Princeton University is among the world’s foremost educational institutions. The fourth-oldest college in the United States, it is an independent, coeducational, nondenominational university that provides undergraduate and graduate instruction in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering.
As a global research university, Princeton seeks to achieve the highest levels of distinction in the discovery and transmission of knowledge and understanding. At the same time, Princeton is distinctive among research universities in its commitment to undergraduate teaching.
Princeton’s educational mission is to prepare students to pursue meaningful lives and to help address the challenges of the future. To this end, the University aims to enroll the most capable students from all parts of the world and to provide them with an educational experience that strengthens their intellects, sharpens their skills, expands their horizons, and prepares them for leadership—all while pursuing the highest possible standards of excellence.
Living up to its informal motto, “In the Nation’s Service and the Service of Humanity,” the University has educated thousands of individuals who have dedicated themselves to public service and to serving communities in the United States and around the world. This mission also finds expression in the lives of Princeton’s alumni, arguably among the most loyal and generous of any American university. Their level of service and generosity to their university is legendary, exemplified by the extraordinary number of hours they give annually in service to the University and the extremely high participation rates of the Annual Giving program.
Princeton's Office of Information Technology
Princeton's Office of Information Technology (OIT) is committed to technology support and innovation that enables Princeton to achieve its mission: to advance learning through scholarship, research, and teaching of unsurpassed quality. OIT has responsibility for overseeing Princeton’s academic and administrative systems and the information technology infrastructure that supports them. OIT is proud of the fact that Princeton is widely seen as a leader in providing a robust infrastructure for campus computing and in identifying and deploying new technologies that enable academic innovation in teaching, learning, research, and scholarship.
OIT strives to enable communication and collaboration among information technology professionals and users of information technology at Princeton. OIT staff are committed to supporting all members of the University in their academic and administrative work.
Daren Hubbard - Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer
Daren Hubbard Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer
Daren Hubbard serves as Princeton’s Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer. Hubbard has more than 25 years of leadership in higher education and strategy, having previously served as Vice President of Information Technology and CIO at Georgia Tech and as CIO and Associate Vice President at Wayne State University. He is an active member of several higher education technology advisory groups.
As the chief strategist and operational leader of the Office of Information Technology (OIT), the VP and CIO is responsible for providing strategic leadership to identify, develop and implement information systems, services and the technical infrastructure that enables the Princeton community to achieve its mission to advance learning through research and teaching of unsurpassed quality. The OIT organization has a staff of over 300 people working across six core functions: the information security office, enterprise infrastructure services, software and application services, the service management office, the project and technology consulting office, and operations and planning. Hubbard is responsible for successfully transitioning OIT to a new organizational structure, where it will be strategically aligned with other large, operationally focused units such as Facilities, University Services, Campus Life and Human Resources.
Hubbard holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Michigan and a Master of Library Science and Master of Business Administration, both from Wayne State University.
The Opportunity: Chief Information Security Officer
The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Princeton is responsible for developing, expanding and maturing the University information security policy and strategy and draws on domain expertise, a capacity for vision and change management and communication skills to establish a high level of understanding of and attention to information security in a world-class institution of teaching, learning and research.
The CISO works collaboratively with University leadership and departmental technical and administrative staff throughout campus. The CISO develops and leads outreach, communication and education efforts to raise campus-wide awareness of information security risk, requirements and solutions; provides strategic and technical guidance and assistance in the design and implementation of appropriate security processes for campus-wide information systems; directs the University IT Risk Assessment process; recommends and monitors computing practices to prevent and recover from security breaches and handles breaches when they occur; provides vision, leadership and development of robust security operations and vulnerability management; and leads the operations and success of access security requirements.
The CISO reports to the Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer and collaborates with OIT senior staff and key campus business and IT leaders to shape security and business-continuity standards and action plans. The CISO plays a leadership role in the implementation of security practices and policies through collaboration with technical staff. The CISO also plays a key role in preparing and presenting strategic updates and recommendations to the University's Board of Trustees, ensuring transparency, accountability, and informed decision-making at the highest level of governance. The CISO has dotted line responsibilities to the VP and Dean for Research, and is designated as the University Research Security Officer for federal grants and projects.
Responsibilities
Strategic Planning and Policy Development:
Provides guidance and counsel on information security to the CIO, the University’s Board of Trustees, University Cabinet members, OIT senior staff and senior level University stakeholders.
