Information Technology and Security Manager

The NEAR Foundation is unlike anything else. It combines the collaborative community of an open-source project with aspects of developer platforms. This environment provides an experienced IT leader with a unique opportunity to help the NEAR Foundation build its internal Information Technology operations. In this role, the individual will wear a substantial number of hats, including leading a broad set of IT projects, organizing the approach to equipment acquisition and IT budgeting, and being interested in streamlining our current processes.

The Director of Information Technology and Security role will report directly to NEAR Foundation’s Chief Product Officer and actively interface with Pagoda’s CISO and other dedicated security teams within the NEAR ecosystem. We are looking for an experienced Information Technology and Security Director to oversee all IT (Information Technology) functions in our company. The individual will lead a team of IT engineers and analysts managing the company’s technology operations and implementing new IT systems and policies. An excellent IT director is very knowledgeable in IT and computer systems. They have a solid technical background while managing and motivating people. In addition, the ideal candidate will have experience in creating and implementing IT and Security policies, procedures, and systems that will meet objectives. The goal is to ensure IT systems and people are effective and functioning within the limits of budget, time, and specifications of the company.

You will:

• Build a great IT team, ensuring every role and hire reflects the above goals;
• Help choose tools needed for the Foundation and ensure their secure implementation and robust processes;
• Create a program to help employees with their technology and related issues, buy and track gear, help new hires set up laptops, and general desktop support;
• Design and implement IT strategies and infrastructure, as well as analyze business requirements for IT needs and systems;
• Identify and eliminate security risks; Systematically integrate security objectives into operations and processes;
• Oversee all technology operations (e.g. network security) and evaluate them according to established goals
• Analyze the business requirements of all departments to determine their technology needs.
• Purchase efficient and cost-effective technological equipment and software.
• Manage vendor relationships to ensure value and vendors are compliant with company security policies and procedures. Manage vendor auditing schedules for compliance.
• Inspect the use of technological equipment and software to ensure that functionality and efficiency meet with business needs.
• Coordinate IT, staff, and technicians.
• Provide mentorship and career development for junior staff.
• Control budget and report on expenditures.
• Assist in building relationships with vendors and creating cost-efficient contracts.
• Devise and establish IT and Security policies and systems to support the implementation of strategies set by the executive management team.
• Establish and maintain a diverse remote workforce MDM platform.

You have: 

• Proven experience as Information Technology Director or similar role.
• Experience in analyzing, implementing, and evaluating IT systems and their specifications.
• Experience in developing information technology budgets.
• Excellent organizational and leadership skills.
• Outstanding communication abilities.
• Deeply experienced with diverse computer ecosystems, networks, and app-based environments;
• Familiarity with blockchain and open source communities.
• Familiarity with the Secure Software development Lifecycle and CI-CD Pipelines to help create a developer-friendly and welcoming community
• Experience in hiring and managing a lean Information Technology team;
• Ability to work across other teams like Engineering, Legal, Compliance, and Marketing with a shared sense of purpose – Interpersonal skills are a must.
• Great communicator, calm under pressure, and be capable of juggling multiple priorities. Willing to run toward problems.
• Service-oriented and capable of interfacing with company team members with a wide range of technical knowledge and experiences.
• Familiarity with endpoint configuration and management, identity and access management, and SAAS platform configuration.
• Experience establishing a rigorous process of continuous control monitoring to ensure ongoing control implementation to meet security objectives. Must have in-depth experience with various cybersecurity frameworks; (NIST 800-53, COBIT 5, ISO 27001: 2013, HITRUST,GDPR, CCPA)
• Experience with Governance, Risk Management, and Compliance for diverse industries.
• Capable of developing and managing corporate risk register and periodic risk assessments.
• Experience building, managing, and monitoring various SIEM SAAS products and XDR tools, both COTS and Open Source.
• CISSP or CISM and one or more public cloud certifications.

We value

• ECOSYSTEM-FIRST: always put the health and success of the ecosystem above any individual’s interest
• OPENNESS: operate transparently and consistently share knowledge to build open communities
• PRAGMATISM OVER PERFECTION: find the right solution not the ideal solution and beat dogmatism by openly considering all ideas
• MAKE IT FEEL SIMPLE: strive to make the complex feel simple so the technology is accessible to all
• GROW CONSTANTLY: learn, improve and fail productively so the project and community are always becoming more effective

NEAR is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. NEAR is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, please let your recruiter know during the interview process.