Head of Governance

Dechra is a growing, global specialist within the world of veterinary pharmaceuticals. Our expertise is in the development, manufacture, marketing and sales of high quality products exclusively for veterinarians worldwide.Here at Dechra, our values are embedded within our culture and thrive within our family of almost 3000 colleagues globally. From manufacturing to marketing, Dedication, Enjoyment, Courage, Honesty, Relationships and Ambition are at the heart of our everyday operations and the way we do businessThe OpportunityThe Head of Governance provides strategic, regulatory, and operational leadership for cybersecurity governance. Based in the United States, this role is critical in ensuring the organisation is prepared for IPO, with governance structures, reporting, and assurance aligned to US and global regulations (SEC, SOX, HIPAA, FDA, NIS2, GDPR). In addition, the Head of Governance acts as a chief of staff to the CISO - ensuring that the cybersecurity strategy runs to plan, tracking cadence, coordinating governance forums, and producing executive reporting for the Audit & Risk Committee and Senior Executive TeamKey ResponsibilitiesGovernance & Compliance: Lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of enterprise-wide cybersecurity policies, standards, and control frameworks.Ensure alignment to relevant US and international regulatory requirements (e.g., SEC, SOX, HIPAA, FDA, NIS2, GDPR).Drive readiness for IPO, ensuring governance structures, compliance posture, and reporting meet investor and regulatory expectations.Maintain relationships with regulators, auditors, and assurance providers.Develop, publish, and maintain global cybersecurity policies and standards.Ensure alignment with international frameworks (NIST CSF, ISO 27001, COBIT, SOX).Oversee global policy refresh cycles and track compliance adoption.Strategy Execution & Chief of Staff Duties: Track delivery of the cybersecurity strategy and ensure progress against agreed roadmaps.Maintain the cadence of cyber governance activities (committees, working groups, reporting deadlines, Board cycles).Collate, review, and publish materials for the CISO to present at ARC, SET, and Board meetings.Act as the central coordination point for information flow and governance reporting.Produce internal governance publications (dashboards, maturity reports, quarterly updates) to keep stakeholders informed.IPO Readiness & Assurance: Lead cyber governance workstreams in IPO preparation.Provide assurance reporting to the CISO for Audit & Risk Committee and Senior Executive Team consumption.Ensure governance sign-offs are in place for IPO due diligence.Work with external auditors to validate governance and compliance posture.Partner with the Head of Risk & Compliance, drawing on their ownership of risk registers and compliance evidence to produce consolidated reporting for ARC and SET.Work closely with Heads of Protect, Architecture & Engineering, Detect & Respond, and Recover to ensure governance drives consistent standards without conflicting with delivery.Support Security Champions in business units to embed governance in daily activities.About YouHere at Dechra we pride ourselves on being an inclusive employer and we embrace candidates from all walks of life. We're particularly excited to hear from those who have/are:Extensive experience in cybersecurity governance and compliance leadershipDemonstrated experience preparing an organisation for IPO or major regulatory milestoneExperience coordinating cyber strategy execution and governance reporting at executive/board levelStrong knowledge of US regulations and reporting requirements (SEC, SOX, FDA, HIPAA)Track record of successful regulatory/audit outcomes at enterprise scaleStrong stakeholder management skills with boards, executives, regulators, and external assuranceBachelor's degree in Information Security, Risk, Law, or related field (or equivalent experience)This role forms part of the senior leadership team within Cybersecurity and plays a key role in ensuring Dechra's cyber maturity and regulatory alignment, including preparation for NIS2.Global travel as requiredExperience in pharmaceutical, healthcare, or other highly regulated sectorsExperience building governance functions in a global organisationFamiliarity with emerging global regulations (NIS2, DORA)As a people first values-based culture, we provide free weekly wellness sessions focused on our employee's physical and mental wellbeing, and flexible work arrangements. We offer a generous employer 401k match and other incentives for long-term financial wellness.Dechra is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes applications from diverse candidates. #J-18808-Ljbffr

Created: 2025-10-08