to adopt improved security practices with minimal disruption.
• Ensure accountability and timely delivery while maintaining high standards of quality and compliance.

Skills

Enterprise security leadership

Program management

Stakeholder engagement

Security frameworks

Cloud security

On-premise data center

Governance

Risk management

Job description

Title: Project/Program Lead, Enterprise Security Initiatives

Location: Remote

Client Industry: Education

Compensation: 90/hour

We are seeking a seasoned Program Director/Project Lead to spearhead a comprehensive enterprise security initiative. This role requires both strategic leadership and hands-on program management to drive multiple workstreams focused on strengthening technology, processes, practices, and policies across a large, complex academic environment.

The successful candidate must demonstrate exceptional communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to engage confidently with senior leadership, faculty, IT professionals, and staff at all levels. They should pair this strength with deep expertise in enterprise security and a proven ability to drive disciplined, results-oriented execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as both a strategic director and hands-on lead for enterprise-wide security initiatives across infrastructure, applications, data, identity, processes, and governance.
• Partner directly with the AVP and senior leadership team to define priorities, align stakeholders, and ensure execution of agreed-upon initiatives.
• Provide program-level direction and long-term strategic planning (6+ months), including milestone-driven execution (e.g., 30/60/90-day goals) with measurable outcomes and progress tracking to:
  • Lead a comprehensive enterprise-wide security assessment of CU's technology landscape
  • Perform gap analyses and deliver actionable remediation recommendations
  • Define and oversee the CU Security Operations roadmap
  • Drive multi-phase initiatives (technical, process, organizational) to strengthen enterprise security posture and ensure sustainable resilience
• Manage detailed project planning, execution, and monitoring of multiple concurrent workstreams, including:
  • Software and systems updates
  • Technical architecture and deployment reviews
  • Process and policy improvements
  • Organizational and governance changes
• Coordinate closely with external partners (security vendors, legal advisors, consultants) to ensure cohesive strategy and execution.
• Deliver transparent reporting, risk identification, and mitigation strategies to senior leadership.
• Build strong relationships and alignment across administrative and academic units, ensuring adoption of improved security practices and minimizing disruption to core operations.
• Ensure accountability and timely delivery while maintaining high standards of quality and compliance.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience leading enterprise-wide technology/security programs, ideally in complex, decentralized organizations.
• Demonstrated track record in both strategic program leadership (director-level) and hands-on project management.
• Expertise in enterprise security initiatives across all layers of technology and operations.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills; proven ability to influence, facilitate consensus, and present effectively to senior leadership and diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to navigate organizational dynamics (academic or similar environments) with tact, diplomacy, and credibility.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills, able to manage competing priorities under pressure.
• Deep knowledge of enterprise security frameworks (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001, CIS Controls).
• Strong understanding of on-premise data center and hosting environments.
• Strong understanding of Cloud Security (M365, Azure, AWS, GCP) and endpoint management.
• Ability to translate technical security concepts into business terms for non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education, research institutions, or other highly decentralized environments.
• Familiarity with IT risk management, compliance frameworks, and regulatory standards.
• Experience coordinating with external law firms, consultants, or third-party vendors in security engagements.