Vice President of MS-ISAC State & Territory Strategic Engagement - Remote

The Vice President of State and Territory Strategic Engagement is responsible for developing, leading, and scaling CIS’s national approach to advancing multidimensional security resilience, addressing cyber, physical, and influence operations, for each U.S. state and territory. This executive-level role serves as a trusted advisor and partner to senior state and territory leaders. This role owns the design and execution of CIS’s “whole-of-state” security strategy, with a core focus on improving the security resilience of all entities in the state or territory including expanding and maturing state and territory-wide participation in the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC).
Reporting to the SVP of MS-ISAC Program Management Office (PMO) and Business Operations, this role is accountable for advancing adoption, effective use, and long-term sustainability of policies, processes, tools, best practices, and education/training for each state and territory, leveraging, where appropriate, MS-ISAC membership services and products. With a focus on working directly with governors’ offices, state CIOs, CISOs, Homeland Security Advisors, Emergency Mangers, and other executive stakeholders, this role helps states align governance, legislation, funding, people, processes, policy, and technology to raise the collective security maturity of the entire state, including cities, counties, and other local jurisdictions.
This position has ownership of CIS’s whole-of-state program, including setting the overall strategy and managing execution via assigned staff and contractors. While advisory in nature, this position is execution-focused and requires significant state-level experience, strong executive presence, and the ability to influence outcomes across complex political and operational environments.

What You'll Do:

• Lead the design, execution, and continuous maturation of CIS’s whole-of-state multidimensional security program across all U.S. states and territories

• Serve as a senior trusted advisor to governors’ offices, state CIOs, CISOs, Homeland Security Advisors, Emergency Managers, and other executive leaders on security strategy and risk management across the state or territory

• Advance adoption, effective use, and long-term sustainability of state and territory-wide MS-ISAC membership through consultative, value-based engagement

• Conduct executive-level briefings, strategy sessions, and workshops focused on improving statewide and local security maturity

• Guide states in developing and strengthening governance models, legislative approaches, organizational structures, and operating models that support whole-of-state cybersecurity

• Advise on alignment of people, process, policy, funding, and technology to raise security maturity across state agencies and local jurisdictions

• Provide strategic oversight and direction to assigned staff and contractors supporting whole-of-state initiatives

• Partner closely with CIS business units, MS-ISAC operations, and membership functions to ensure coordinated planning and execution

• Develop scalable advisory frameworks, playbooks, and maturity models that can be applied consistently across states and territories

• Track and report progress using meaningful outcome-based metrics tied to adoption, maturity improvement, and member engagement

• Represent CIS as a national thought leader through conference presentations, executive forums, and external briefings

• Provide strategic insight and recommendations to CIS executive leadership on trends, risks, and opportunities affecting state and local cybersecurity

• Other tasks and responsibilities as assigned

What You'll Need: 

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field *

• 10+ years of progressive professional experience, including 7+ years in senior leadership roles

• Senior executive experience within state or territorial government, or equivalent experience advising state executive leadership on cybersecurity and technology strategy

• Deep understanding of state and local government operations, funding mechanisms, legislative processes, and political dynamics

• Demonstrated ability to operate as a trusted advisor to governors’ offices, executive branch leadership, and senior public-sector stakeholders

• Proven experience leading large-scale, multi-stakeholder cybersecurity or technology initiatives across complex organizational environments

• Strong executive presence, including the ability to facilitate high-level discussions, challenge assumptions constructively, and influence outcomes

• Ability to navigate ambiguity and operate effectively in environments with evolving strategy, structure, and requirements

• Excellent verbal, written, facilitation, and presentation skills suitable for executive and public-facing engagements

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across organizational boundaries and lead through both authority and influence

• Commitment to advancing cybersecurity resilience across the public sector

• High degree of professional judgment, discretion, and integrity

• Enthusiastic and passionate about the CIS mission of securing the connected world

• This position requires the individual to be a citizen of the United States of America

It's a Plus if You Have:

• Advanced degree in Business, Public Administration, Cybersecurity, or a related discipline

• Prior service as a state CIO, CISO, Homeland Security Advisor, Emergency Manager, cabinet-level official, or comparable senior SLTT leadership role

• Direct experience leading or advising statewide or whole-of-state security initiatives

• Experience working with the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), an ISAC, or comparable public-sector information sharing organization

• Familiarity with state and local cybersecurity maturity models, frameworks, and best practices

• Experience engaging with state legislatures, governors’ offices, or senior policy staff on security-related initiatives

• Background in executive advisory, consulting, or peer-to-peer engagement models

• Experience supporting or operating within public-sector, nonprofit, or membership-based organizations

*Additional years of relevant experience or a combination of an Associate’s degree or equivalent and relevant experience may be substituted for the Bachelor’s degree.

At CIS, we are committed to providing an inclusive environment in which the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and views of our employees, members, and customers are valued and respected. It is through this commitment that we are able to work together towards our common mission: to make the connected world a safer place.

Compensation Range:

USD$188,300.00 - $338,900.00