Position Overview

The Director of IT & Governance is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing enterprise IT operations, security, and governance across a multi-business-unit portfolio. This role combines hands-on IT leadership with formal governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) ownership, ensuring that IT environments are secure, scalable, cost-effective, and aligned with corporate and regulatory standards.

The Director will work closely with executive leadership, business unit IT leaders, and M&A teams to define and execute IT strategy, enforce governance frameworks, and support organic and acquisitive growth. This role requires deep technical experience across infrastructure and cloud platforms, paired with strong expertise in cybersecurity frameworks, audits, and compliance.

Key Responsibilities

IT Leadership & Portfolio Oversight

· Provide overall leadership and oversight of IT operations, infrastructure, and data security across all business units.

· Support and mentor Business Unit IT leaders, ensuring consistency, best practices, and alignment with portfolio standards.

· Develop and execute a portfolio-level IT strategy that enables autonomy at the business unit level while maintaining governance and security standards.

· Oversee IT infrastructure investments, asset management, and modernization initiatives, including cloud platforms (Azure, AWS).

· Track and manage portfolio IT spend, identifying opportunities for consolidation, optimization, and cost efficiency.

· Establish IT reporting and dashboards reviewed regularly with executive leadership.

· Establish, maintain, and continuously improve a comprehensive IT governance framework aligned with:

o Vela standards

o CIS v8

o ISO 27001, GDPR, and other applicable regulations

· Define, document, and enforce policies, procedures, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) across all business units.

· Drive consistent implementation of security and governance frameworks while respecting operational differences across businesses.

· Embed governance principles into IT operations, strategic initiatives, and M&A activities.

Security Audits & Risk Management

· Design and lead a portfolio-wide audit program assessing IT governance, security posture, and cyber risk.

· Conduct regular audits to validate compliance with internal frameworks and external standards.

· Partner with IT leaders and business stakeholders to remediate findings and reduce risk.

· Present audit outcomes, risk assessments, and recommendations to executive leadership.

Mergers & Acquisitions

· Serve as a key IT and governance leader within the M&A process, including:

o IT and security due diligence

o Risk identification and mitigation planning

· Develop IT and security integration and compliance checklists for new acquisitions.

· Lead or support post-close IT integration efforts to ensure governance alignment and risk reduction.

· Balance speed of integration with operational stability and security requirements.

Operational Excellence & Enablement

· Define metrics to measure the effectiveness of IT, security, and governance initiatives.

· Lead training and enablement efforts to ensure IT staff and business leaders understand governance and security expectations.

· Facilitate regular collaboration forums with Business Unit IT leaders to share best practices and lessons learned.

· Continuously evaluate and improve IT and governance processes to enhance efficiency, resilience, and scalability.

Qualifications & Experience

Education & Certifications

· Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or a related field.

· Advanced certifications strongly preferred (e.g., CISSP, CISM, CRISC, ITIL).

Professional Experience

· 10+ years of progressive IT experience, including infrastructure, systems, and network architecture.

· Proven experience in senior IT leadership roles within complex or multi-entity organizations.

· Strong hands-on experience with cloud hosting environments (Azure, AWS) and vendor management.

· Demonstrated success implementing and operating Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) frameworks.

· Experience leading or supporting global IT teams.

· Direct involvement in IT due diligence and post-acquisition integration.

Core Competencies

· Strategic IT and governance leadership

· Enterprise security and risk management

· Strong executive communication and stakeholder management

· Ability to balance autonomy and standardization across business units

· Analytical problem-solving and decision-making at a portfolio level

· Self-starter with strong written and verbal communication skills

Additional Requirements

· Willingness to travel internationally as required.

· Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, acquisitive, decentralized environment.