Head of Security and IT - Onsite - San Jose CA

At Nile we envision an enterprise network that inherently defends against cyber threats, eliminates lateral attack vectors like ransomware, and operates free of complexity. Our goal is to deliver Campus Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) that makes network operations virtually invisible to our customers by pushing the boundaries of autonomy. Imagine a network that continuously monitors, optimizes, and upgrades itself—all without the need for human intervention. Our audacious journey began in 2018 when we brought together a team of industry veterans and visionaries in networking, cybersecurity, cloud software, and AI to disrupt a $100 billion enterprise networking market, starting with the wired and wireless LAN. Today, our Nile Access Service is redefining connectivity as a service for organizations worldwide, from cutting-edge technology companies to leading healthcare and financial institutions, and beyond.

Where do we go from here? Well, that’s where you come in. We are expanding in all areas, bringing in some of the brightest talent to further shape Nile’s future, prepare for growth, and tackle tough tasks to ensure our momentum never slows.

Head of Security and IT

This role owns Nile’s overall security and internal IT posture, ensuring our controls, tooling, and processes keep pace with industry security standards, customer expectations, and company growth. It is a highly visible position that works closely with senior leadership, Engineering, Cloud Operations, business teams, and has impact over the entire company workforce. Some specific job duties are as follows.

• Own Information Security and IT for Nile, reporting to senior leadership.
• Lead SOC 2 and ISO 27001 programs, including annual audits and penetration tests.
• Evaluate alignment with other compliance requirements such as GDPR, PCI and HIPAA.
• Drive timely, satisfactory responses to security questionnaires from customers.
• Advise software developers and cloud engineering on secure architecture and best practices.
• Oversee IT operations for end-user devices, identity/SSO, and core SaaS systems.
• Manage and mentor a team of 2-3 security and IT engineers, setting priorities and standards, and tracking tasks.
• Run vulnerability management, logging/monitoring, and incident response processes.
• Balance security, cost, and speed appropriate for a high-growth startup environment.
• Champion a practical, security-first culture across the company.

Qualifications

This is a hands-on leadership role responsible for both strategy and day-to-day execution of security and IT at Nile. The ideal candidate combines technical competence with communication and stakeholder management skills.

• 10 years of experience managing Information Security and IT in a small to medium enterprise environment.
• Bachelors or Masters degree in information technology related field.
• Ability to operate independently and influence outcomes.
• Hands-on mindset with willingness to dive into technical details when needed.
• Proven ability to interact smoothly with senior management, peers, and employees across the company.
• Certifications like CISSP or CISM are a plus.
• Experience with FIPS certification is a plus.