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Director

Director of IT Security

Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) · Education · 5,001-10,000 employees

Memphis, TN · Onsite · full_time

Listed by the employer as “Director - IT Security”. Title normalized for comparability.

CLI Career Level

VP-equivalent

Moderate confidence

Opportunity Score

82/100

Strong

Moderate confidence

Executive Fit

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Career Level and Opportunity Score describe the role itself. Executive Fit is the only figure that depends on your profile.

First seen Aug 20, 2026 · Last verified 2 hours ago · Sourced from LinkedIn — Director of Security (US)

CLI Take

Broader than the title suggests

This role reads VP-equivalent despite being advertised as “Director - IT Security” — the stated scope is wider than the employer's title implies. The role carries more scope than the employer's title suggests, and it reports to Deputy Chief Information Officer and carries FERPA and HIPAA accountability. Total compensation and team size are not disclosed and remain the main open questions before pursuing it.

Why this role scores the way it does

82/100 — strong opportunity quality. CLI reads this as a VP-equivalent mandate. Strongest signal: The role carries more scope than the employer's title suggests. 4 of 10 dimensions are not disclosed, which lowers confidence rather than the score.

Career level read

VP-equivalent — The employer lists this as “Director - IT Security”. CLI reads it as VP-equivalent because the role shows reports to a C-level executive, 5,001-10,000 employee organization.

Moderate confidence

What makes it attractive

  • The role carries more scope than the employer's title suggests.
  • Employer profile: 5,001-10,000 employee organization, government ownership, not applicable, revenue 1b 10b.
  • The role reports to a C-level executive.
  • CLI's analysis reads this as steady-state ownership rather than a build mandate.

What to probe before applying

  • No material concerns identified in the posting.

Scoring components · Strong

Compensation versus comparable rolesNot disclosed · excluded from the score

Compensation is not disclosed and there is no comparable set to place it against.

Reporting level71 · weight 12%

The role reports to a C-level executive.

Functional and geographic scopeNot disclosed · excluded from the score

Scope: no enterprise, global or multi-unit remit is described.

Quality of the mandate70 · weight 12%

CLI's analysis reads this as steady-state ownership rather than a build mandate.

Executive and board exposure65 · weight 10%

The posting references executive or committee-level interaction.

Role authority versus title100 · weight 10%

The role carries more scope than the employer's title suggests.

Company scale and trajectory100 · weight 10%

Employer profile: 5,001-10,000 employee organization, government ownership, not applicable, revenue 1b 10b.

Team ownershipNot disclosed · excluded from the score

Team size: not disclosed.

Budget ownershipNot disclosed · excluded from the score

Budget ownership: not disclosed.

Risk signals100 · weight 5%

No adverse signals identified in the posting.

Dimensions the employer does not disclose are excluded and the remaining weights are rebalanced, so missing information lowers confidence rather than the score.

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Compensation

No compensation disclosed and insufficient comparable data to estimate.

Sample size not yet sufficient for a market comparison

See the full benchmark bands by level and region

The mandate

The Director provides strategic leadership and oversight of the institution’s cybersecurity posture, ensuring information systems are protected from internal and external threats. The leader will manage the information security program, oversee incident response, and direct the implementation of security tools and training across multiple campuses.

Reporting to the Deputy Chief Information Officer, this role oversees security, identity management, and compliance staff at Southwest Tennessee Community College. The remit covers multiple campus locations within a public community college system.

Scope

  • Reports to Deputy Chief Information Officer

Domains and regulation

  • Enterprise Security
  • Cyber Defense
  • Identity
  • Compliance
  • GRC
  • Incident Response
  • Infrastructure Security
  • FERPA
  • HIPAA

Requirements

Must have

  • Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Audit or a related field
  • Three (3) to five (5) years of relevant IT experience with a focus on cybersecurity

Preferred / bonus

  • Preferred: CISSP certification (or equivalent experience)
  • Preferred: Project Management certification (e.g., PMP)
  • Preferred: Experience in higher education or similarly complex environments
  • Preferred: Familiarity with security compliance frameworks (e.g., NIST, FERPA, HIPAA)

Only must-have items are scored as hard constraints in Executive Fit.

