Job profile:

The Dresden State Art Collections (SKD) are seeking a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) (m/f/d) for a position from January 1, 2027, to December 31, 2031. The position is classified as pay grade 13 TV-L , subject to meeting the personal requirements . The role involves the strategic strengthening of information security and the modernization of the SKD's IT landscape. The position is initially limited to five years, with the aim of a longer-term collaboration. The Dresden State Art Collections place great importance on work-life balance. Provided there are no compelling operational reasons to the contrary, the advertised position – even with supervisory and management responsibilities – is generally suitable for part-time work. Applications are also welcome from employees currently seconded to another position.

The Dresden State Art Collections (SKD), with their numerous museums, collections, and archives, form one of the world's most important museum networks. Together, their historically developed collections represent an impressive thematic diversity. In magnificent historical buildings in the heart of Dresden, as well as at other locations in Saxony and far beyond, the SKD makes its unique holdings accessible to the public.

The roots of this diverse collection lie in the time of the Saxon Electors and Kings and trace back to a centuries-long tradition. Each of the millions of objects opens windows into global art and cultural worlds. Beyond preserving the rich heritage entrusted to it, the SKD brings it to life through inspiring exhibitions and forward-looking educational formats, supported by numerous regional, national, and international collaborations.

As a research-oriented institution, cross-collection and object-based research is central to its work. With interdisciplinary collaborative projects, the SKD sets standards, not least in provenance research. Around 400 highly qualified employees shape this dynamic network and contribute with their enthusiasm and sound knowledge to the communication and presentation of the rich heritage of art and culture.

Your tasks

Strategic Security Leadership

• Development and responsibility for the SKD's holistic information security strategy
• ...

Building and managing the CISO team

• Building a specialized CISO team with clear roles in the areas of governance/risk management, technical security/hardening, incident response/crisis management, identity and access management, and monitoring/threat detection.
• ....

Technical safety responsibility

• Overall responsibility for vulnerability and patch management with a focus on exposed systems and "crown jewels" (AD, hypervisor, backups)
• .....

Incident Response, Crisis Management and Compliance

• Development and operation of a professional incident response and crisis management process including runbooks, emergency manual, exercises and specific ransomware playbooks.
• ...

Transformation to a modern cloud security architecture

• Development of a medium- to long-term roadmap that gradually transforms the existing on-premises infrastructure into a modern, cloud-based security architecture (Zero Trust, Cloud Identity, secure SaaS usage, cloud backups)
• ....

Safety culture and awareness

• Establishing a sustainable security culture through awareness programs, training, and clear guidelines for employees, managers, and IT staff.
• ....

Full job posting: https://jobs.skd.museum/Chief-Information-Security-Officer-CISO-dmw-de-j357.html

Requirements profile:

Your profile

Formal qualifications

• Completed studies in computer science, business informatics or comparable qualifications
• Desirable: Certifications in the field of information security (e.g. CISSP, CISM, CISA, ISO 27001 Lead Implementer or similar)

Professional experience

• at least 7 years of professional experience in the field of information security, including at least 3 years in a management position
• Ideally, experience in a public institution, a cultural or scientific organization, or a comparable critical environment.
• Proven experience in defending against or managing complex cyberattacks, especially ransomware incidents
• Experience in building and leading security teams as well as managing external service providers in the field of information security.

Technical expertise – current infrastructure

• deep understanding of network and DMZ design, firewall concepts, microsegmentation, VPN architectures, and the prevention of lateral movement
• Solid knowledge of Microsoft environments (Active Directory hardening, Windows Server security, privileged access management, separation of admin and user accounts)
• ....

Technical Vision – Cloud and Modern Architectures

• Experience and clear ideas about modern, identity-centric and zero-trust architectures
• Knowledge of cloud security (Microsoft 365, Azure Security, ideally basic knowledge of AWS/GCP)
• ......

Personal skills

• Ability to present complex technical issues in a way that is understandable to non-technical people (museum management, administration, committees) and to create reliable decision-making documents.
• High level of personal responsibility, assertiveness and diplomatic skills in dealing with different stakeholders (management, IT, service providers, authorities)
• structured, analytical approach to work, strong risk awareness and pragmatic prioritization
• Crisis resilience and proven experience in managing security incidents under time pressure
• Experience in change management and transformation processes during ongoing operations
• Ability to build, lead and develop teams
• Excellent German skills, both written and spoken; English skills are an advantage.

We offer

• a responsible management position with a direct reporting line to the management in one of Germany's most important cultural institutions
• the opportunity to rebuild and professionalize SKD's information security from the ground up after a major security incident
• Budget and mandate to build an in-house CISO team with clearly defined responsibilities
• Scope for the development of a modern, future-proof security architecture (on-prem and cloud)
• close collaboration with management, IT management, specialist departments and external specialists
• ....

Contact

We welcome your application regardless of gender identity, nationality, ethnic or social origin, religion, disability, age, or sexual orientation.

By submitting your application, you consent to the processing of your personal data until the selection process is completed. Unfortunately, we cannot reimburse travel expenses for interviews. For further information about the position, please call +49 351 49147546.

Please submit your application by November 1, 2026 , via our online application portal at https://jobs.skd.museum/. You can also use the link below to go directly to the job posting and the corresponding application form.

Please note that only applications submitted through our online application portal will be considered. Applications submitted by email, post, or other means of communication will not be accepted. Only applications received in full by the specified deadlines will be included in the selection process. Applications received after the respective deadlines will not be considered.