The posting
Who We Are
Join a team that puts its People First! Since 1889, First American (NYSE: FAF) has held an unwavering belief in its people. They are passionate about what they do, and we are equally passionate about fostering an environment where all feel welcome, supported, and empowered to be innovative and reach their full potential. Our inclusive, people-first culture has earned our company numerous accolades, including being named to the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® list for eleven consecutive years. We have also earned awards as a best place to work for women, diversity and LGBTQ+ employees, and have been included on more than 50 regional best places to work lists. First American will always strive to be a great place to work, for all. For more information, please visit www.careers.firstam.com.
What We Do
Leads complex, risk-based technology and cybersecurity audits from annual planning through reporting. Serves as the senior audit contact for client leadership, directs audit strategy and scope, confirms the work is complete and supportable, and presents results to senior management and examiners.
Essential functions
- Lead executive-level discussions with technology, security, risk, finance, and business leaders, including the CTO, CISO, CRO, and their direct reports. Set expectations, resolve disagreements constructively, and communicate significant risks and conclusions.
- Set audit objectives, risk assessment, scope, criteria, resources, and timing. Challenge scope against the audit universe, enterprise architecture, regulations, prior findings, emerging technology, and dependencies to ensure complete coverage and supportable exclusions.
- Direct audits across the technology and cybersecurity programs identified in this profile. Apply deep technical audit judgment or bring in qualified subject-matter expertise where a specialized area requires it.
- Ensure audit scopes assess security-asset configuration and operation: baselines, rules/settings, privileged access, logging/monitoring, encryption, certificate lifecycle, changes, and exceptions.
- Direct and challenge configuration-focused audit coverage across the assigned specialty, including identity and privileged access, network security and segmentation, cloud security architecture and WAF, Security Operations monitoring and response, vulnerability management, or data-protection controls such as DLP, encryption, and key management.
- Oversee the Lead and audit team; review plans, walkthroughs, sampling, procedures, evidence, workpapers, issue evaluations, and reporting for quality and support.
- Own engagement decisions, issue severity/root cause, action plans, and reports. Escalate promptly and resolve differences while preserving audit independence.
- Present plans, status, results, and significant risks to Internal Audit leadership, executives, regulators, and examiners; keep examination materials complete and supportable.
- Coordinate with assurance teams and external auditors on reliance while protecting Internal Audit scope and conclusions.
- Coach auditors, build technical capability, manage concurrent-project resources and deadlines, and improve audit methods, continuous auditing, and analytics.
Required qualifications
- At least 8 years of relevant experience, including leading complex IT or cybersecurity audits and advising on technology risks and controls. Experience must include leading operational cybersecurity or data-risk audits. Demonstrated experience managing teams and engaging senior client leadership is required.
- Extensive IT/cybersecurity audit leadership in one or more domains: Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI)/threat hunting; Security Operations/incident response; endpoint/network security; data security/protection/privacy; insider risk/digital forensics; Offensive Security/penetration testing/application security; vulnerability/patch management; identity and access management; cloud security/service management (AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform); PKI/certificate management; network/technology operations; IT asset management; change/release management; Secure SDLC; data management; IT/IS governance/strategy; business continuity/disaster recovery; technology portfolio, project, and program management. Assess scope completeness and direct related work. Hands-on security-configuration audit experience with firewalls, SIEM, cloud security, WAF, encryption, or certificates is required.
- Primary leadership depth in at least one of these complementary areas: (1) IAM/PAM and identity architecture, including CyberArk and Active Directory; network security, including firewalls and segmentation; or cloud security architecture and WAF; or (2) Security Operations, including monitoring and incident response; vulnerability management; or Data Protection, including DLP, encryption, key management, and data controls. Experience with comparable tools is acceptable.
- Familiarity with official security guidance for Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud, including Azure network security best practices, the AWS Well-Architected Security Pillar, and Google Cloud Well-Architected security guidance. Able to apply relevant guidance when evaluating audit scope, architecture, control design, and operating effectiveness.
- Advanced understanding of risk assessment, internal control design and operating effectiveness, audit evidence, sampling, issue development, and accepted internal audit standards.
- Strong executive presence, negotiation, writing, presentation, and relationship-building skills; sound judgment in sensitive or high-pressure discussions.
Preferred experience
- CISA or equivalent (CISM, CISSP, CRISC, CIPP/US) strongly preferred
- Banking IT audit and regulatory examination experience are preferred. Relevant IT or cybersecurity coursework, professional training, or hands-on experience is valued. Familiarity with AuditBoard, Power BI, ServiceNow, Jira, or SailPoint is helpful.
Pay Range: $129,300.00 - $172,300.00 Annually
This hiring range is a reasonable estimate of the base pay range for this position at the time of posting. Pay is based on a number of factors which may include job-related knowledge, skills, experience, business requirements and geographic location.
** Note that the following statements only apply to candidates who will be working from an unincorporated area within Los Angeles County. **
First American will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with arrest or conviction records, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws (e.g., the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act).
First American intends to conduct a review of an applicant’s criminal history in connection with a conditional offer. First American reasonably believes that a criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship with the following material job duties for this position potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment: handling of confidential, proprietary or trade secret information belonging to First American or its customers, administrating or facilitating financial transactions, and the ability to meet customer-imposed criminal history requirements.
What We Offer
By choice, we don’t simply accept individuality – we embrace it, we support it, and we thrive on it! Our People First culture is inclusive for all employees - not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it's the key to our success. We are proud to foster an authentic and inclusive workplace For All. You are free and encouraged to bring your entire, unique self to work. First American is an equal opportunity employer in every sense of the term.
Based on eligibility, First American offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401k, PTO/paid sick leave and other great benefits like an employee stock purchase plan.
