Virtual CISO & Cybersecurity Practice Lead

Responsibilities

• Serve as the outsourced CISO for 8–12 clients, providing executive-level security leadership on a fractional basis
• Conduct security risk assessments, gap analyses, and penetration testing oversight
• Develop and maintain security programs, policies, and incident response plans
• Manage compliance frameworks including SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, CCPA, NIST CSF, and CMMC
• Present security posture and remediation roadmaps to boards and C-suites
• Oversee AI-driven security tooling for vulnerability scanning and threat detection
• Lead incident response coordination including forensics, legal, and communications
• Participate in business development and sales conversations to close new retainers
• Recruit, manage, and mentor junior analysts
• Build standardized methodologies and delivery playbooks to scale the practice

Requirements

• 7-10+ years of hands-on cybersecurity experience (penetration testing, incident response, security architecture, or GRC)
• 3+ years at CISO, Director of Security, or senior consulting level
• Active CISSP certification
• Deep working knowledge of SOC 2, HIPAA, NIST CSF, and additional frameworks (PCI-DSS, ISO 27001, CMMC, or CCPA)
• Proven experience building or expanding security programs
• Ability to manage multiple client engagements simultaneously
• Strong business development and client relationship skills

Preferred Qualifications

• CMMC Registered Practitioner (RP) or Certified CMMC Assessor (CCA)
• Additional certifications: CISM, CRISC, OSCP, GPEN, or SANS GIAC
• Experience running a cybersecurity consulting practice, MSSP, or vCISO firm
• Background in digital forensics
• Familiarity with AI-driven security platforms
• Existing professional network in the Southern California cybersecurity community

About the Company

Interdependence is a leading PR and integrated marketing agency that uses proprietary data and discipline to turn earned media into measurable results. Forbes named them one of America's Best PR Agencies, serving brands across consumer, healthcare, tech, B2B, travel, and entertainment.