Practice Director, Cyber and Information Security Services
About Toptal
Toptal is a global network of top talent in business, design, and technology that enables companies to scale their teams, on-demand. With $200+ million in annual revenue and team members based around the globe, Toptal is the world’s largest fully remote workforce.
We take the best elements of virtual teams and combine them with a support structure that encourages innovation, social interaction, and fun. We see no borders, move at a fast pace, and are never afraid to break the mold.
Job Summary:
In response to our clients’ overwhelming demand for exceptional talent in new areas, we are expanding the breadth and depth of our Technology Services offerings to further fuel that growth. As Practice Director of Cyber and Information Security Services, you will own this practice and be responsible for all aspects of its growth. You will define ambitious goals, chart a course, and be empowered to work across organizational lines to build a world-class practice.
This leader will be a proven expert in Cyber and Information Security with a deep understanding of target buyers, their priorities, and the trends impacting them. The right candidate for this role will have served in a leadership role in Information Security Services or been an advisor/consultant to those who have. Their knowledge will inform decisions including which services/solutions we build-out, how we price/package what we do, and how we create a competitive value proposition now and in the future to meet changing market needs.
This is a remote position. Applicants must be authorized to work in the US at the time of hire. Resumes and communication must be submitted in English.
Responsibilities:
The following information is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or required skills.
You will be responsible for building and running Toptal’s Cyber and Information Security Services practice. This includes:
- Strategy: Which clients and buyers do we target and what problems do we help them solve.
- Offering Development: Develop attractive, scalable offerings that resonate with specific customer segments.
- Go-to-Market: Take services and offerings to market; first, by leading from the front to establish product-market fit with our clients, and then by working with our Practices Operations team to scale adoption and the commercial impact of offerings.
- Marketing: Develop thought leadership and campaigns that highlight our competitive differentiation, elevate our reputation in the market, attract great talent to our network, and generate leads for sales.
- Sales: Understand current and future demand and enable, educate, and directly support the salesforce to best position this practice. Lead client conversations, presenting Toptal’s point-of-view and asking exploratory questions to understand client needs better.
- Managing the Business: Lead the business from a sales, revenue, and profitability perspective by understanding the key P&L levers.
- Delivery: Drive the success of consulting projects by owning both sales and delivery end-to-end. Lead and inspire high-performing teams, craft innovative frameworks, and take an active role in delivering impactful results. You’ll seamlessly blend sales and execution to create exceptional client outcomes.
- Talent: Ensure our talent network is prepared to meet the demands of the market (e.g., the right skills in the right capacities) as well as foster an ongoing sense of community amongst the network of professionals in this practice area.
This role is highly collaborative and will work extremely closely with our Marketing, Sales, Delivery, and Talent Operations teams to fulfill the above responsibilities.
In the first week, expect to:
- Onboard and integrate into Toptal; meet your colleagues.
- Learn about Toptal’s history, culture, and vision, with a focus on the state of our industry, Toptal’s operating model, and the core messages important to Toptal.
- Shadow critical teams throughout the organization to learn Toptal’s core operations and capabilities.
In the first month, expect to:
- Begin developing relationships with key leaders and stakeholders across the organization.
- Dive deeper into the operations of key teams (e.g., Sales, Talent Operations) across the company.
- Conduct a comprehensive review of the current demand in your practice area, talent that exists already in the network, and any work we may already be doing / have done.
- Articulate a hypothesis about where you want to take the practice (strategy) and design experiments / build execution approaches to get there.
In the first three months, expect to:
- Be a well-integrated member of the organization with positive relationships in Sales (Enterprise/SMB), Marketing, and Talent Operations.
- Be in front of clients on a regular basis to hear from them firsthand.
- Build your practice and begin positively impacting revenue growth.
In the first six months, expect to:
- Have moved from purely planning to execution.
- See an impact from your involvement in early initiatives.
In the first year, expect to:
- Feel like you made the best decision of your career.
- Increase the growth rate of Toptal materially.
Qualifications and Job Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree is required, MBA preferred.
- 15+ years of experience in cybersecurity, information security, or risk management, with at least 5+ years in a leadership role within information security services.
- 3+ years managing a business, preferably with P&L responsibility, and proven track record for overseeing financial performance, identifying areas for improvement, and driving profitability and growth.
- Proven ability to build and scale cybersecurity service offerings in a consulting, technology services, or enterprise environment.
- Deep expertise in security frameworks (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001, CIS, SOC 2, GDPR, CMMC, HIPAA, HITRUST).
- Strong understanding of cloud security, network security, application security, and threat intelligence.
- Experience with security tooling, including SIEM, endpoint protection, identity & access management, and vulnerability management.
- Knowledge of emerging trends in AI security, zero-trust architectures, and supply chain security.
- Experience with enterprise network monitoring, network security controls, and secure network design.
- Understanding of network segmentation, microsegmentation, and network access control (NAC).
- Expertise in security risk assessments, penetration testing, incident response, and compliance consulting.
- Ability to develop strong relationships with enterprise clients and executives to drive cybersecurity consulting engagements.
- Proven ability to lead collaboratively and operate in a high-growth environment.
- Skilled in articulating a strategy with a strong, agile execution plan.
- Comfortable with rolling up your sleeves to do the work, demonstrating traction, and building a team over time.
- Demonstrated success in making data-driven decisions and defining key metrics to measure progress.
- Ability to walk in the shoes of your audience in order to understand their challenges, develop and execute an approach to solve them, and articulate the solution in a clear and compelling way.
- Strong ability to translate complex security concepts into actionable business strategies for non-technical stakeholders.
- Refined relationship development & leadership skills with a track record of success in building credibility across all levels of an organization. You can develop positive relationships across the business to partner on key initiatives and gain consensus on processes and strategies.
- Strong problem-solving skills and a data-driven decision-making approach.
- Confidence in your analytical abilities, with proven success in delivering results in ambiguous and sophisticated project efforts.
- Skilled in the art of communicating (written and verbal) with both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, rapidly growing company and handle a wide variety of challenges, deadlines, and a diverse array of contacts.
- You must be a world-class individual contributor to thrive at Toptal. You will not be here just to tell other people what to do.
Essential Job Functions
- Regularly and reliably attend scheduled virtual team meetings on camera.
- Work independently with minimal supervision.
- Use all required digital collaboration tools.
- Prioritize and self-manage workflows and deadlines.
US FLSA Classification: Full-Time/Exempt
This position receives a base salary and is also eligible to receive a discretionary bonus. The US-based salary range for this full-time position is $200,000 - $270,000 per year. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.
Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Please note that the US-based salary range does not include the value of Toptal’s benefit offerings. In the US, Toptal’s benefit offerings include participation in a 401(k) retirement plan; medical, dental, and vision health insurance plans; basic life insurance coverage and short-term and long-term disability coverage; access to flexible spending, dependent care, and health savings accounts; access to telehealth virtual doctors; an employee assistance program; and flexible paid time off.
