Torchora
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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Security Planner

💰 $110,000 - $165,000

CybersecurityITStrategy & Planning

🎯 Role Definition

The Security Planner is the forward-thinking architect of our organization's cybersecurity future. This role moves beyond day-to-day incident response to focus on a strategic, long-term vision for security. You will be instrumental in developing, refining, and overseeing the implementation of our multi-year security roadmap, ensuring our defenses are not only robust today but are also prepared for the threats of tomorrow. By translating business objectives and risk appetite into a tangible security strategy, you will build the foundational blueprint that guides our technology, processes, and people, ensuring a resilient and secure operating environment.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Senior Security Analyst
  • IT Auditor / GRC Analyst
  • Network or Systems Engineer with a security focus

Advancement To:

  • Senior Security Planner or Security Strategist
  • Security Architect
  • Director of Security Strategy or CISO

Lateral Moves:

  • Enterprise Architect
  • Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) Manager
  • Cybersecurity Consultant

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop, document, and champion a comprehensive, multi-year enterprise cybersecurity strategy and roadmap, aligning security initiatives with overarching business goals and digital transformation efforts.
  • Conduct in-depth analysis of the evolving threat landscape, industry trends, and emerging technologies to proactively identify future security requirements and potential risks to the organization.
  • Lead strategic planning workshops and sessions with cross-functional leadership (including IT, Legal, HR, and business units) to define security needs and integrate security into the fabric of all business processes.
  • Design and document target-state security architectures for cloud, on-premise, and hybrid environments, ensuring new solutions are implemented according to best practices and strategic security principles.
  • Perform comprehensive gap analyses of the current security posture against industry-standard frameworks like NIST CSF, ISO 27001/2, and CIS Controls to identify areas for improvement and investment.
  • Evaluate, recommend, and justify new security technologies, services, and vendors through rigorous proof-of-concept (PoC) engagements, cost-benefit analyses, and formal reports to senior management.
  • Define and create metrics, KPIs, and dashboards to measure the effectiveness of the security program and communicate progress on the strategic roadmap to executive stakeholders.
  • Author and maintain a library of high-level security policies, standards, and strategic documents that govern the organization's approach to information protection.
  • Collaborate with finance and security leadership to develop and manage the cybersecurity program's budget, including forecasting future needs and creating business cases for new security investments.
  • Serve as the primary security planning consultant for major IT and business projects, ensuring that security is considered and baked into the design phase, not bolted on as an afterthought.
  • Translate complex technical security concepts and strategic plans into clear, compelling narratives for non-technical business leaders to garner support and drive decision-making.
  • Drive the creation and maintenance of the organization's Threat Model, identifying key assets, threat actors, and attack vectors to prioritize defensive measures.
  • Plan and coordinate the lifecycle management of security technologies, including roadmaps for upgrades, replacements, and decommissioning of legacy systems.
  • Assess the security implications of mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, developing integration or separation plans that maintain or enhance the organization's security posture.
  • Foster a culture of security by design and strategic foresight within the broader technology and security teams, mentoring others on long-term planning principles.
  • Interface with internal and external auditors and regulatory bodies, providing evidence and articulation of the strategic security plan and its alignment with compliance requirements.
  • Develop strategic responses and long-term remediation plans for significant security incidents or newly discovered systemic vulnerabilities.
  • Research and maintain a deep understanding of Zero Trust architecture principles and develop a phased roadmap for its adoption across the enterprise.
  • Plan for the security of emerging technology domains, such as IoT, OT, and AI/ML, by creating specific strategies and control requirements.
  • Lead the security workstream in business continuity and disaster recovery planning, ensuring that security considerations are fully integrated into the organization's resiliency strategy.

Secondary Functions

  • Serve as a subject matter expert and strategic advisor on security planning and architecture for internal projects and external inquiries.
  • Develop and deliver high-impact presentations on the security strategy, progress, and emerging threats to diverse audiences, from the board of directors to engineering teams.
  • Assist in crafting the organization's public-facing statements and internal communications regarding security posture and strategy.
  • Mentor junior security team members on security principles, planning methodologies, and strategic thinking to cultivate talent within the organization.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Cybersecurity Frameworks: Deep expertise in implementing and assessing against frameworks such as NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), ISO 27001/27002, CIS Controls, and COBIT.
  • Security Architecture & Design: Proven ability to design secure architectures for cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP), on-premise, network, application, and data environments.
  • Risk Management & Assessment: Strong knowledge of risk assessment methodologies (e.g., FAIR, OCTAVE, NIST SP 800-30) and the ability to quantify and articulate risk in business terms.
    slug: security-planner
  • Threat Modeling: Proficiency in threat modeling methodologies like STRIDE or PASTA to identify and mitigate security flaws during the design phase.
  • Cloud Security: In-depth understanding of cloud-native security controls, IAM, container security (Docker, Kubernetes), and serverless security.
  • Network Security Principles: Comprehensive knowledge of network segmentation, firewalls, IDS/IPS, VPNs, SASE, and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA).
  • Identity and Access Management (IAM): Strategic understanding of IAM principles, including federation (SAML, OAuth, OIDC), privileged access management (PAM), and identity governance.
  • Data Protection: Familiarity with data classification, encryption-in-transit/at-rest, data loss prevention (DLP) technologies, and privacy-enhancing techniques.
  • Technical Writing: Ability to produce high-quality, clear, and concise documentation, including policies, standards, roadmaps, and architectural diagrams.
  • Business Case Development: Skill in financial modeling and building compelling business cases to justify significant security investments.

Soft Skills

  • Strategic Thinking & Vision: Ability to see the big picture, anticipate future trends, and create a long-term plan that aligns with business outcomes.
  • Communication & Influence: Exceptional ability to articulate complex ideas clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences and to influence decision-making at all levels.
  • Stakeholder Management: Adept at building relationships, managing expectations, and navigating the political landscape to achieve consensus and drive initiatives forward.
  • Analytical Problem-Solving: A structured and methodical approach to breaking down complex problems, analyzing data, and developing logical, data-driven solutions.
  • Project Management Fundamentals: Strong organizational skills to manage multiple strategic initiatives simultaneously, from conception to completion.
  • Adaptability & Continuous Learning: A passion for staying current with the fast-paced evolution of cybersecurity threats, technologies, and best practices.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's Degree or equivalent professional experience in a relevant field.

Preferred Education:

  • Master's Degree in Cybersecurity, Information Security, or Business Administration (MBA).
  • Relevant industry certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CRISC, or SABSA.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Computer Science / Engineering
  • Information Security / Cybersecurity
  • Business Information Systems

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 7-12 years of progressive experience in cybersecurity or a related IT field.

Preferred: A minimum of 3-5 years in a role focused on strategic planning, security architecture, or senior-level security analysis. We're looking for someone with a demonstrated track record of developing and successfully championing an enterprise-wide security roadmap.

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