Head of Cyber Culture (f/m/d)

Step out of your comfort zone, excel and redefine the limits of what is possible. That's just what our employees are doing every single day – in order to set the pace through our innovations and enable outstanding achievements. After all, behind every successful company are many great fascinating people.

In a spacious modern setting full of opportunities for further development, ZEISS employees work in a place where expert knowledge and team spirit reign supreme. All of this is supported by a special ownership structure and the long-term goal of the Carl Zeiss Foundation: to bring science and society into the future together.

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Diversity is a part of ZEISS. We look forward to receiving your application regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion, philosophy of life, disability, age, sexual orientation or identity.

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Welcome to ZEISS – a company that combines innovation and responsibility! Our corporate functions are diverse and make a decisive contribution to the strategic orientation and sustainable success of ZEISS.

As the Head of Cyber Culture you are responsible for leading the global corporate function that drives the cultural transformation towards a security-by-default mindset in the global ZEISS organization.

Focusing on the human factor, the position is centrally owning and driving training, awareness, change and communication activities related to cyber security across the global ZEISS organization. As part of these activities, the role is responsible for building global training & awareness education programs, managing cyber-related communities across ZEISS and developing and carrying out targeted communication measures.

Your Role

• Cyber Culture Strategy: Own and drive the cultural and communication aspects of the ZEISS Cyber Security Strategy 2030, equipping ZEISS with the necessary skills and awareness on their path to a effective "Human Firewall". By developing and implementing target-group specific communities, trainings, and awareness campaigns, this role significantly strengthens the cyber posture and reduces the risk exposure of ZEISS.

• Training & Awareness: Own the cyber-related training landscape and collaborate with subject matter experts to identify gaps, create content, define target groups and develop and improve cyber security training offerings. Collaborate with internal and external suppliers to ensure effective cyber security training offerings for ZEISS to mitigate cyber risks by education and satisfy compliance requirements. Drive global and targeted awareness campaigns based on the evolving threat and risk landscape to ensure that ZEISS employees are equipped with the focus and mindset to spot risks and adopt secure behaviours in their daily work routine.

• ZEISS Security Engineer Program: Responsible for the continuous development of the ZEISS Security Engineer Program that provides ZEISS employees world-wide with the security knowledge, training, and network to integrate security-by-design principles into their daily work. Continuously develop this unique approach to integrate training and community elements to foster a strong 1st-Line-of-Defense. Collaborate with the ZEISS Cyber Security stakeholders to leverage the global network of ZEISS Security Engineers.

• Security Expert Group Management (e.g., CoP): Lead cyber security community efforts by driving and nurturing cyber-related expert communities that accelerate knowledge sharing and drive group-wide cyber security initiatives and topics in a distributed setting. Shape the community landscape and their collaboration channels and provide advice to the ZEISS Cyber Security Organization on how to best leverage the community landscape.

• Communication & Change: Lead cyber-related communication initiatives across all levels of the organization, ensuring a consistent tone, strong narrative, and high engagement across all channels. Orchestrate the preperation of communication materials and provide guidance, communication support, and coaching to stakeholders to ensure consistent, aligned messages. Provide change management expertise to the CISO organization and drive adoption of cyber-secure behaviours through structured change management methodologies.

• Leadership & Development: Functionally and disciplinarily leading a global team with high strategic relevance, this role fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation, and accountability within their team. The role involves leading and developing a high-performing global team, providing clear direction, mentorship, and opportunities for professional growth. By promoting an inclusive and empowering environment, this leadership position is a role model for ZEISS values and strategic goals, while driving engagement and motivation across the organization, cultivating strong relationships with stakeholders to achieve shared success.

• Advanced degree in Communication, Organizational Psychology, Human Resources, Change Management, Cyber Security, Behavioural Science, Communications or a related discipline (Bachelor's or Master's degree) or an equivalent mix of education and professional experience.

• Proven professional experience in cyber security awareness, corporate communications, HR/change management, or behavioural programs with related senior or leadership roles across global organizations.

• Proven experience designing and executing enterprise‑wide cultural change programs that drive secure behaviours and embed a security‑by‑default mindset.

• Strong background in developing and deploying global training strategies, creating targeted learning journeys, and running multifaceted awareness campaigns.

• Experience establishing and nurturing professional communities of practice or expert groups that accelerate knowledge sharing and foster local ownership.

• Strong capability to collaborate with business units, cyber leaders, HR, communications, and transformation teams to align cultural initiatives with broader organizational goals.

• Proven ability to apply structured change management methods to motivate behavioural adoption and embed secure habits across the organization.

• Experience in functionally and disciplinarily leading international and global teams within a business or technical environment, demonstrating a proven track record of strategic planning, team development, and operational excellence.