Head of Security & Corporate IT

To apply for this job you must be willing to work in the time zone Lisbon.

This role is based in Portugal. We have an office hub in Porto available for those who prefer a hybrid model where you can spend time with colleagues in-person. You will need to be able to commute to our office hub as required from time to time.

WHO YOU'LL WORK WITH

Head of Security and Corporate IT leads the strategic direction and operational management of Hostelworld’s internal IT estate and security posture. This role ensures the resilience, compliance, and continuous improvement of all IT systems, both internal and customer-facing. The Head works closely with senior stakeholders to translate business needs into secure, scalable solutions, and is accountable for audit readiness and regulatory compliance. 
WHAT YOU'LL DO

Strategic Responsibilities 

• Define and drive the long-term IT and security strategy, aligning technology investments with business objectives and continuously improving employees experience of Corporate IT, harnessing the latest developments in AI
• Build and maintain high-level relationships with the board, software vendors, and security auditors to ensure robust governance and oversight. 
• Lead the ISO-27001 certification programme, ensuring timely and successful accreditation. 
• Champion a culture of innovation, efficiency, and accountability within the IT and security teams. 

Operational Responsibilities 

• Oversee the delivery of Corporate IT services to support a 24/7, fully remote global workforce, ensuring high availability and performance. 
• Collaborate with Legal, Finance, and Technology teams to define, implement, and continuously improve security controls and policies. 
• Manage IT budgets, resource allocation, and cost efficiency in partnership with Finance. 
• Support and lead audit inspections and reporting, including PCI and other regulatory audits. 
• Recruit, mentor, and retain a high-performing team, fostering a supportive and rewarding environment aligned with company values. 
• Lead business continuity planning and ensure robust disaster recovery capabilities. 
• Regularly report progress, KPIs, and OKRs, driving the achievement of team objectives. 
• Work closely with 18+ internal software development teams to ensure security in our product and development processes.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

• Extensive experience in both enterprise IT management and security (8+ years), with a proven track record of delivering robust solutions to complex challenges. 
• Expertise in state-of-the-art security solutions, facilities IT, end-user computing, networks, communications infrastructure, and cloud-based services. 
• Strong leadership, motivational, and people skills, with the ability to build a culture of collaboration and openness. 
• Excellent organisational and time-management skills, thriving in dynamic, fast-paced environments. 
• Results-driven, with a natural sense of ownership and urgency in delivering key projects. 
• Ability to influence and improve the security practices of 18+ internal software development teams
• Change and project leadership – ability to envision, get buy-in and then execute initiatives that improve our IT or security posture.
• An interest AI Technology and the changes that will enable in both IT and Security.
• Ability to present sensitive security matters to Hostelworld’s Leadership Team and Board.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Competitive salary & benefits 
• Enhanced annual leave plus 3 Wellbeing Days per year 
• Paid family leave (maternity, paternity, surrogacy & adoption) 
• Agile working (plus a Working from Abroad Policy!) 
• Support for your ongoing growth & development 
• Inclusive people policies (sickness, menopause, compassionate and fertility leave) 
• A chance to give back to your local community with 5 paid volunteering days

 

OUR BEHAVIOURS

• Grow others - We fundamentally believe that investing in growing others benefits everyone, whether it's helping them develop hard or soft skills. We want learning and growing to be part of our DNA to help makes us a better team, together.
• Master it - We are obsessed with our area of expertise and enjoy developing our skills. We rarely take things at face value; we investigate, interrogate, and always look for ‘the why,’ and wherever possible, we use data to find the best solution.
• Collaborate - We are in it together, for the tough stuff and the celebrations too. To achieve the best results, we need expertise from all areas of the organisation, and we wholeheartedly welcome diverse thinking.
• Adapt - We work fluidly, adapting to new information and the evolving environment while staying committed to our goals. Innovation and experimentation fuel our projects and we’re never afraid to pivot.
• Deliver - Our focus is always on the end result; we value outcomes over activity. We collaborate to deliver work at speed without dropping any of our other behaviours.

 

We believe in talented and diverse teams that reflect the diversity of our customers and the communities in which we operate. Everyone brings different perspectives and experiences. We lay out the above requirements to guide applicants to the experiences that we believe will allow you to be successful in the role. If you don’t meet them all, please consider applying if you think you can still perform the role as described.