Global Technical Information Security Officer (m/w/d) - Job Opportunity at Global Chemical Distribution Company (via Hays AG)

Essen, Germany
Full-time
Senior
Posted: June 1, 2025
Remote
EUR 130,000 per year

Benefits

Comprehensive remote work flexibility enabling maximum work-life balance and talent retention in competitive cybersecurity market
Flexible scheduling arrangements supporting productivity optimization and personal commitments management
Corporate pension scheme providing long-term financial security and competitive retirement planning benefits
Extensive health and fitness programs demonstrating employer investment in employee wellbeing and reducing healthcare costs

Key Responsibilities

Lead and strategically develop IT security professionals to build world-class cybersecurity capabilities and organizational resilience
Spearhead global automated penetration testing implementation project, establishing continuous security validation frameworks that reduce manual testing costs by 60-80%
Architect and deploy comprehensive security frameworks for hybrid cloud and on-premise environments, ensuring seamless protection across distributed infrastructure
Integrate advanced security requirements into DevSecOps pipelines, enabling secure continuous delivery and reducing security debt accumulation
Fortify ERP systems and supply chain security against sophisticated threats, protecting critical business operations and partner relationships
Execute comprehensive technical risk assessments and develop actionable mitigation strategies that align with business objectives and regulatory requirements
Design and implement crisis response protocols including purple team exercises, ensuring organizational preparedness for advanced persistent threats
Ensure compliance with complex regulatory frameworks including GDPR, SOX, EU NIS2.0, ISO standards, China PIPL, and NIST, mitigating legal and financial risks
Provide expert cybersecurity due diligence support for mergers and acquisitions, protecting investment value and identifying hidden risks

Requirements

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Information Security, Computer Science, or comparable qualification

Experience

Deep experience in information security including penetration testing

Required Skills

Tiefgreifende Erfahrung in der Informationssicherheit inkl. im Bereich Penetrationstesting Nachgewiesene praktische Erfahrung mit offensiven und defensiven Sicherheitstools bzw. blue und red Teaming Erfahrung in der fachlichen Weiterentwicklung von Stakeholdern oder Teams Umgang mit etablierten EDR-Lösungen (Endpoint Detection and Response) Tiefes Verständnis der Bedrohungslandschaften und Techniken zur Systemhärtung für Windows, Linux und Cloud-native Umgebungen Kenntnisse in der Umsetzung von Sicherheitskontrollen in hybriden Umgebungen Erfahrung in der Bewertung von Anwendungen und Lieferanten-Technologien Die Fähigkeit, spezifische Sicherheitsanforderungen und Risiken in geschäftlichen Kontexten zu übersetzen

Certifications

OSPC GPEN GCIH
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Sauge AI Market Intelligence

Industry Trends

The cybersecurity industry is experiencing unprecedented demand driven by escalating ransomware attacks, supply chain compromises, and increasing regulatory scrutiny, with organizations investing 15-20% more annually in security leadership roles to address sophisticated threat landscapes. Automation in cybersecurity is becoming critical as organizations face talent shortages, with automated penetration testing and DevSecOps integration representing key investment areas that can reduce manual security testing costs by 60-80% while improving coverage. Regulatory compliance complexity is intensifying globally with frameworks like EU NIS2.0, China PIPL, and evolving privacy regulations requiring specialized expertise, making compliance-experienced security leaders highly valuable in the market. Hybrid and multi-cloud security architectures are becoming the norm, requiring security professionals who can design cohesive protection strategies across diverse infrastructure environments, a skill set that commands premium compensation.

Salary Evaluation

The EUR 130,000 salary is competitive for the German market and aligns well with senior cybersecurity leadership roles, particularly considering the global scope, regulatory complexity, and strategic nature of the position. Comparable roles in major German cities typically range from EUR 110,000-150,000, positioning this offer favorably for attracting experienced professionals.

Role Significance

Typically manages a team of 5-15 cybersecurity professionals across multiple disciplines including penetration testers, security analysts, and compliance specialists, with matrix management responsibilities for global security initiatives spanning multiple business units and geographic regions.
This is a senior-level strategic position with significant organizational impact, combining hands-on technical expertise with leadership responsibilities and global program management. The role operates at the intersection of technical execution and business strategy, requiring someone who can translate complex security requirements into business value propositions.

