Cybersecurity Technology Program Director at Northern Trust in Chicago, Illinois

Job Description:

About Northern Trust:

Northern Trust, a Fortune 500 company, is a globally recognized, award-winning financial institution that has been in continuous operation since 1889.

Northern Trust is proud to provide innovative financial services and guidance to the world's most successful individuals, families, and institutions by remaining true to our enduring principles of service, expertise, and integrity. With more than 130 years of financial experience and over 22,000 partners, we serve the world's most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.

Role Description

Northern Trust seeks a Cybersecurity Technology Program Director to lead an enterprise-wide, multi-year cybersecurity program. The program will be comprised of several workstreams consisting of Governance, Risk and Compliance, Identity and Access Management, and Metrics Reporting. The role will require negotiation and direct collaboration with Senior Leadership across the organization inclusive of Technology and Business leaders. It will also require regular reporting to the Board of Directors and Regulatory bodies.

Major Duties

Program Delivery:

• Work with senior leadership and sponsors to define approach, drive execution, manage risk, and ensure proper resources and prioritization.


• Lead team of Project Managers, Analysts, and other staff supporting inter-connected, highly complex programs that are priority initiatives for the firm.


• Oversee portfolio program management, ensuring alignment of program outcomes with strategic objectives.


• Direct the resolution of highly complex problems, applying advanced critical thinking.


• Apply industry knowledge, commercial awareness and experience directing enterprise-impacting delivery to achieve program goals.


• Negotiate with senior leaders across the business.

Stakeholder Management:

• Identify stakeholders who will be affected by the program or who may influence its delivery.


• Understand stakeholder expectations and assess level of interest, influence, and potential impact on the program.


• Build and maintain positive relationships with stakeholders, managing any conflicts or issues that arise, and working to gain their support for the project.


• Ensure clear, consistent, and timely communication with stakeholders to keep them informed about project progress and changes.


• Manage changes in stakeholder expectations or requirements and ensure they are reflected in program plans and deliverables.

Change / Risk Management:

• Partner with Organizational Change Management (OCM) at the Technology and Enterprise level to ensure change readiness and adoption.


• Display a balanced, cross-functional perspective, liaising with the business to ensure efficiency, effectiveness, and productive outcomes for the program.


• Ensure adherence to technology change management processes and procedures.


• Implement and lead a robust program-level change control process to address impacts to scope, schedule, or resources.

Financial Management

• Oversee the program financials, including developing and/or managing capital and expense budgets (approx. $25M to $50M).

Staff Management

• Determine staffing needs, make hiring and termination decisions, handle salary administration, and ensure resources are available to accomplish goals.


• Provide leadership and guidance to staff, fostering an environment that encourages employee participation, teamwork, and collaboration.


• Responsible for performance management and career development for direct reports.


• Direct management of approximately 10 staff, indirect management of 50-75 staff.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience Required:

A successful candidate will have at least 15 years of direct program and project experience. Additionally, the candidate will possess:

• Experience in cybersecurity, regulatory, or audit-related projects with requisite understanding of terminology, expectations, and sensitivity of information.


• Demonstrated success in leading enterprise-wide strategic initiatives in a leadership role, managing teams and large-scale projects or programs.


• Superior Communication skills - able to articulate ideas and information verbally and in writing for varying audiences.


• Initiative - takes initiative at suggesting improvements and anticipates the needs of leadership, program stakeholders and team members.


• Organizational Skills - able to handle multiple simultaneous work deliverables and prioritize them accordingly.


• Delivery Mindset - carries a delivery mindset with a bias for action, curiosity to learn, challenge, and enhance processes.


• Expert Analytical Skills - able to assemble data and analyze patterns, trends and draw conclusions and recommendations; rely on data to guide decisions.


• Financial Management experience managing large program budgets up to $20M dollars and comprised of internal and external labor.


• Knowledge of global financial institutions with complex organizational structures and regulatory requirements.


• Knowledge of and experience working in software delivery lifecycle methodologies (e.g. Agile/ Scrum, Waterfall, etc.)


• Experience in demand & capacity management.


• A college or university degree; MBA or relevant advance degree a plus.

Salary Range:
$137,400 - 240,400 USD

Salary range is a good faith estimate of base pay. Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.

Working with Us:

As a Northern Trust partner, greater achievements await. You will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture in an organization where financial strength and stability is an asset that emboldens us to explore new ideas.

Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to assisting the communities we serve! Join a workplace with a greater purpose.

We'd love to learn more about how your interests and experience could be a fit with one of the world's most admired and sustainable companies! Build your career with us and apply today. #MadeForGreater

Reasonable accommodation

Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at MyHRHelp@ntrs.com .

We hope you're excited about the role and the opportunity to work with us. We value an inclusive workplace and understand flexibility means different things to different people.

Apply today and talk to us about your flexible working requirements and together we can achieve greater.