Principal of Cybersecurity and AI GRC
Panda Restaurant Group · Retail · 10,000+ employees
Rosemead, CA · Hybrid · full_time
Listed by the employer as “Principal, Cybersecurity & AI GRC”. Title normalized for comparability.
CLI Career Level
VP-equivalent
Moderate confidence
Opportunity Score
67/100
Solid
High 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 17, 2026 · Last verified 3 hours ago · Sourced from LinkedIn — Principal / GRC leadership (US)
CLI Take
Broader than the title suggests
This role reads VP-equivalent despite being advertised as “Principal, Cybersecurity & AI GRC” — the stated scope is wider than the employer's title implies. CLI's analysis of the posting describes a strategic build or transformation mandate, and it carries SOC 2 accountability. The reporting line sits below the executive team — the role reports to Head of Cybersecurity and Risk. Team size is not disclosed and remains the main open question before pursuing it.
Why this role scores the way it does
67/100 — solid opportunity quality. CLI reads this as a VP-equivalent mandate. Strongest signal: CLI's analysis of the posting describes a strategic build or transformation mandate. Main drag on the score: The reporting line sits below the executive team — the role reports to Head of Cybersecurity and Risk. 3 of 10 dimensions are not disclosed, which lowers confidence rather than the score.
Career level read
VP-equivalent — The employer lists this as “Principal, Cybersecurity & AI GRC”. CLI reads it as VP-equivalent because the role shows enterprise-wide remit, 10,000+ employee organization.
Moderate confidence
What makes it attractive
- CLI's analysis of the posting describes a strategic build or transformation mandate.
- The role carries more scope than the employer's title suggests.
- Employer profile: 10,000+ employee organization, privately held, not applicable, revenue 1b 10b.
- Signals worth probing: Obtaining a valid Food Handler's Card within 30 days of employment is a requirement of this position. (Unusual requirement for a cybersecurity leadership role).
What to probe before applying
- The reporting line sits below the executive team — the role reports to Head of Cybersecurity and Risk.
Scoring components · Solid
The employer discloses a base range, but there is no comparable set to benchmark it against yet.
The reporting line sits below the executive team — the role reports to Head of Cybersecurity and Risk.
Scope language covers enterprise-wide remit.
CLI's analysis of the posting describes a strategic build or transformation mandate.
Executive and board exposure: not disclosed.
The role carries more scope than the employer's title suggests.
Employer profile: 10,000+ employee organization, privately held, not applicable, revenue 1b 10b.
Team size: not disclosed.
Budget ownership: not disclosed.
Signals worth probing: Obtaining a valid Food Handler's Card within 30 days of employment is a requirement of this position. (Unusual requirement for a cybersecurity leadership role).
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
$157,000 – $220,000 base salary, disclosed by employer
The mandate
The Principal, Cybersecurity & AI GRC is a strategic advisor tasked with defining and sustaining enterprise-wide frameworks for AI risk, privacy, and regulatory compliance. The leader will establish long-term direction, decision models, and guardrails to enable AI innovation while ensuring alignment with the brand's values and regulatory obligations.
Reporting to the Head of Cybersecurity and Risk, this is an enterprise-wide enablement and oversight role. The remit covers AI risk, privacy, and technology GRC across the global restaurant concept.
Scope
- Reports to Head of Cybersecurity and Risk
Domains and regulation
- GRC
- Privacy
- Third-Party Risk
- Compliance
- Identity
- SOC 2
Requirements
Must have
- Minimum seven years of experience in GRC, privacy, security, enterprise risk, or technology enablement with increasing management responsibility.
- Experience leading AI governance program design and implementation.
- Experience with AI frameworks: NIST AI RMF, EU AI Act, and ISO 42001.
- Demonstrated expertise implementing cybersecurity frameworks: NIST CSF, NIST 800-53, ISO 27001, and CIS.
- Experience performing enterprise/security risk assessments and TPRM programs.
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Business, or an IT-related discipline.
Preferred / bonus
- Nothing listed as optional.
Only must-have items are scored as hard constraints in Executive Fit.
Likely challenges
- Defining and sustaining enterprise-wide frameworks specifically for AI risk and digital trust
- Operationalizing regulatory requirements for AI and automation in partnership with Legal and Privacy
- Establishing risk classification and lifecycle governance for AI and digital capabilities across the enterprise
- Integrating AI risk and privacy into existing enterprise GRC and risk management processes
Signals worth probing
- Obtaining a valid Food Handler's Card within 30 days of employment is a requirement of this position. (Unusual requirement for a cybersecurity leadership role)
Not stated in the posting: Specific team size or headcount not mentioned; Public company experience requirement not specified (company is described as family-owned); Clearance requirements not mentioned.
About Panda Restaurant Group
Panda Restaurant Group is the parent company of Panda Express, Panda Inn, and Hibachi-San. It is a family-owned global foodservice retailer operating over 2,300 locations and employing more than 40,000 people. For a security leader, the environment involves protecting high-volume retail point-of-sale systems, supply chain logistics, and extensive employee and customer data.
- Industry
- Retail
- Headcount
- 10,000+ employees
- Headquarters
- Rosemead, California
- Founded
- 1973
- Ownership
- Privately held
- Funding
- Not applicable
- Revenue
- $1B – $10B
Full company profile for Panda Restaurant Group →
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