Sr. Consultant - Strategy & Risk | Remote, USA

Optiv; Leawood (KS); Remote; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work

Training resources

Volunteer opportunities

Job summary

Optiv is seeking a Sr. Consultant – Strategy & Risk to lead strategic cybersecurity engagements and guide clients in risk, compliance, and governance initiatives.

You will assess current-state capabilities, design target-state models, and develop multi-year roadmaps aligned with frameworks like NIST/ISO, while communicating outcomes to executives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 5-7 years in security consulting.
• Experience leading cybersecurity strategy and transformation engagements.
• Experience designing or maturing enterprise GRC programs.
• Experience with AI governance and AI risk assessments.
• Strong ability to translate risk into business impact.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic cybersecurity advisory engagements.
• Assess current-state and target-state operating models.
• Develop multi-year roadmaps and investment plans.
• Advise on governance, policies, and metrics.
• Conduct risk assessments and compliance mapping.
• Deliver client workshops and executive reporting.

Skills

Cybersecurity strategy

Risk management

GRC frameworks

Executive communication

Workshop facilitation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

GRC tools

Job description

This position will be fully remote and can be hired anywhere in the continental U.S.Optiv’s consultants are skilled technical and consultative resources expected to be strong in both technical and soft skills. The Sr. Consultant – Strategy & Risk, plays a key role in delivering security solutions, conducting risk and compliance assessments and supports client engagements. This position requires a balance of technical skills, strong risk management knowledge, and client facing consulting experience to help organizations improve their security posture and achieve compliance.How you’ll make an impactSupport clients in assessing risks associated with artificial intelligence, including generative AI and third-party AI solutions, and develop actionable governance and risk mitigation recommendations.Assist clients in developing AI governance policies, acceptable-use standards, oversight processes, and controls aligned with their business objectives and risk management programs.Help clients strengthen governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) processes, including risk registers, control mapping, evidence collection, issue management, and remediation tracking.Lead strategic cybersecurity advisory engagements to assess current-state capabilities, define target-state operating models, and develop multi-year cybersecurity and GRC strategies, transformation roadmaps, and prioritized investment plans aligned with business risk and frameworks such as NIST CSF, NIST 800-53, and ISO 27001Advise clients on the design, development, and maturity of enterprise cybersecurity and GRC programs, including governance structures, risk frameworks, control environments, policies and standards, metrics, executive reporting, and program operating models.Design and mature insider risk programs by establishing governance, risk scenarios, monitoring and response processes, and cross-functional operating models that integrate cybersecurity, identity, data protection, HR, Legal, Privacy, and Compliance stakeholders.Assess and develop cyber asset intelligence and attack surface management programs that improve visibility into enterprise technology assets, ownership, criticality, vulnerabilities, exposures, and risk across traditional IT, cloud, SaaS, and other technology environments.Develop executive-level cybersecurity strategies and business cases that translate cyber risk, control gaps, regulatory requirements, and emerging threats into prioritized initiatives, measurable outcomes, investment decisions, and actionable transformation roadmaps.Comfortable delivering independent work or takes the engagement lead for complex projectsActs as engagement escalation point to assist other delivery team consultantsWork closely with clients to define, build and implement security leading practicesConduct risk assessments, security readiness audits, gap analysis with compliance and regulatory frameworksAssess compliance with industry standards and regulatory frameworks, such as, NIST 800-171/53, ISO 27001, COSO, CMMC, HIPAA, PCI, or some combination of theseAssist clients in developing risk management frameworks and mitigation strategiesProvide third-party risk assessments to evaluate client’s supply chain, key vendorsSupport the design and implementation of cybersecurity policies, procedures, and governance frameworksDevelop and refine security strategy assessments, security program plans, and POA&MTranslate security operational and technical risks into business implications with recommendations for stakeholdersConduct workshops, stakeholder interviews, security awareness sessions and presentations with key client stakeholdersCollaborate with Principal Consultants and Technical Managers to support client objectivesMaintain clear documentation and reporting for security findings, analysis and recommendationsStay updated on emerging cybersecurity, risk management, key technologies and regulationsContribute to thought leadership through research, whitepapers and presentationsEffectively provide knowledge transfer and post-production support activities as necessaryWhat we’re looking forBachelor's degree and approximately 5-7 years of related work experience, preferably in a prior consultancy roleExperience leading cybersecurity strategy and transformation engagements, including current-state assessments, target-state capability design, cybersecurity operating models, strategic roadmaps, investment prioritization, and executive-level recommendations.Experience designing, implementing, or maturing enterprise cybersecurity and GRC programs across governance, risk management, controls, regulatory compliance, policy management, risk reporting, and cybersecurity metrics.Experience assessing or developing insider risk programs, including insider threat scenarios, governance, identity and access risks, data protection, behavioral or activity monitoring considerations, investigation and response processes, and cross-functional stakeholder engagement.Experience developing cyber asset intelligence, asset management, or attack surface management capabilities, including asset discovery, ownership, classification, criticality, vulnerability and exposure management, and integration of asset intelligence into cybersecurity risk decisions.Demonstrated ability to advise senior executives and cybersecurity leaders, facilitate strategic workshops, translate complex technical and regulatory issues into business risk, and develop defensible recommendations, operating models, and multi-year transformation roadmaps.Experience supporting AI governance, AI risk assessments, or the evaluation of security, privacy, and third-party risks associated with enterprise AI adoption.Experience translating GRC assessment findings into prioritized remediation roadmaps, governance documentation, and business-focused recommendations.Familiarity with GRC platforms and tools used to manage risks, controls, compliance evidence, and reporting; hands-on experience preferred.Hold or pursue relevant certifications in the cybersecurity and risk management industry such as, CISSP, CISM, CRISC, CCSP, CMMC CCP/CCA, ISO 27001 (Lead implementer)Strong understanding of cybersecurity frameworks (NIST, ISO 27001, CMMC, CIS, PCI, HIPAA, etc.)Hands-on experience with security assessments, risk management, compliance assessments, policy and standards and other related risk and compliance activitiesExperience working in cyber resilience including, Business Continuity Planning, Disaster Recovery, Business Impact Analysis, and Operational Resilience.Strong analytical and problem-solving skills for cybersecurity challengesExcellent communication and report writing skills for client engagementsAbility to manage multiple projects and work independently in a fast-paced environmentWillingness to travel to meet client needsValid driver's license in the USThe successful candidate must hold related professional certifications such as the CISSP, CISM, and/or CISA#LI-SM1#LI-RemoteWhat you can expect from OptivA company committed to our inclusive value through our Employee Resource GroupsWork/life balanceProfessional training resourcesCreative problem-solving and the ability to tackle unique, complex projectsVolunteer Opportunities. “Optiv Chips In” encourages employees to volunteer and engage with their teams and communities.The ability and technology necessary to productively work remotely/from home (where applicable)EEO StatementOptiv is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age 40 and over, marital status, genetic information, national origin, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law.Optiv respects your privacy. By providing your information through this page or applying for a job at Optiv, you acknowledge that Optiv will collect, use, and process your information, which may include personal information and sensitive personal information, in connection with Optiv’s selection and recruitment activities. For additional details on how Optiv uses and protects your personal information in the application process, click here to view our Applicant Privacy Notice. If you sign up to receive notifications of job postings, you may unsubscribe at any time.