Area Security Director - Americas

at EY in Chicago, Illinois, United States

Job Description

At EY, you’ll have the chance to build a career as unique as you are, with the global scale, support, inclusive culture and technology to become the best version of you. And we’re counting on your unique voice and perspective to help EY become even better. Join us and build an exceptional experience for yourself, and a better working world for all.

The exceptional EY experience. It’s yours to build.

EY focuses on high-ethical standards and integrity among its employees and expects all candidates to demonstrate these qualities.

Our business is highly regulated, and EY is a complex, matrixed organization. Managing risk is of paramount importance to our brand and reputation, and our Risk Management team works side-by-side with the business to do this. Our aim is to enable responsible growth and that means working with the business to identify, monitor and manage risk, and consult and advise. Through oversight of key risk issues and processes such as independence, conflicts, and legal and regulatory compliance, we help maximize public trust and ensure EY and our clients are operating responsibly.

The opportunity

EY Global Security promotes a safe and secure working environment at EY offices and client sites. The Americas Security Director will play a key role in the development and driving implementation of the core Global Security seven disciplines consistent with local threats and risks. The focus of the role will be direct oversight of all security operations and security disciplines for the Americas. This position will report to the Global Chief Security Officer.

Your key responsibilities

The responsibility covers identification, assessment, and management of the risks that represent a threat either to EY’s assets or to its ability to conduct business as usual. EY’s assets comprise its people (both in Regions, travelling and working abroad), reputation, and EY buildings and contents. The role addresses complex security issues and facilitates compliance with the Security Global Policy as well as enabling development of guidance and procedures to ensure that EY people are protected, and business is safely enabled. This position is critical to championing the integration of the Security Global Policy requirements and security practices into the broader RM organization and the EY global business resilience framework.

This role also includes additional subject matter expertise as the Americas functional leader for Global Security’s seven discipline framework. Extensive knowledge in Business Resilience; Physical Security; Security Threat & Risk; Travel Security; Meeting & Event Security; Executive Protection; and Insider Threat is required. These additional responsibilities encompass the compliance of global guidance, operational delivery, training, and awareness with the broad objective of safeguarding our people and creating greater organizational resilience.

The position is further responsible for the oversight of Region Security Mangers across the Americas, including performance reviews and team development through training, education, and personal counseling.

The role will entail involvement with the following activities

The Americas Director Global Security has both strategic and operational security responsibilities across the 7 geographic EY regions in the Americas including Israel.

+ Planning and policy – Responsible across assigned regions for the operational implementation of EYs Security Global Policy. Ensure the delivery of the Americas Strategic Security Transformation program to integrate Region Security Managers into the EY Security Risk management structures, and to direct priorities and targets for their work programs.

+ Executive briefings – Provide information and updates to the Global Chief Security Officer (CSO), Area/Region Risk Management Leaders and Global Executives on significant incident status and response activities, as well as regular briefings on the status of Security Global Policy compliance.

+ Business Resilience which includes Crisis Management and Business Continuity – Coordinate with Business Resilience Director on development of emergency preparedness and crisis response guidance and protocols focusing on protecting life and safety; includes emergency planning, training, and compliance management. Area Strategic Lead for the delivery of region business continuity planning documents and protocols focusing on continuity of operations following a disaster or significant business interruption; includes training and compliance management.

+ Incident Management – Area Strategic Lead to manage the Security activities in immediate response to any incident that affects or may affect EY people or EY’s ability to conduct business as usual. Collaborate across business units, liaising with EY Assist, GCO, and Talent to provide safety plans or direct security measures as necessary.

+ Compliance – Advocate to Area Risk Management Leadership compliance in Global Security programs, including Physical Security Self Assessments, Insider Threat Self Assessments, Emergency Communication tools and Travel compliance. Coordinate with Region Security Managers to ensure compliance and implementation of Security Global Policy and guidelines are effectively mitigating risks.

+ Operations – Leadership, management, and professional development of Region Security Managers across the Americas. Providing evidence for annual assessments and/or feedback on performance and compliance activity for Area Risk Management Leadership. Acting as the strategic interface between the Region Security Managers and the GDS Security Team. Champion and support Global Security integration within Risk Management as well as the broader Security Risk Management conceptual framework.

Skills and attributes for success

+ Highly developed interpersonal skills capable of building and sustaining effective working relationships internally and externally across countries and cultures largely by use of phone and email.

+ Demonstrate integrity, respect, teaming, and inclusiveness.

+ Desire to understand the firm’s culture and to deliver a service which is both appropriate and of the highest quality.

+ Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills combined with the flexibility to change priorities and respond quickly according to circumstances.

+ At ease in a dynamic environment. Remains unruffled under substantial and sustained pressure.

+ The tact and awareness to be able to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, at every level of the organization.

+ Innovative, highly motivated, very positive with both the ambition and drive to succeed, and the awareness to accept that few issues will be clear cut.

+ An exceptional team player with the ability to manage a virtual team by building relationships based on doing the right thing.

+ Willing to take ownership of any issue big or small with energy, enthusiasm, and the courage to lead.

Supervision

As a Director, you will have direct supervision responsibilities over other security staff on both the Global Security team and Region Security Managers.

Role Requirements:

Minimum Level of Education, Certification & Licenses Required

+ Bachelor’s degree (or global equivalent)

+ Certified Protection Professional (CPP) – ASIS helpful, not required

Role-Related Knowledge & Skills Required

Knowledge of international standards and leading practices in Security and business continuity and security and experience in consulting with and benchmarking against other companies and professionals. Knowledge of the ISO 22301 Business Continuity Management standard and conformance is important.

EY Organization-Related Knowledge Required

+ Extensive working knowledge of EY Global organization and member firms including:

+ GDS

+ Geographies and markets

+ Functions and sub-functions

+ Kno