Location: Ottawa, Canada
Thales people architect identity management and data protection solutions at the heart of digital security. Business and governments rely on us to bring trust to the billons of digital interactions they have with people. Our technologies and services help banks exchange funds, people cross borders, energy become smarter and much more. More than 30,000 organizations already rely on us to verify the identities of people and things, grant access to digital services, analyze vast quantities of information and encrypt data to make the connected world more secure.
Ottawa, ON - Hybrid
Position Summary
We have a current vacancy for a Security Certifications Director to join our Team in Ottawa, ON. This person will drive product certification strategies and lead a global team of security certification analysts. This role is not merely administrative; it requires a leader with at least 5 years of recent, hands-on experience navigating the complex ecosystems of external certification standards (such as NIST, PCI SSC, and CCRA). The Director, and their team, will serve as the primary bridge between these regulatory entities, the entities performing the certification testing, and Thales’ engineering teams, ensuring that product schedules and roadmaps are aligned with evolving global standards while actively influencing those standards to favor innovation and business agility.
Responsible for leadership of the Security Certifications team and must be able to:
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External Advocacy & Negotiation: Act as the primary Thales representative to external bodies (NIST, PCI, CC). Utilize expert-level knowledge of standards to negotiate favorable interpretation of requirements and influence the trajectory of future security mandates.
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Business Translation: Distill highly technical and often ambiguous certification requirements into actionable business intelligence. Advise executive leadership on the impact of regulatory changes on product viability and speed-to-market.
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Strategic Certification Roadmap: Partner with Engineering and Product Management to design certification strategies that account for the nuances of FIPS 140-3, Common Criteria (PPs/cPPs), and PCI-PTS/HSM.
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Team Leadership: Lead and mentor a high-performing team of analysts, fostering a culture of "security by design" and ensuring all product evaluations meet rigorous external benchmarks on the first submission.
Minimum Requirements
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Recent Expertise: 5+ years of direct, recent experience managing product certifications through external bodies (specifically NIST/CSE for FIPS, NIAP/BSI for Common Criteria, and/or PCI Council).
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Intimate Standards Knowledge: Must possess an authoritative understanding of the current FIPS 140-3 transition, Common Criteria v3.1 (and upcoming v4), and PCI-HSM/PTS requirements.
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Advanced Negotiation Skills: Proven track record of successfully negotiating with third-party labs and government oversight bodies to resolve technical disputes or obtain variances.
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Communication & Influence: Exceptional ability to "translate" complex technical standards for non-technical stakeholders, ensuring the business understands the "why" behind security requirements.
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Management: 5+ years of experience leading cross-functional teams in a global, fast-paced hardware/software engineering environment.
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Regulatory Eligibility: Must be eligible to access technical information controlled under the Canadian Export Control List and/or US ITAR/EAR.
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Industry Presence: Active participation in working groups (e.g., CCUF, ISO/IEC, NIST CCoE, or PCI Task Forces).
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Technical Problem Solving: A background in cryptography or secure systems architecture that allows for "peer-level" technical debates with certification lab evaluators.
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Agility: Demonstrated ability to pivot certification strategies rapidly in response to shifting global regulatory landscapes.
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Proactive - Develops pragmatic solutions, takes ownership, has a ‘can do' approach.
The reference Total Target Compensation(TTC) market range for this position, inclusive of annual base salary and the variable compensation target, is between Total Target Cash (TTC) 180,000 – 230,000 CAD Annual.
This reflects how companies in a similar industry and geographic region generally pay for similar jobs. This range helps the Company make pay decisions as one data point among many. Where a position falls within this range is also dependent on other factors including – but not limited to – the employee’s career path history, competencies, skills and performance, as well as the company’s annual salary budget, the customer’s program requirements, and the company’s internal equity. Thales may offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s status protected by local, state, or federal law.
We use artificial intelligence–enabled tools as part of our recruitment process to support activities such as candidate discovery, résumé matching, and interview scheduling. These tools may help screen and assess applications and recommend potential matches based on the requirements within the job description. All hiring decisions, including candidate evaluation, selection, and disposition, are made by human recruiters. Artificial intelligence does not make hiring decisions on our behalf.
This position requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software or technical information controlled under the Canadian Export Control List and/or the US the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). All applicants must be eligible or able to obtain authorization for such access.
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Thales provides an extensive benefits program for all full-time employees working 24 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including the following:
- Company paid Extended Health, Dental, HSA, Life, AD&D, Short-term Disability, Cancer Care Program, travel insurance, Employee Assistance Plan and Well-Being program.
- Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP, DCPP, TFSA) with a company contribution and a match to a DCPP, with no vesting period.
- Company paid holidays, vacation days, and paid sick leave.
- Voluntary Life, AD&D, Critical Illness, Long-Term Disability.
- Employee Discounts on home, auto, and gym membership.
Thales is an equal opportunity employer which values diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. Thales is committed to providing accommodations in all parts of the interview process. Applicants selected for an interview who require accommodation are asked to advise accordingly upon the invitation for an interview. We will work with you to meet your needs. All accommodation information provided will be treated as confidential and used only for the purpose of providing an accessible candidate experience.
This position requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software or technical information controlled under the Canadian Export Control List and/or the US Export Administration Regulations (EAR). All applicants must be eligible or able to obtain authorization for such access.