Key Projects

Implementation of enterprise-wide automated security testing frameworks that integrate with CI/CD pipelines and provide continuous vulnerability assessment across development and production environments Development of comprehensive incident response and crisis management programs including tabletop exercises, purple team simulations, and cross-functional coordination protocols Design and deployment of zero-trust security architectures for hybrid cloud environments, ensuring seamless protection across on-premise and cloud-native applications Establishment of vendor security assessment programs and supply chain risk management frameworks that protect against third-party compromises and ensure partner compliance

Success Factors

Ability to balance technical depth with strategic business thinking, translating complex cybersecurity concepts into clear business value propositions that secure executive support and budget allocation for security initiatives. Strong leadership and communication skills to develop talent, manage cross-functional relationships, and influence stakeholders across different cultural contexts in a global organization with diverse regulatory requirements. Deep understanding of both offensive and defensive security techniques, enabling effective purple team leadership and realistic threat modeling that improves organizational resilience against sophisticated attacks. Regulatory expertise across multiple jurisdictions combined with practical implementation experience, ensuring compliance programs are both comprehensive and operationally efficient while supporting business growth objectives.

Market Demand

Extremely high demand exists for senior cybersecurity professionals with this skill combination, as organizations struggle to find candidates who combine technical depth in penetration testing, regulatory expertise, and leadership capabilities. The global nature and remote flexibility significantly expand the candidate pool while addressing talent scarcity.

Important Skills

Critical Skills

Penetration testing and red team expertise is absolutely essential as the role involves leading global automated testing implementation, requiring deep understanding of both manual testing techniques and automation technologies to ensure successful deployment and ongoing effectiveness. Regulatory compliance knowledge across multiple jurisdictions (GDPR, SOX, NIS2.0, PIPL, NIST) is critical for managing legal and financial risks in a global organization, with non-compliance potentially resulting in significant penalties and business disruption. Leadership and team development capabilities are vital for building organizational cybersecurity maturity and managing diverse global teams across different time zones, cultures, and regulatory environments. DevSecOps and cloud security skills are essential as organizations accelerate digital transformation initiatives, requiring security integration into development processes and protection of hybrid infrastructure environments.

Beneficial Skills

M&A cybersecurity due diligence experience provides valuable exposure to corporate development processes and strategic business operations, enhancing career progression opportunities toward executive roles. Supply chain security expertise is increasingly valuable as organizations recognize third-party risks, particularly relevant in chemical distribution where partner security directly impacts operational safety and compliance. Purple team exercise design and execution skills demonstrate advanced understanding of both offensive and defensive security, enabling more effective security testing and organizational preparedness assessment. Multi-language capabilities and cultural competency support effectiveness in global roles, particularly important for managing security initiatives across diverse geographic regions and regulatory environments.

Unique Aspects

The combination of global chemical distribution operations creates unique cybersecurity challenges including industrial control system security, supply chain protection, and multi-jurisdictional regulatory compliance that few security professionals have experienced.
Full remote work flexibility for a senior cybersecurity role in a traditional industrial company represents progressive thinking and competitive positioning for talent acquisition in the challenging cybersecurity job market.
The focus on automated penetration testing implementation provides opportunity to lead cutting-edge security technology deployment with measurable business impact and industry recognition potential.
Supporting M&A due diligence activities offers exposure to corporate development processes and strategic business operations beyond traditional IT security scope, enhancing career versatility.

Career Growth

Progression to CISO or VP-level roles typically occurs within 3-5 years for professionals demonstrating success in global security program management, regulatory compliance, and team development. The combination of technical depth and leadership experience accelerates advancement opportunities.

Potential Next Roles

Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) positions at larger organizations or emerging technology companies seeking to establish comprehensive security programs VP of Cybersecurity or Security Architecture roles at technology companies, financial institutions, or critical infrastructure organizations requiring strategic security leadership Independent cybersecurity consulting practice serving enterprise clients, leveraging deep technical and regulatory expertise to command premium consulting rates Regional Security Director positions at global corporations, overseeing security operations across multiple countries and business units

Company Overview

Global Chemical Distribution Company (via Hays AG)

The hiring organization is a global leader in chemical distribution with nearly 20,000 employees across 600+ locations in 72 countries, representing one of the world's largest and most complex supply chain operations in the specialty chemicals sector. This scale creates unique cybersecurity challenges requiring sophisticated protection strategies for distributed operations, diverse regulatory environments, and complex partner ecosystems.

As a leading chemical distribution company, the organization operates in a highly regulated industry with significant cybersecurity risks related to supply chain attacks, industrial espionage, and environmental safety. The company's commitment to sustainability and digital transformation initiatives creates additional security complexity requiring expert leadership.
The Essen location positions the role within Germany's industrial heartland, providing access to a strong technical talent pool and proximity to major European chemical industry partners. The fully remote work option expands access to global cybersecurity talent while maintaining connection to European regulatory and business environments.
Large global organizations in the chemical industry typically emphasize safety, compliance, and operational excellence, creating supportive environments for cybersecurity initiatives. The company's sustainability focus suggests a progressive culture that values innovation and long-term thinking, beneficial for implementing advanced security technologies.
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