Arcanys is a high-growth Swiss software development partner with a 300+ person operation in the Philippines. We are looking for a Fractional CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) to transition our security posture to enterprise-grade.
Who you are (Requirements):
- Proven experience leading security governance in mid-sized companies (200–500 employees), including SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification, ideally in outsourcing/software services companies.
- Strong technical foundation across SDLC, CI/CD security, and cloud platforms (AWS, Google Workspace).
- Effective communicator and mentor, able to explain security concepts to both junior technical staff and non-technical stakeholders.
- Experience handling client security audits and vendor assessments.
- Experience working with distributed teams (Europe/Asia/Australia) and with early-stage startups is a plus.
- Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CISM, or CISA preferred.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Security Strategy
- Design a 12-month security roadmap that balances Swiss Quality expectations with the agility of a software outsourcing firm.
- Establish a Risk Register and prioritize remediation based on business impact.
2. Mentorship & Team Elevation
- Act as the direct mentor to our IT Manager, transforming technical tasks into security controls.
- Establish Security Office Hours to train our lead developers on secure coding (OWASP) and DevSecOps.
3. Cross-Border Compliance
- Ensure all data handling meets the European GDPR, the Philippines Data Privacy Act and the Australian Privacy Act standards, among other regulations.
- Standardize our response to client security questionnaires to accelerate the sales cycle.
4. Incident & Policy Management
- Draft and implement core policies (Incident Response, Access Control, BCP/DR) that are practical, not just theoretical.
- Oversee the selection and implementation of essential security tools (EDR, SIEM, Vulnerability Scanners) without over-complicating the stack.
5. Venture Portfolio Security & Advisory
- Define a Right-Sized security framework for Arcanys Ventures portfolio companies, ensuring they have essential protections without stifling their growth or speed.
- Assist the leadership team during the investment process by evaluating the technical security and data privacy risks of potential new ventures.
- Act as a fractional advisor for our startups, helping their founders establish basic security policies, data privacy compliance (GDPR/DPA), and a Security by Design culture from day one.
