Data Protection, Managing Director

We are looking for a Data Protection Managing Director reporting directly to the SVP of Data and AI Security. The Managing Director, Data Protection is a senior leadership role responsible for defining, governing, and scaling the firm's enterprise-wide data protection strategy. This leader will establish a modern, risk-based data security program that enables the organization's digital, cloud, AI, and data transformation objectives while protecting the firm's most critical information assets.

The role requires a visionary security leader who can balance business enablement with strong security outcomes. The successful candidate will drive the evolution from traditional data protection approaches toward a modern, intelligence-driven program focused on data discovery, classification, retention, access governance, AI security, and automated protection controls .

The Managing Director will serve as the firm's foremost authority on data security and protection, partnering across Security, Engineering, Data, Privacy, Legal, Risk, Compliance, Infrastructure, and Business teams to ensure security is embedded into platforms, pipelines, governance frameworks, and delivery processes.

This role sits in the AI & Data Protection team which is part of the Global Cybersecurity group at State Street. Global Cybersecurity is vital to the bank because it protects client trust, safeguards critical assets, enables business growth, and ensures the bank can operate safely in an increasingly complex threat and regulatory environment.

- Define and execute the firm's multi-year Enterprise Data Protection Strategy , ensuring alignment with business priorities, regulatory obligations, cloud transformation initiatives, and AI adoption.

- Establish a comprehensive framework for protecting sensitive information throughout its lifecycle, including:

- Drive a modern security model focused on protecting data regardless of location, platform, user, or technology stack.

- Develop executive-level metrics and reporting that quantify data risk, control effectiveness, and remediation progress.

- Lead enterprise initiatives to know, understand, and reduce data risk at scale .

- Establish programs to identify and continuously inventory:

- Create risk-based approaches to classify, prioritize, and remediate high-risk data concentrations across on-premises, cloud, SaaS, and emerging AI environments.

- Develop actionable intelligence that enables business leaders and technology teams to understand where sensitive data resides and how it is exposed.

- AI Data security & Protection - Lead the firm's strategy for protecting data from emerging AI-related threats and misuse.

- Partner closely with AI, Engineering, and Security Architecture teams to ensure AI capabilities are deployed using:

- Develop data protection requirements for AI models, agents, copilots, and emerging autonomous systems.

- Establish rigorous enterprise-wide data lifecycle management and retention programs designed to minimize unnecessary data exposure.

- Reduce data longevity where business value no longer exists

- Partner with Legal, Compliance, Privacy, and business stakeholders to implement practical retention schedules and automated disposal capabilities.

- Ensure retention policies are enforced through technology controls rather than manual processes whenever possible.

- Data Access Governance - Lead enterprise efforts to analyze, govern, and continuously monitor access to sensitive information.

- Partner with Identity and Access Management teams to strengthen least-privilege principles across business and technology environments .

- Ensure access decisions are informed by data sensitivity, business context, user risk, and regulatory requirements.

- Establish a comprehensive view of the firm's data protection control environment.

- Develop risk-based roadmaps that focus resources on the most significant data protection exposures .

- Drive accountability across technology and business stakeholders to ensure timely remediation of material risks.

- Partner closely with the Data organization to ensure security is embedded throughout the data ecosystem.

- Promote security-by-design principles that enable innovation while reducing operational friction.

- Establish scalable security patterns that integrate directly into engineering workflows, automation pipelines, and platform services.

- Lead strategic modernization initiatives supporting the future state of data security.

- Partner with Infrastructure, Cloud Engineering, and Enterprise Architecture teams to strengthen cryptographic hygiene and reduce operational risk.

- Develop forward-looking strategies that support emerging technology requirements and evolving regulatory expectations.

- Ensure data protection capabilities align with applicable regulatory and industry expectations, including:

- Serve as the executive leader for data protection reviews involving regulators, auditors, clients, and control assurance functions .

- Provide defensible and transparent reporting on the firm's data protection posture and remediation activities.

- Executive Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement - Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, including the CISO, CIO, CDO, Risk leadership , and business executives.

- Translate complex technical and data risks into clear business decisions and investment priorities.

- Build strong partnerships across Security, Technology, Data, Legal, Privacy, Compliance, and Risk organizations.

- Champion a culture where protecting sensitive data is viewed as a business imperative rather than a compliance exercise.

- Team Leadership & Development - Build and lead a high-performing global Data Protection organization.

- Mentor future leaders and establish a culture focused on innovation, accountability, automation, and measurable outcomes.

- Strategic thinker with the ability to execute and deliver measurable outcomes.

- Deep understanding of modern cloud, AI, and data architectures.

- Ability to influence organizational boundaries and drive enterprise-wide change.

- Data-driven decision maker with strong risk management instincts.

- Customer-first mindset focused on trust, resilience, and protection of critical information assets.

- Bachelor's degree in Information Security , Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or related discipline.

- Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CCSP, CDPSE, or cloud security certifications strongly preferred.

- 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in cybersecurity, data protection, data security, or related disciplines.

- Demonstrated success leading enterprise-scale data protection programs within large, highly regulated organizations.

- Deep expertise in data discovery, classification, DLP, encryption, key management, data governance, and access controls.

- Proven experience securing cloud-native data ecosystems and modern data platforms.

- Strong understanding of AI security risks and data protection requirements associated with GenAI and AI-enabled business processes.

- Experience partnering with Data, Engineering, Privacy, Legal, Compliance, and Risk organizations.

- Track record of driving large-scale transformation and modernization initiatives.

- Experience presenting to executive leadership, boards, regulators, and auditors.

- Opportunity to define and lead the enterprise data protection strategy for a global systemically important financial institution.

- Executive-level visibility and influence across Security, Technology, and Data organizations.

- Direct impact on the firm's AI, cloud, and data transformation journey.

- Collaborative culture focused on innovation, engineering excellence, and client trust.