Chief Information Security Officer; CISO

We are seeking a strategic, pragmatic Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) to lead our information security program and corporate IT operations. This is a pivotal leadership role for a security executive who cares deeply about protecting users, data, and systems while enabling innovation, growth, and great employee and consumer experiences.

Reporting to the CTO, the CISO will partner closely with executive leadership, Engineering, Product, Legal, and Business teams to build a scalable, resilient security and IT organization. You’ll play a critical role in safeguarding a platform that serves millions of student-athletes, families, and fans nationwide, while supporting a growing, distributed workforce of 500+ employees.

• Build a Strong Security Foundation – Evolve and maintain governance, policies, and controls aligned with industry frameworks such as NIST CSF, ISO 27001, and CIS Controls, creating a durable and scalable security program.
• Own Compliance & Trust – Lead SOC 2 Type II certification, maintain PCI DSS compliance, and implement COPPA-aligned privacy controls to protect student and consumer data.
• Secure a Multi-Product Platform – Strengthen security across our integrated ecosystem (GoFan, NFHS Network, Max Preps, Play On HQ), supporting 600K+ streaming events and 700K+ ticketing events annually.
• Deliver Modern Corporate IT – Lead secure, reliable, and user‑friendly IT operations that enable productivity for a distributed workforce, with a strong focus on identity, endpoint security, and employee experience.
• Build and Scale Teams – Hire, develop, and lead high-performing security and IT teams across security engineering, operations, compliance, and corporate IT.
• Manage Risk Proactively – Own the company’s cybersecurity risk posture by balancing protection with speed and business needs when identifying, prioritizing, and addressing threats.
• Model Ethical Stewardship of Privileged Access – Treat privileged access with exceptional ethical judgment, using their authority responsibly and transparently, solely in service of legitimate security, compliance, and organizational trust.

• Serve as Play On’s senior security leader and trusted advisor to the CTO and executive team on security, privacy, risk, and IT matters.
• Develop and execute an information security strategy aligned with business objectives, platform evolution, and regulatory requirements.
• Embed security into the SDLC through secure coding practices, architecture reviews, Dev Sec Ops , and automated testing (SAST, DAST, SCA).
• Design and evolve security operations capabilities, including detection, monitoring, incident response, and forensics.
• Lead executive response to major security incidents, including crisis coordination, communications, and post‑incident improvements.
• Secure cloud infrastructure (AWS), applications (web, mobile, connected TV), APIs, and data across the platform ecosystem.
• Own corporate IT operations, including identity and access management, endpoint management, service desk, onboarding/offboarding, and collaboration tooling.
• Establish IT service management practices (ITSM) with clear SLAs and a strong focus on employee experience.
• Lead compliance efforts including SOC 2, PCI DSS, penetration testing, and third‑party risk management.
• Define and track meaningful security and IT metrics, reporting regularly to executive leadership.
• Partner cross‑functionally to balance security rigor with product velocity, innovation, and operational efficiency.
• Drive security awareness and foster a strong security culture across the organization.
• Stay ahead of emerging threats, technologies, and best practices to continuously improve Play On’s security posture.

• 12+ years of experience in information security, with deep expertise in cloud, application, and infrastructure security.
• 5+ years in senior security leadership roles (CISO, VP, or Director), including building or scaling security programs.
• Experience leading corporate IT operations or working closely with IT leadership in modern, cloud‑first environments.
• Proven success leading SOC 2 Type II, PCI DSS,…