Head of Security

Who We Are Looking For

Crisis24’s IRM Global Operations Security Division is seeking a dynamic leader as Head of Security, Global Operations, based in Paris, to lead a geographically distributed security operations capability. The role provides operational leadership, expert travel security and crisis management guidance, and high-quality delivery of services supporting international clients, with travellers, personnel and operations located globally. A key responsibility is to build and maintain trusted client relationships. The Head of Security, Global Operations will act as a senior operational point of contact and security advisor, developing a strong understanding of client organisations, operating environments, risk profiles and requirements to ensure advice and support remain relevant, proportionate and practical.

The Head of Security, Global Operations will lead Security Managers operating across European, North American and Asia-Pacific time zones, ensuring consistent service delivery, effective handover and operational continuity. Reporting to the Global Security Director and the Security Director – Southern Europe, the role requires an experienced security professional who can lead and develop a distributed team while providing high-quality daily support to clients’ decision-making and operational challenges, including during complex security incidents and crisis situations.

What You Will Work On

Operational Leadership and Team Management

• Lead and provide daily guidance to Security Managers operating across multiple locations and time zones.
• Manage team performance, training, appraisals and professional development.
• Support recruitment and onboarding in conjunction with Human Resources and relevant management.
• Manage staffing, scheduling, leave and operational coverage.
• Maintain effective communication, handover and coordination across the distributed team.
• Support the development of the Paris and Southern Europe-based security operations capability in line with operational requirements.
• Drive client centricity and best practice integration with Crisis24’s intelligence capability.
• Maintain a professional, accountable and client-focused culture across the team.

Travel Security and Crisis Response

• Provide senior-level travel security advice, threat and risk assessments and proportionate security recommendations.
• Oversee pre-travel and in-country security requests for French-speaking and Southern Europe-based clients.
• Proactively engage clients where significant developments may affect their personnel or operations.
• Deliver or oversee client security briefings where required.
• Monitor significant security developments and support contingency planning where there may be client exposure.
• Provide second-line support for complex or non-standard enquiries, incidents and emergencies.
• Lead or support major security cases, including evacuations, relocations and other crisis response activities.
• Maintain client confidence during crises through clear communication, realistic options and regular updates.
• Participate in client crisis calls and explain the rationale, implications and limitations of operational recommendations.
• Participate in the relevant on-call rota and provide senior escalation support where required.
• Coordinate with intelligence, medical and other specialist teams as appropriate.

Security Operations and Client Support

• Translate client requirements into clear, feasible and proportionate operational solutions.
• Oversee journey management, secure transportation, tracking, monitoring and other security-related tasks.
• Provide guidance on operational feasibility, providers and associated costs.
• Ensure effective handover, recording and closure of operational tasks.
• Maintain an appropriate understanding of Crisis24 services, client agreements, operating procedures and relevant commercial arrangements.
• Maintain regular engagement with key client stakeholders and develop a strong understanding of their operating environment, priorities and risk requirements.
• Support implementation and onboarding of French-speaking and Southern Europe-based clients where operational input is required.
• Work with Client Services and Account Management to strengthen service delivery and address recurring client requirements.

Quality and Service Delivery

• Maintain quality assurance across security cases, client enquiries and operational activities.
• Ensure security advice, case handling, escalation and documentation meet Crisis24 standards and client procedures.
• Monitor the quality, timeliness and consistency of client communications.
• Review operational performance and identify improvements to service delivery, processes and team capability.
• Take ownership of operational client feedback, concerns and service issues, ensuring appropriate follow-up.
• Conduct or support post-incident and post-operation reviews and ensure lessons are incorporated into procedures and training.

Procedures, Training and Operational Capability

• Develop, review and maintain security operating procedures, instructions and client-specific protocols.
• Ensure procedures and standards are consistently understood and applied.
• Identify training requirements and support security, crisis management and emergency-response training.
• Conduct or support operational exercises and scenario-based training.
• Coach team members on clear, pragmatic and actionable client communication.
• Ensure effective use of relevant systems, technology and operational platforms.
• Ensure compliance with Crisis24 policies, including Information Security and Data Protection requirements.

Leadership Support and Representation

• Support the Global Security Director on operational performance, people management and wider Global Security matters.
• Work closely with the Security Director – Southern Europe on regional security matters, operational priorities and client requirements.
• Provide operational updates and professional security advice as required.
• Represent Crisis24 and Security Operations in senior client meetings, service reviews, crisis calls and other internal or external engagements (e.g. client events and external conferences).
• Build effective relationships with client security, risk, travel, business continuity and senior leadership stakeholders.
• Work collaboratively with the wider Global Security Operations leadership team.
• Participate in the French on-call security roster for significant escalations.

What You Will Bring

We are looking for an experienced security professional with a strong background in travel security, risk management, operational leadership, client engagement and crisis response.

Languages

•  Native, fluent French and professional-level English, including written and verbal communication.
• Additional languages such as Spanish are advantageous.

Experience and Qualifications

• Minimum five years’ relevant operational and/or security experience, ideally within corporate security, military, law enforcement, emergency management or a comparable environment.
• Demonstrable experience leading and developing operational teams, ideally across multiple locations or time zones.
• Strong knowledge of travel security risk management and crisis management.
• Experience managing complex security incidents and operational tasks.
• Experience conducting threat and risk assessments and applying proportionate security measures.
• Experience providing security advice to clients, travellers and senior stakeholders.
• International security operations or travel risk management experience.
• Relevant security management qualification or degree is advantageous; equivalent professional experience will also be considered.

Key Skills

• Strong leadership and people-management capability.
• Excellent client relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to build trust and credibility with operational and senior stakeholders.
• Sound judgement and the ability to make defensible decisions under pressure.
• Ability to communicate difficult advice or operational limitations with clarity and confidence.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to explain complex security issues clearly and concisely.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills.
• Ability to coordinate operational activity across multiple locations and time zones.
• Calm, professional and solutions-focused approach to challenging situations.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office and the ability to learn new operational systems.
• Strong awareness of international security issues, geopolitical developments and current affairs.

Who You Will Work With

The Head of Security Operations, Global Operations is based in Paris and reports to the Global Security Director and the Security Director – Southern Europe on regional operational priorities, security matters and client requirements. The role leads Security Managers operating across Europe, North America and Singapore time zones and supports French-speaking and Southern Europe-based clients with global travel, security and crisis management requirements.

The role works closely with Security Operations, Operational Intelligence, Medical Assistance, Client Services, Account Management, Implementation and other specialist teams, as well as external security providers and partners. The Head of Security, Global Operations will also contribute to wider Crisis24 security operations and major incident response where required.