VP – Data Security (Permanent – Onsite – Dallas, TX)

An opportunity has come through our network for a Vice President of Data Governance & IT Controls at a leading financial services institution. This permanent, onsite position is based in Dallas, Texas, requiring candidates to be located in (or willing to relocate to) the DFW Metroplex and work onsite 5 days per week. This executive role is absolutely pivotal, as you’ll be responsible for overseeing the monitoring, testing, and validation of all data-related IT controls, ensuring data is managed with the utmost security, accuracy, and compliance with rigorous regulatory and internal standards.

The successful candidate will lead strategic efforts to evaluate and strengthen the firm’s data governance framework, with a sharp focus on critical areas like data integrity, access controls, data classification, data lineage, and comprehensive data lifecycle management. This is a full-time, direct-hire opportunity; candidates seeking C2C/C2H employment will not be accommodated.

What You’ll Be Doing: Shaping Data Governance and IT Controls

As the VP – Data Security, you’ll be at the forefront of protecting one of a financial institution’s most vital assets: its data. Your responsibilities will combine strategic leadership with deep technical oversight, ensuring a robust and compliant data environment across the enterprise.

• Lead Comprehensive Data Governance Control Testing: You’ll spearhead the development and execution of a comprehensive data governance control testing program. This includes meticulous testing of controls related to data access, ensuring only authorized personnel and systems interact with sensitive information. You’ll also rigorously test data quality controls to guarantee accuracy and reliability, data retention controls to adhere to policy, and data protection controls (like encryption and masking) to safeguard sensitive information. Your leadership ensures these controls are effective and meet the highest standards.
• Oversee Monitoring and Validation of IT Controls: You will provide critical oversight for the monitoring and validation of IT controls specifically related to data platforms, data warehouses, and cloud-based data environments. This involves implementing robust monitoring systems, analyzing control performance metrics, identifying deviations, and ensuring that all data-related IT controls function as intended across diverse technological landscapes.
• Collaborate on Policy Implementation and Testing: You’ll foster strong relationships and collaborate extensively with data stewards, compliance teams, and internal/external audit teams. This partnership is crucial for ensuring that data governance policies are not only effectively implemented but also rigorously tested. Your collaboration bridges the gap between policy definition and operational reality, confirming adherence to data management principles.
• Ensure Alignment with Regulatory Requirements: You will hold ultimate responsibility for ensuring strict alignment with complex regulatory requirements governing data in the financial services industry. This includes deep familiarity and compliance with standards such as SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act), GLBA (Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act), GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), and SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) guidelines. Your vigilance is critical in mitigating legal and financial risks.
• Maintain Documentation and Audit Evidence: You will meticulously maintain comprehensive documentation and evidence of all control testing activities. This involves creating detailed records of test plans, test cases, results, identified issues, and remediation efforts. This rigorous documentation is essential for supporting both internal and external audits, demonstrating a robust control environment and transparent compliance practices.
• Provide Executive-Level Reporting on Data Control Effectiveness: You’ll be responsible for preparing and confidently presenting insightful executive-level reports on data control effectiveness, overall risk posture, and remediation progress. These reports will translate complex technical and compliance information into clear, actionable intelligence for senior leadership, enabling informed strategic decision-making and resource allocation.
• Champion Best Practices in Data Governance: You will actively champion the adoption of best practices in data classification, metadata management, and data lifecycle governance across the organization. This involves promoting data literacy, advocating for standardized data definitions, ensuring clear data lineage, and guiding teams on secure and efficient data handling from creation to destruction. Your leadership will foster a strong data-driven culture.
• Manage and Mentor a Team: You will directly manage and mentor a team of dedicated data governance analysts and IT control testers. This includes providing strategic direction, setting performance goals, fostering skill development, conducting regular reviews, and building a high-performing team committed to excellence in data security and compliance.

What You Bring: Qualifications for Executive Data Leadership

To excel as a VP – Data Security, you’ll need extensive experience in IT risk, audit, or data governance within financial services, combined with deep technical understanding and proven leadership.

• Educational Background: You must possess a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Information Systems, Data Management, or a related field. This academic foundation provides the essential theoretical knowledge for advanced data governance and IT controls in an enterprise setting.
• Extensive Financial Services Experience: You have 10+ years of verifiable experience in IT risk, audit, or data governance specifically within the financial services sector. This extensive background is crucial for understanding the unique regulatory landscape, data complexities, and risk appetite of the industry.
• Strong Understanding of Data Architecture and Cloud Environments: You possess a strong understanding of data architecture, including enterprise data models, data warehousing concepts, and data lakes. Crucially, you have deep familiarity with various data platforms and cloud-based data environments (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP data services), understanding their security implications and management complexities.
• Proven Control Evaluation and Audit Experience: You have proven experience in control evaluation, demonstrating your ability to assess the design and operating effectiveness of IT controls. This includes expertise in various testing methodologies and hands-on experience with audit processes, both internal and external, within a highly regulated environment.
• Required Professional Certifications: You must hold a professional certification that validates your expertise in risk, audit, or data management. This includes CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor), CDMP (Certified Data Management Professional), or an equivalent certification such as CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) or CRISC (Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control). These credentials demonstrate recognized industry expertise.
• Deep Familiarity with Key Frameworks: You possess deep familiarity with industry-standard frameworks such as NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology), COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies), ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library), and various financial regulatory frameworks. This knowledge ensures your approach to data governance and IT controls is aligned with global best practices.
• Excellent Communication and Stakeholder Engagement: You bring excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills. You have the ability to articulate complex technical findings and data risks into clear business insights for diverse audiences, including executive leadership, legal teams, and technical staff. This is crucial for building consensus and driving compliance initiatives.

Preferred Skills: Enhancing Your Leadership Profile

While the above are essential, the following skills and experiences would further strengthen your application:

• Experience with Data Governance Tools: Experience with specialized data governance tools such as Collibra, Informatica, or Alation would be a significant plus, indicating hands-on familiarity with platforms that manage metadata, data lineage, and data quality.
• Familiarity with GRC Platforms and Automated Testing: Familiarity with broader GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) platforms and automated control testing solutions would be beneficial, demonstrating an understanding of how technology can streamline risk and compliance processes.
• Knowledge of Data Privacy and Cross-Border Compliance: Specific knowledge of data privacy regulations (e.g., CCPA, GDPR, international data transfer laws) and cross-border data compliance issues would be highly advantageous in a global financial institution, ensuring adherence to complex international data residency and protection rules.