Director of Technology & Security

In this high-impact role you own IT strategy, architecture and security for the Foundation and its wider ecosystem, including HPI. You will drive a cloud-first, scalable backbone with AI-enabled processes, balancing risk, governance and rapid execution. You collaborate with executive leadership to shape the technology agenda across multiple domains—from science and education to culture and conservation. This is a hands-on leadership position with direct access to management in a lean environment, enabling tangible impact from day one.

• lean team with fast decisions
• AI tools in use (e.g., AI Studio)
• competitive compensation
• public transport ticket
• free lunch
• lakeside office in Potsdam

• Own IT & Security end-to-end: strategy, architecture, operations, and budget for the Foundation and wider ecosystem
• Advise Executive Management on technology, security, and risk with discretion
• Strengthen cybersecurity posture: architecture, endpoint/identity management, incident response, vendor security
• Position IT as AI-enabled service: optimize service delivery with AI handling routine requests
• Scale governance: implement CoE standards and data governance across entities, expand SAP CoE to other areas
• Drive AI enablement across departments with governance and tooling
• Lead and grow the team; manage external partners with clear accountability

• 15+ years in IT and security leadership, with scale-up or high-growth experience
• End-to-end ownership of IT and information security in cloud-first Microsoft environments (M365, Entra, Azure)
• Strong cybersecurity foundation: risk management, incident response, security operations, GDPR/ISO 27001/BSI compliant
• Experience shipping AI-enabled processes and tooling with governance
• SAP landscape experience (S/4HANA, SuccessFactors) is a strong plus
• Commercial understanding of IT costs and cost allocation in multi-entity setups
• University degree in CS or engineering; commercial qualification a plus
• Proven leadership with excellent feedback from teams and stakeholders
• Fluency in English; German a plus

• Decisive under pressure
• Discreet and trust-building with senior stakeholders
• Strategic thinker with the ability to turn mandates into executable roadmaps
• Cloud-first Microsoft environment (M365, Entra, Azure)
• Security frameworks and governance (ISO 27001, GDPR, NIS2)
• AI enablement and automation of core processes