Works with campus leadership to develop a strategy for information security that balances Princeton's academic values with institutional attention to the risks and requirements generated by the University's increasingly information-rich environment and external regulations.
Recommends strategies and practices to ensure information security and leads the design, development and implementation of the University's security and data-governance policies and procedures in consultation with University leadership, OIT and campus technical staff and IT advisory bodies.
Represents the University in assessing and approving research security needs and establishes and maintains a strong partnership with Research Protections and Administration, and the Research Integrity Office.
Advises University leaders on emerging information security risks and opportunities created by Princeton's role as a world-class institution of teaching, learning and research with increasing global relationships and activities.
Tracks industry and higher-ed information security best practices to keep abreast of current techniques, systems and applications.
Assumes responsibility for information-security policies and effective IT risk management and compliance across the University; coordinates campus-wide data governance and security initiatives.
As a member of the CIO leadership team, contributes to the overall development of OIT's strategic goals, performance metrics, communication practices and culture.
Management:
Leads the overall management and success of a robust, current and expanding information security office.
Leads an annual IT Risk Assessment process and maintains the efficacy of an IT Business Continuity Plan.
Maintains a close relationship with the offices of General Counsel, Audit and Compliance and Public Safety; serves as liaison between these groups and IT professionals for matters pertaining to campus IT security.
Assesses hardware/software/services being considered for purchase or implementation for security strengths/risks and information security features; provides security requirements for software/services RFPs.
Training and Outreach:
Develops and leads education and training programs on institutional policy, guidelines, federal and state laws and regulations and best practices around information security.
Job Qualifications
Essential Qualifications:
At least 10 years of current experience directly related to the responsibilities of the role Demonstrated domain expertise.
A strategic grasp of information security at both institutional and operational levels.
The capacity to articulate a vision for information security that engages all constituents, satisfies internal and external requirements, and enables Princeton's ongoing pursuit of excellence and innovation in its academic and research fields.
Communication and collaboration skills to build support for security-related initiatives and objectives.
Experience in higher education or a research environment is preferred.
Broad knowledge of computer security issues, requirements, and trends.
Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, plus the ability to achieve goals through influence, collaboration and cooperation.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively with an array of constituencies in a community that is both demographically and technologically diverse.
Skill in developing policy and procedure in a complex, decentralized, and mission-oriented environment that maintains in a department-based model of resource allocation and deployment.
Experience providing education and training programs on security policies and practices to a range of technical and non-technical constituents.
The ability to establish, implement, maintain, and modify computer and data security guidelines and procedures to achieve the compliance objectives of an organization in harmony with the principles of academic freedom that remain core to a world-class university.
The ability to evaluate security software products, oversee their installation and implementation, and interpret findings for practical use by law enforcement, legal counsel, and senior management as applicable.
Experience evaluating and providing guidance on the information-security elements of software and hardware acquisitions, IT services, cloud-based solutions, mobility, and other present and emerging dimensions of IT solutions and services in a complex environment Integrity and high standards of personal and professional conduct.
Education: Bachelor's degree required, preferably in computer science or information technology; Graduate degree preferred in computer science or related field, or equivalent experience and relevant professional credentials.
Preferred Qualifications:
Graduate degree in computer science or related field, or equivalent experience and relevant professional credentials.
Applications & Nominations
Princeton University's Office of Information Technology has partnered with Boyden Executive Search. For more information about this opportunity or to submit a cover letter and resume, please email:
Lisa Vuona has decades of experience in executive search and human resource management, primarily in the non-profit, healthcare and education sectors. She is distinguished by her track record and network, and by her approach, which combines the strategic power of data with a finely tuned ability to understand the client’s organization and identify high-caliber leaders who fit the culture.
Sara Swisher-Anderson is an accomplished executive search professional and human capital expert with more than 15 years’ experience and a strong track record of successful searches. Specializing in the non-profit and higher education sectors, she partners with leadership teams to develop strategies and recruit transformative leaders capable of driving organizational growth and resilience.
Don’t check off all the boxes or meet every single requirement? We have learned that potential candidates hesitate when applying for a job unless they meet every single requirement. Boyden Boston is dedicated to inclusivity and valuing diversity and equity in the workplace. If this opportunity excites you, but your background may not be a perfect match, we still encourage you to apply.
Princeton OIT - CISO - Job Description (PDF Download)
