Application Security Head

Responsibilities

Leadership and Strategy Development:

• Oversee the organization's application security initiatives, ensuring alignment with business goals and risk management strategies.
• Define and implement strategies to protect applications across their entire lifecycle—from design to deployment and beyond.
• Manage and mentor a team of application security professionals, including security engineers and analysts, to build a robust application security culture within the organization.
• Collaborate with senior management, development teams, product teams, and IT to ensure alignment on security priorities and initiatives.
  
  

Risk Management

• Evaluate the security posture of applications and assess potential risks, such as data breaches, vulnerabilities, and exploitation tactics.
• Proactively identify potential threats and assess how the application's architecture could be targeted by cybercriminals.
• Develop and recommend remediation strategies to minimize risk exposure.
  
  

Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)

• Ensure that security is embedded throughout the software development lifecycle (SDLC), including design, coding, testing, and deployment.
• Perform code reviews, static/dynamic analysis, and penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities in applications.
• Work with developers to integrate secure coding practices, secure design principles, and appropriate security controls into application development.
  
  

Application Security Testing And Tools

• Oversee the implementation and execution of security testing activities, such as automated scanning, vulnerability assessments, and penetration testing.
• Select and implement the appropriate security tools (e.g., Static Application Security Testing (SAST), Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST), Software Composition Analysis (SCA)) to identify vulnerabilities in applications.
• Coordinate remediation efforts and track the status of vulnerabilities found in applications, ensuring timely fixes.
  
  

Compliance And Governance

• Ensure that applications meet industry standards and regulatory requirements related to application security, such as GDPR, PCI DSS, HIPAA, or SOC 2.
• Develop and enforce security policies, standards, and best practices for secure application development and deployment.
• Conduct regular audits of applications and security programs, and report security metrics to management and external auditors.
  
  

Incident Response And Threat Intelligence

• Lead efforts to investigate and respond to application security incidents, including identifying root causes and preventing future occurrences.
• Stay up-to-date on the latest trends in application security vulnerabilities, exploits, and attack techniques, and adjust strategies accordingly.
• Work with the broader cybersecurity team to coordinate responses and communicate the impact and mitigation steps to internal and external stakeholders.
  
  

Training And Awareness

• Provide regular security training sessions for developers, QA engineers, and other relevant teams to foster a culture of security awareness.
• Educate and advocate for secure coding standards and practices across development teams.
• Promote awareness around secure application development and threat landscapes to improve organizational security culture.
  
  

Collaboration With Other Security Teams

• Collaborate with the infrastructure security team to ensure that application security integrates well with network security, endpoint security, and cloud security.
• Engage in or facilitate red teaming exercises to assess application vulnerabilities and ensure security resilience in real-world attack scenarios.
  
  

Tool Selection And Automation

• Implement security automation tools to help streamline security testing and vulnerability management.
• Continuously evaluate and refine application security practices, tools, and workflows to improve efficiency and security coverage.
  
  

Vendor And Third-Party Risk Management

• Ensure that third-party applications and services used by the organization meet security standards and are regularly assessed for vulnerabilities.
  
  

Evaluate and assess the security of third-party suppliers, vendors, and contractors who provide software or services to the organization.

Qualifications

Educational qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Cybersecurity, or a related field Master's degree or relevant certifications in Cybersecurity or Technology Management (preferred)
• Certifications: Certifications in Cybersecurity such as CISSP, CISM, or equivalent Additional certifications in emerging technologies and innovation management (desired)
  
  

Work Experience (Range In Years)

Minimum 15+ years of experience in the Cybersecurity industry

Demonstrated track record of leadership in driving technological advancements and innovation

Proven experience in product development and implementation within the cybersecurity domain.