Security Strategy Consultant

Location: Must reside in Southern California. Regular in-person collaboration is encouraged to support mentorship, professional development, team culture, and delivery excellence. Can be called into our San Diego office at manager's discretion. Why Bird Rock Systems: At Bird Rock Systems, we take pride in being named one of the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies. Our dynamic journey to success is fueled by a team of passionate individuals who thrive in a fast-paced environment. We're more than a workplace; we're a community of fun-loving people dedicated to excellence.

Position Summary: The Security Strategy Consultant serves as a trusted advisor to our customers seeking to strengthen their cybersecurity programs, reduce business risk, and align security investments with organizational goals. Working closely with Bird Rock Systems security leaders and vCISOs, this role helps customers assess their current security posture, develop strategic roadmaps, establish governance practices, and improve security program maturity. This role is designed for cybersecurity professionals who possess a strong foundation and are ready to accelerate their growth into business advisory, strategic consulting, and future security leadership positions. Success requires intellectual curiosity, strong communication skills, sound judgment, and a genuine desire to continuously learn and grow. A responsibility of this role is developing trusted relationships with customer stakeholders. Through assessments, advisory engagements, and roadmap development, the Security Strategy Consultant identifies opportunities where customers can improve their security maturity and business outcomes. These opportunities translate into remediation projects, implementation services, compliance initiatives, cloud engagements, privacy services, or Team-as-a-Service solutions delivered by Bird Rock Systems. This role sits at the intersection of customer success, strategic advisory, and business growth by helping clients achieve meaningful outcomes while identifying opportunities for Bird Rock Systems to provide additional value. Success is measured by customer outcomes, security maturity improvements, executive trust, relationship development, service opportunity creation, and professional growth.

Ideal Candidate: The ideal candidate has moved beyond wanting to be the smartest person in the room and is interested in becoming a trusted business advisor. They are: Curious and eager to learn. Comfortable receiving coaching and feedback. Motivated by personal and professional growth. Excited to develop executive communication skills. Interested in understanding how businesses operate and make decisions. Willing to pursue challenges that stretch their capabilities. Passionate about building long-term customer relationships. Interested in developing into a future security leadership role.

What You Bring: Qualifications & Key Skills:

Required: 4-7 years of experience in cybersecurity, information security, risk management, IT leadership, or a related field. Experience conducting security assessments and identifying security risks. Familiarity with cybersecurity frameworks such as: CIS Controls, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOC 2.Experience communicating with technical and non-technical stakeholders. Strong written, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills. Ability to manage multiple priorities and customer engagements simultaneously.

Preferred: Consulting or customer-facing experience. Exposure to governance, risk, and compliance initiatives. Experience supporting security program development. Experience participating in executive or leadership-level customer meetings. Relevant industry certifications.

Key Responsibilities: Security Advisory Program:

• Conduct security maturity assessments using industry-recognized frameworks.
• Identify risks, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
• Assist customers in developing practical and achievable security roadmaps.
• Support the development of security policies, standards, processes, and governance programs.
• Help organizations establish sustainable security practices aligned with business objectives.
• Track progress against roadmap initiatives and improvement plans.
• Risk, Compliance & Governance:
• Facilitate risk discussions with customer stakeholders.
• Assist customers in identifying and prioritizing remediation activities.
• Support regulatory and compliance readiness efforts.
• Help establish security governance structures and reporting mechanisms.
• Translate technical findings into business-focused recommendations.
• Prepare executive-level reports and presentations.
• Executive Communication & Relationship Building:
• Participate in recurring customer advisory meetings.
• Develop trusted relationships across customer organizations.
• Present findings, recommendations, and roadmap updates to stakeholders.
• Facilitate discussions that align security priorities with business objectives.
• Build credibility through thoughtful recommendations and reliable follow-through.
• Serve as a trusted advisor who helps customers make informed security decisions.
• Customer Growth & Strategic Opportunity Development:
• Develop a deep understanding of customer business priorities, challenges, and goals.
• Identify opportunities where Bird Rock Systems can provide additional value.
• Translate roadmap recommendations into actionable initiatives and projects.
• Recognize opportunities for: security remediation engagements, compliance initiatives, cloud transformation and optimization services, privacy and governance projects, Team-as-a-Service engagements, ongoing advisory services.
• Partner with account management and delivery teams to progress identified opportunities.
• Help customers understand the practical path from strategy to execution.
• Contribute to customer retention and organic account growth through trusted relationships and consistent value delivery.
• Continuous Learning & Leadership Development:
• Actively pursue opportunities to expand business, leadership, and security expertise.
• Participate in mentorship, coaching, and professional development programs.
• Continuously improve communication, facilitation, and advisory skills.
• Share lessons learned and best practices with team members.
• Contribute to the evolution of Bird Rock Systems security services and methodologies.
• Develop the judgment, business acumen, and leadership capabilities required for future vCISO responsibilities.
• The 90-Day:
• Within the first 90 days, the Security Strategy Consultant is expected to:
• Successfully complete multiple customer security assessments.
• Develop customer-facing reports and executive-ready recommendations.
• Participate in