Program Manager-Cybersecurity

Company Description

Freshworks makes it fast and easy for businesses to delight their customers and employees. We do this by taking a fresh approach to building and delivering software that is affordable, quick to implement, and designed for the end user. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, Freshworks has a global team operating from 13 global locations to serve more than 65,000 companies -- from startups to public companies – that rely on Freshworks software-as-a-service to enable a better customer experience (CRM, CX) and employee experience (ITSM).

Freshworks’ cloud-based software suite includes Freshdesk (omni-channel customer support), Freshsales (sales automation), Freshmarketer (marketing automation), Freshservice (IT service desk), Freshchat (AI-powered bots), supported by Neo, our underlying platform of shared services.

Freshworks is featured in global national press including CNBC, Forbes, Fortune, Bloomberg and has been a BuiltIn Best Place to work in San Francisco and Denver for the last 3 years. Our customer ratings have earned Freshworks products TrustRadius Top Rated Software ratings and G2 Best of Awards for Best Feature Set, Best Value for the Price and Best Relationship.

Job Description

About the Job

The Cybersecurity Program Manager is responsible for the program management and company-wide oversight of cybersecurity projects and programs. This role provides leadership and strategic direction for the planning, executing, and delivering of multiple projects within defined timelines and budget constraints.

Requires coordinating and driving initiatives through relationship building and influence across the organization. Ensures adherence to program management methodologies and best practices while evaluating and optimizing program performance and identifying opportunities for improvement.
Cybersecurity at Freshworks is a diverse, focused team committed to helping secure both
Freshworks and our customers. And the Program Management team is the group that helps connect the dots between threats, risk, business needs, and innovation to execute on reducing risk at Freshworks while partnering to build the best solutions for our customers In this role

The individual will be responsible for partnering with Cybersecurity and product,
engineering, legal, HR, and other leaders of the organisation to drive key initiatives. Driving
accountability through consistent measures, standard practices, and reporting. This role is critical to driving project success within Cybersecurity teams. Specific examples include the implementation of best practices for program reporting, consistent utilisation of standard methodology across all teams,and transitioning to service management delivery and tracking for all programs. Additional responsibilities include budget management, resource, and capacity planning, and executive reporting.

This role combines the best practices of program management with security and compliance
knowledge, while also influencing, partnering, and helping to scale the organization. The individual should be comfortable leading a sophisticated portfolio of security and compliance programs with a wide breadth of stakeholders. The individual for this role should have a focus on transitioning the current approach to a more scalable operation using innovation to challenge the status quo. Finally the individual should be a force multiplier for the team working cross-functionally to deliver commitments

Responsibilities

● Closely track all Cybersecurity projects and statuses with accurate mapping of stakeholders,
timelines, and dependencies.
● Closely track all risk reduction, assessment findings, audit findings, incident response
mitigation work and all non-project based work that is driven by Cybersecurity across the
organization.
● Provide periodic updates and metrics on project execution.
● Assist team to articulate both business and technical problem statements clearly, project
purpose and goals, and to determine if the identified solution addresses the identified
problem
● Engage with cross-functional stakeholders for buy-in on behalf of Cybersecurity.
● Recognize potential challenges, internal and external dependencies, communicate timely,
and collaborate with the parties involved to effectively manage.
● Lead and manage cybersecurity projects from initiation through to completion, ensuring they
meet objectives, timelines, and budget requirements.
● Lead a team of project managers and coordinators, beginning with one project manager in
2024.
● Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including other program management offices across the org, to define project scope, goals, and deliverables.
● Develop and maintain detailed project plans, including resource allocation, timelines, and risk management strategies.

● Communicate project progress, risks, and expectations to team members and stakeholders
in a clear and timely manner.
● Ensure projects adhere to frameworks and all documentation is maintained appropriately for
each project.
● Assess project risks and issues, effectively managing and mitigating them as necessary, and provide solutions where applicable.
● Stay abreast of the latest cybersecurity trends and technologies, incorporating best practices into project planning and execution.
● Conduct post-project evaluations and identify successful and unsuccessful project elements
to drive continuous improvement in project management practices.
● Act as the audit liaison for engineering teams translating assessment/auditor requests into
developer work items using a “Do Once, Use Many” approach.
● Manage programs for both large & small initiatives; with consideration of risk/mitigation and the implementation of operational efficiencies throughout the project lifecycle.
● Ability to adapt to Projects/program of broad scope, interdependent, high risk, high impact
within the strategy & operational spaces.
● Develop and execute program strategies aligned with organizational objectives, considering
budget, resources, and timelines.
● Develop project plans for specific initiatives, monitor progress against those plans, track and
manage budget, and coordinate projects executed across several teams and business units.
● Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders including senior leaders, business
partners, and cross-functional team members.
● Allocate resources effectively to achieve program objectives while optimizing efficiency and
cost-effectiveness.
● Identify, assess, and mitigate risks that may impact program delivery, developing
contingency plans as needed to minimize disruptions.
● Identify opportunities for process improvement and innovation within the program,
implementing best practices and lessons learned to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
● Provide regular updates and reports on program status, progress, and milestones to
stakeholders, keeping them informed and engaged throughout the program lifecycle.
● Develop and leverage key relationships with IT, Product and other business operations
teams to ensure information risk management and compliance are appropriately prioritized
within the overall scope of activities.
● The ability to drive innovation and look around corners while finding better ways to serve our customers.
● Deliver quantitative metrics on the status of key internal programs or projects

● Assist Cybersecurity teams in developing quarterly and annual roadmaps

Qualifications

Required/Minimum Qualifications

● 6+ years of experience in technical program management on security or software
engineering programs.
● 3+ years experience utilizing project management methodologies, including scrum or kanban
● 2+ years experience working with Smartsheets as the primary program tracking tool and
dashboard solution

Other Requirements

● Experience working cross-functionally with engineering teams like Engineering Managers,
Product Managers, Security Engineers, DevOps, etc..
● Experience managing security engineering and GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance)
projects, preferably in a SaaS organisation
● Ability to build relationships, influence others, instill accountability, and get results
● Excellent English presentation, facilitation, and communication skills
● Comfortable working with ambiguous specifications and can prioritize quickly and optimally
● Agile, proactive, Strong analytical and process improvement skills
● Detail-oriented with an eye for quality
● Ability to tackle complex problems and understand complex ecosystems
● Ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast ­paced environment taking up multiple responsibilities.
● A knack for ensuring team(s) and stakeholders are always executing toward the outcome
● Ability to effectively prioritize and advance a large number of projects simultaneously
● Ability to speak with ease to both engineers and executives
● Foresight to understand and plan around the technical dependencies and impacts to other
teams and projects

Additional Information

● Certifications in Program management (PMP, Scrum Master, etc)
● Industry certifications in compliance or security are a plus
● Knowledge of, or experience working with, Cloud technologies/environments
● Experience with SaaS organizations and products

At Freshworks, we are creating a global workplace that enables everyone to find their true potential, purpose, and passion irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion and ethnicity. We are committed to providing equal opportunity for all and believe that diversity in the workplace creates a more vibrant, richer work environment that advances the goals of our employees, communities and the business.