Likely challenges

Not stated in the posting: Compensation range not disclosed; Team size not explicitly stated; Budget authority not disclosed.

About Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR)

The Tennessee Board of Regents oversees the College System of Tennessee, which is the state's largest system of higher education. It governs 13 community colleges and 24 colleges of applied technology across the state, serving over 100,000 students. The organization manages a complex IT and security infrastructure supporting academic operations, student data, and administrative services for dozens of campuses.

Industry
Education
Headcount
5,001-10,000 employees
Headquarters
Nashville, Tennessee
Founded
1972
Ownership
Government
Funding
Not applicable
Revenue
$1B – $10B

Full company profile for Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) →

View original job description
Southwest Tennessee Community College is a comprehensive, multicultural, public, open—access college. Southwest has four campuses/centers from which it offers over 100 programs and over 20 technical certificate programs.We foster student success, transform lives, and increase the educational level of a growing community in Shelby County. Southwest is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution, accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.We invite you to become a part of the Southwest Team!Title: Director - IT SecurityEmployee Classification: Other ProfessionalsInstitution: Southwest Tennessee Community CollegeDepartment: Information SystemsCampus Location: STCC - Multiple Campus LocationsJob SummaryThis is a full-time permanent, fiscal year position in the Division of Administrative Services reporting to the Deputy Chief Information Officer. The Director of IT Security provides strategic leadership and oversight of the institution’s cybersecurity posture. This critical role ensures that the College’s information systems are protected from internal and external threats by developing, implementing, and maintaining security protocols and training programs. The Director will guide security-related decisions, proactively manage risk, and promote a culture of cybersecurity awareness across the organization.Job DutiesLead the College’s information security program, including development and delivery of cybersecurity awareness training and policy education.Collaborate with departments including Internal Audit and Finance/Controller to identify risks and implement IT risk mitigation strategies.Research and stay current on emerging cybersecurity threats, tools, and trends.Monitor institutional networks and systems for security breaches; respond to and investigate incidents as needed.Provide leadership, guidance, and supervision to security, identity management, and compliance staff.Oversee the College’s incident response plan and ensure policy compliance; lead efforts to remediate violations.Direct the implementation of security tools such as firewalls, encryption, and monitoring software.Recommend and implement IT security standards and best practices.Assist technical staff and end users with the deployment and understanding of security tools and practices.Coordinate and conduct periodic IT security audits.Maintain up-to-date knowledge of cybersecurity through professional development and industry resources.Perform other duties as assigned.Minimum QualificationsBachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Audit or a related field.Three (3) to five (5) years of relevant IT experience with a focus on cybersecurity.CISSP certification (or equivalent experience) is a plus.Project Management certification (e.g., PMP) is a plus.Preferred QualificationsExperience in higher education or similarly complex environments.Familiarity with security compliance frameworks (e.g., NIST, FERPA, HIPAA).Leadership experience in cross-functional IT teams or cybersecurity projects.Knowledge, Skills, And AbilitiesDemonstrated knowledge of network security technologies, protocols, and practices.Proven ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.Excellent problem-solving, analytical, time management, and organizational skills.The intent of this job description is to provide a representation of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions given this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.Candidates who are called for an interview must notify Human Resources in writing at least five (5) days in advance of any reasonable accommodation needed prior to the date of the interview.First consideration will be given to current Southwest Tennessee Community College employees who meet the minimum qualifications for the position.In order to be considered for the position, the following items must be uploaded:ResumeCover letterUnofficial TranscriptsA Summary Of Our Benefits Can Be Found Belowhttps://www.southwest.tn.edu/hr/benefits-overview.phpIncomplete applications will not be considered.The TBR does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity, or national origin, sex, disability, age, status as a protected veteran or any other class protected by Federal or State laws and regulations and by Tennessee Board of Regents policies with respect to employment, programs, and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies: LeVetta Hudson, Vice President of People & Culture, myhr@southwest.tn.edu, 737 Union Ave, Memphis, TN 38103, 901-333-5000. See the full non-discrimination policy.

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