Head of Enterprise Security Engineering and Operations

Role: Head of Enterprise Security Engineering & Operations 

Location: Central Park, Leopardstown, Dublin 18 (Hybrid)

Technology Overview

AIB has a Technology Workforce of ~2,500, made up of ~1,000 AIB staff supplemented by Service Provider Partners and Contractors.  With a Technology function established over 50 years ago, there is a long pedigree of Technology enablement across the Bank and a strong working relationship between Technology and all Business areas – co-delivering Service and Change to support our Customers.  On-going investment and continuous hiring has ensured that AIB has a modern and resilient estate and a diverse and vibrant Technology Workforce. Across 2021 and 2022, AIB hired ~500 new internal staff within Technology to continue to build capacity and capability for the future.

The Technology Team have a defined Career Structure to support their ambitions, and considerable time and investment is afforded to Learning and Development.  Modern tools and technologies, coupled with hybrid working and a culture of professionalism, hard-work, teamwork, customer-focus and fun provides a strong foundation for new hires and existing staff to flourish and grow.

In 2022, AIB launched a Technology Transformation programme which includes a significant focus on implementing Agile work practices for the delivery of Technology change, across the Bank.  While Agile practices have been used before, this will embed fully across all domains and will transform all elements from Planning to Delivery, across all levels of the organisation from the top-level Executive Committee to all teams. 

AIB originally developed all Technology solutions in-house, and over-time has migrated to modern, package solutions – most recently across Payments, Digital Business Banking, Workflow and Business Process Management – and currently in train for Core Banking and Credit Systems.  Some in-house systems will remain but the remaining legacy estate will be simplified in line with the defined Technology and Business Strategy.

Technology is structured across a number of pillars – Channels, Business Platforms, Data & Analytics, Strategy & Transformation, Digital Resilience and of course Infrastructure and Cloud Engineering.

Digital Resilience and Cybersecurity

As AIB continues its progress in transforming to a digitally led bank, Cybersecurity is one of the highest risks to the bank’s operating model. As a key pillar of risk in the bank’s operational risk profile, having a comprehensive and robust Digital Resilience and Cyber Security strategy is essential. AIB has consistently invested in Cyber Security for over 12 years running strategy cycles across 2 years, with significant milestones achieved to strengthen our capabilities. As the business strategy evolves, we will continue to invest in Digital Resilience and Cyber across the four dimensions, people, processes, technology, and data, ensuring that we are keeping our Customers and the Bank safe. 

The Role:

Reporting to AIB Group’s Chief Information Security Officer, this senior role will be at the forefront of protecting digital assets and will assume leadership of a new Enterprise Security Engineering and Operations function. The role holder will be responsible for bridging and facilitating the needs of the wider Technology & Business functions to implement security capability, optimise and improve its adoption in an agile manner.

The role holder will help shape the next phase of the Bank’s Digital Resilience strategy, iteratively improving security capability and aligning our security product choices to north star patterns. They will be fully accountable for operating a portfolio of Security and Resilience technologies, enterprise programs and Security Operations, ensuring they are running optimally to protect the Bank and doing so in alignment with product, technology, and business strategies.    

We’re looking for someone who will:

• Be a key member of the Digital Resilience and Cyber leadership team, fostering a culture of collaboration and accountable for influencing the broader adoption of security and resilience capabilities.
• Spearhead the strategy and development towards a best-in-class Security Engineering operating model including shared services capabilities and unified security programs which technology and business teams can depend on.
• Partner with, optimise and enhance relationships with external managed service providers, product teams, architects, and other business departments to engineer solutions which protect the Banks most important information assets and services.
• Embedding risk management principles into Security by proactively leading the assessment of asset values/loss consequences, threats, vulnerabilities, and countermeasures’ effectiveness to maximise efficiencies and contain security related costs driving a culture of accountability and security risk management decision making.
• Providing leadership, oversight and technical security direction and support in the event of cyber incidents, alerts/events and/or related data breaches.
• Implement the cyber product roadmaps and solutions for products, channels, and services, including (Cloud Security, Threat and Vulnerability Management, Identity and Access Management, Data Security, Network Security etc.)
• Adopt agile ways of working in the culture of the function focusing on rigorous measurement, continuous improvement, iterative delivery, and outcome focused results.
• Lead the development of security standards for operating systems, database/middleware, network, endpoint, AI, and cloud that ensures security and reliability of our Technology ecosystem.
• Creating and leading a high performing team that can work cross functionally, driving clear and consistent rhythms of communication and inter-departmental leadership providing clarity, direction and fostering innovation.

You will need to show us that you can/have:

• Minimum 10 years in a leadership role in financial institutions or in other information-intensive industries or digitally advanced enterprises
• Proven Experience of navigating complex (matrix) organization structures and managing internal senior stakeholders
• Progressive and effective leadership experience in leading cross-functional teams and enterprise-wide programs, operating and influencing effectively across the organization and within complex contexts.
• Experience in managing a distributed team across multiple partners and geographies working to agile methodologies.
• Extensive experience in cybersecurity and technology deployment, including familiarity with developing business requirements and designing application, network, and data management platforms in-house and “in-cloud.” Background in production operations is a plus and demonstrable leadership capabilities is a must.
• The business acumen to identify business needs, evaluate emerging technology trends, determine policy implications, and advance potential solutions in cyber protection, technology deployment and infrastructure protection.

Why join us?

AIB is a dynamic and diverse place to work. We are changing from the inside out to become a bank people can believe in. And by people, we mean our employees as well as our customers.

In each team you’ll find leaders who focus as much on people as they do on function. Here, anyone who is responsible for managing people is called a people leader, not a manager. That shows our commitment and focus on the development and engagement of the people who work here.

We call our Diversity & Inclusion plan iMatter – because that is our aim.  No matter who we are, where we are from, how we look, we all make a difference. You’ll find a mix of age, race and gender, where everyone has an opportunity to reach their potential. You’ll find a culture of openness, positivity and respect where everyone has a voice.

If you feel you have what it takes, Click Apply and fill in the online application form. If you would like more information on the role you can contact the recruitment team by email at careers@aib.ie