Head of Security

Set the security strategy and own the policy framework and risk management program for the business unit, including escalation paths, risk registers, risk acceptance and exception processes, and a metrics-driven reporting cadence for executives and external stakeholders. You will be the accountable owner of the business unit's security posture.

Decide which certifications, attestations, and regulatory frameworks the business needs and see them through to completion, align the program with relevant regulatory requirements, manage third-party and vendor risk, and act as the primary security contact for regulators, auditors, institutional partners, and banking counterparties.

Oversee custody, wallet infrastructure, key management, and hot, warm, and cold wallet operations.

Govern smart contract security through audit requirements, bug bounty programs, and secure release gates; ensure the architecture behind trading, matching, settlement, and withdrawal flows is secure; and drive secure SDLC, vulnerability management, and application security practices.

Own security monitoring and incident response, including crisis playbooks for exploits, key compromise, and market-impacting events. Run tabletop exercises, red team engagements, and penetration testing; coordinate with legal, compliance, communications, and executive leadership on incidents requiring regulatory notification or public disclosure; and oversee security-related business continuity and disaster recovery planning.

Lead a small security function combining direct execution with tooling, partners, and shared services. Manage the security budget, tooling strategy, and vendor relationships; partner with engineering, product, legal, and finance to embed security into how the company builds and operates; and define how the function should grow, hiring selectively as the business scales.

Judgment to determine which frameworks and certifications are warranted for a given stage and market.

Practical judgment about what a lean function should build itself versus draw from shared services, tooling, and partners.

Technical judgment balanced with program-level governance, in a senior, hands-on role with direct visibility to executive leadership.

Comfort working in a lean team and a matrixed environment.

Ability to communicate clearly with engineers, executives, regulators, and auditors.

10+ years in information security, including 5+ years in senior security leadership.

Direct security leadership experience at a centralized exchange (CEX), decentralized exchange (DEX), or comparable digital asset trading or custody platform, including leading incident response through a material security event.

A track record designing and running security governance programs covering policy, risk, audit, and executive reporting, and building or operating compliance and assurance programs.

Strong understanding of crypto-native threats, including private key compromise, smart contract exploits, oracle and bridge attacks, front-end and supply chain compromise, insider risk, and social engineering.

Working knowledge of key management and custody models (HSM, MPC, multisig) and blockchain protocol fundamentals.