Senior Security Risk & Compliance Specialist

Xero is a beautiful, easy-to-use platform that helps small businesses and their accounting and bookkeeping advisors grow and thrive. 

At Xero, our purpose is to make life better for people in small business, their advisors, and communities around the world. This purpose sits at the centre of everything we do. We support our people to do the best work of their lives so that they can help small businesses succeed through better tools, information and connections. Because when they succeed they make a difference, and when millions of small businesses are making a difference, the world is a more beautiful place.

About the role and team

The Senior Security Risk & Compliance Specialist (M&A) will work as part of the Security Risk and Compliance team. We are a large, global team who are as warm and friendly as we are astute and knowledgeable. As part of the team, you will be working with all parts of the business to improve Xero’s security risk and compliance posture, to reduce the risk of security incidents and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Xero’s security controls. This role has a focus on Xero’s Mergers and Acquisitions portfolio but as part of the broader team you will be expected to contribute to other initiatives and will have the opportunity to learn about a broad range of topics in the course of your work.

• Experience working with M&A in the GRC (Governance, Risk and Compliance) space
• Experience with Regulatory Compliance Frameworks
• Experience with mentoring

• Ensure security risk and compliance obligations, both internally defined and externally regulated, are understood and met across Xero and its subsidiaries.
• Contribute towards the maintenance of the Xero information security management framework. Ensure that security policy and standards keep pace with the changing threat and compliance landscape, and are approved and communicated across Xero.
• Engage with and manage service providers delivering services and capabilities related to Xero’s security risk and compliance practice.
• Further develop and manage security risk and compliance frameworks and processes to ensure risks are documented, quantified, owned, communicated and escalated as appropriate across Xero.
• Assist in the development of security awareness materials and training for Xero staff.
• Respond to customer and supplier security assessments.
• Define requirements and assess solutions to automate and improve the efficiency of risk assessment, compliance management and reporting processes.
• Keep informed as to emerging security threats that have the potential to impact Xero and recommend mitigating strategies.
• Provide measurement and reporting of Xero’s risk and compliance position suitable for various levels of Xero’s leadership.
• Coach and mentor other team members to help them become the best versions of themselves they can be, using a variety of techniques which may include performance feedback and career development.
• Mentor product team members from other disciplines about security risk and compliance and raise awareness of risk and compliance concerns as a key consideration of product development.

• Perform Security Due Diligence activities for potential M&A targets and identify, assess, and report on related information security risks.
• Work with cross-functional and technical teams to perform gap analysis, identify integration requirements and security uplift opportunities, and monitor integration and remediation work to ensure alignment with desired security outcomes.
• Maintain and continually improve artifacts pertaining to M&A Security workstreams, ensuring alignment with all industry regulations, standards, and compliance requirements.
• Collaborate with subsidiaries on audit preparation, control scope and ownership, and remediation of findings to provide clarity and ensure successful compliance outcomes, dependent on integration model.
• Provide guidance and advice to the Integration Management team and Technical teams on security risk and compliance concerns and related issues throughout the M&A lifecycle.
• Demonstrate effective project management processes to work collaboratively across Xero and its subsidiaries.

Why Xero? 

Offering very generous paid leave to use however you’d like (plus statutory holidays!), dedicated paid leave to care for your physical and mental wellbeing as well as an Employee Assistance Program to access mental health care for you and your family, health insurance, life insurance, and income protection, wellbeing and sports programmes, employee resource groups, 26 weeks of paid parental leave for primary caregivers, an Employee Share Plan, beautiful offices, flexible working, career development, and many other benefits that reflect our human value, you’ll do the best work of your life at Xero.

Our collaborative and inclusive culture is one we’re immensely proud of. We know that a diverse workforce is a strength that enables businesses, including ours, to better understand and serve customers, attract top talent and innovate successfully. We are a member of Pride in Diversity, in recognition of our inclusive workplace. Our goal is to make sure you feel welcome and supported to do the best work of your life. 

At Xero we embrace diversity and inclusion and value a #challenge mindset. Research has shown that women and underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single competency or experience . If you are excited about this role, but your past experience doesn't align perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway. You could be just the right person for this role and Xero. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at time of application and throughout the interview process.

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