Sr. Security Program Manager

Be essential at Cars Commerce

At Cars Commerce, we’re fanatical about simplifying everything about car buying and selling. We do right by our customers and consumers to better connect the industry with simplified and tierless technology to enhance, measure and drive local automotive retail. Whether through our No.1 most recognized marketplace, Cars.com, our industry-leading digital experience, Dealer Inspire, our trade and appraisal technology, AccuTrade, or our new Cars Commerce Media Network, Cars Commerce is essential for success in the automotive industry.

No one ever travels alone here: at its core, Cars Commerce is collaboration. In fact, it’s built into the very fabric of our shared values. We like to say we Rise Together – putting people at the center of what we do, from consumer to customer to community. Life at Cars Commerce makes it easy when we share the ethos to be Open to All, encouraging open-minded communication because we know diverse thinking yields better outcomes. But critical to our success is Caring to Challenge and Taking Ownership, fueling a competitive spirit in a respectful environment where we think about tomorrow but act today. At our foundation, we have integrity, Doing the Right Thing, even when it’s hard. It’s our shared commitment to these values that makes Cars Commerce a place where growth becomes not only possible, but downright unavoidable.

But don’t take our word for it. As a U.S. News & World Report Best Company to Work For in 2024, we're obsessive about the employee experience. We are among the top 20% being declared “Best” of our industry based on six critical factors that are important to employee wellbeing, like quality of pay, benefits, work life balance and more.

About the role

The purpose of the Senior Security Program Manager is to enable the CISO and the executive team to make better decisions, faster. In doing so, Senior Security Program Manager will be responsible for the management of initiatives which are of high priority to the CISO, Leadership Team, and Board. The main objective for this position is to be an extension of the CISO ensuring that strategic and value creation initiatives and projects get executed effectively and efficiently. The Senior Security Program Manager will be a central figure in managing and scaling operations, offering hands-on experience in developing business strategy and overseeing a wide array of critical security projects.

This unique role is meant for a person who will multiply the CISO’s influence and drive maximum impact from his activities. In this position, you will prioritize, nurture, and execute the company’s most important security initiatives with the CISO and the broader leadership team. You will oversee the execution plan and lead the assembly and management of the right teammates & resources to achieve outcomes that matter for the business. This is an amazing opportunity to lead a wide range of critical activities including strategic planning, operational cadence, metrics, internal communications, and cross-functional projects. A successful candidate will be viewed by the entire team as a key person behind the scenes making sure everything in the Cars.com security organization runs smoothly and efficiently.

Responsibilities

Reporting directly to the CISO, this position offers executive-level exposure and cross-departmental experience. The individual will have the opportunity to make impactful contributions as they manage mission-critical initiatives and projects. The position will involve direct interaction with the executive team,and corporate partners.

• Acts for the CISO with other executives in the organization, including clients and/or major stakeholders. Accompanies CISO in strategic meetings to best understand and document action items and design pathways to execute company objectives and team deliverables.
• Serves as a strategic advisor and counsel to CISO, bringing together various stakeholders to drive organizational decisions.
• Sets & manages CISO Communications including external and internal engagement plan, customer visits, external networking, sales support, etc. Facilitate upward communication as requested with Project Sponsors, Executive Leadership and/or Board of Directors.
• Monitors the flow of information: sometimes acting as a gatekeeper, ensuring the CISO’s involvement in a project or decision-making process at the right moment.
• Keeps projects of the CISO’s direct-reports on-point, on-schedule and of high-quality; provides guidance; removes hurdles; handles routine day-to-day matters.
• Continuously considers the cost / benefit of program scope; and coordinates with CISO’s team on this perspective; provides clear documentation and communication of program objectives, activities, and results to a diverse audience of stakeholders.
• Assists in the operational aspects of long-term strategic objectives (including but not limited to revenue generation, technology development, cost and productivity optimization, investment analysis and decision-making) and use that to prioritize the CEO’s engagements and responses.
• Evaluates business unit objectives in accordance with company priorities, markets, and trends; develops and oversees initiatives that proactively address opportunities and threats:
• Collaborates with business partners (Sales, Finance, HR, Operations, Marketing, Product) to determine, develop, and prioritize business and technology strategies.
• Oversees large, often cross-functional organization-wide high-profile projects or initiatives.
• Creates systems and processes to streamline initiatives and priorities.
• Prepares meeting agendas, priorities, and presentation materials.
• Creates business processes and solutions for critical engagements and programs, gaining stakeholder alignment and driving execution tracking.
• Contributes to the establishment of common practices, tools, and templates for portfolio and project management, and ensures adherence to company and legal standards.
• Uses metrics and data visualization effectively to report portfolio/program performance and support decision-making at the team or organizational level.

Preferred Qualifications

• Maturity and credibility to represent Cars Commerce business activities with the most senior leaders internally and externally.
• Is approachable and a natural relationship-builder, applying confidence taking-on the unfamiliar.
• Bachelor's Degree in technology
• Seven years experience in related security and technology fields
• Possesses a detailed understanding of what’s going on in the front line of the business and how that translates to cross functional and company-wide improvements.
• Adapts easily to dynamic, fast-moving environments with changing job responsibilities as the needs of the CISO change.
• Leads by example in demonstrating a bias towards action, decisions over discussion, outcomes over inputs, and business goals over personal preferences.
• Agility to meet changing requirements, deadlines, and priorities.
• Acts as an influencer, driving consensus across cross-functional groups using data and persuasion.
• Demonstrates skill in supporting higher-level executives.

In the spirit of pay transparency, we are excited to share the base salary range for this position which is not inclusive of bonuses, benefits or other forms of compensation that the position may be eligible for. If you are hired at Cars Commerce, your final base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as skills and/or experience. If the salary range is close to what you're seeking, then we encourage you to apply and learn more about the total compensation package for this position.

Our Comprehensive Benefits Package includes:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Healthcare Plans
• 401(k) with Company Match + Immediate Vesting
• New Hire Stipend for Home Office Set-Up
• Employee Stock Purchase Program
• Generous PTO
• Refuel - a service based recognition program where employees receive additional paid time away to learn grow and reset
• Paid Holidays, Floating Holiday, Volunteer Day, Recharge Day
• Learn more about our Benefits, Perks, & Culture on our LinkedIn Life Pages!

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. California Applicants: Click here to review our California Privacy Policy for Applicants. For current employees, please click here to review our California Privacy Policy for Employees.