Cybersecurity and Data Protection Recruitment
Placing the cybersecurity and data protection leaders Irish businesses need to manage risk, meet compliance requirements, and protect what matters.
What These Roles Mean for Irish Business
Cybersecurity is no longer a concern for large enterprises only. Irish businesses of every size are facing increased threat levels, tightening regulatory requirements, and growing scrutiny from clients, insurers, and boards.
The demand for experienced cybersecurity leadership in Ireland has accelerated rapidly. NIS2 has brought new obligations. DORA has placed specific requirements on financial services firms. The Stryker attack in March 2026 made conversations about cyber risk unavoidable at board level across MedTech. Data protection obligations under GDPR continue to require named accountability.
Finding the right person to lead your cybersecurity function, communicate risk at board level, and build genuine capability is one of the most consequential hires an Irish business can make right now.
What We Do
We place cybersecurity and data protection professionals across Irish businesses from companies appointing their first dedicated security leader to organisations scaling established security functions.
We place at leadership and senior specialist level. Whether you need a CISO to own the function at board level, a Head of Security to build and run your programme, or a senior data protection professional to manage GDPR compliance, we can help.
We understand the Irish regulatory environment, the pressure points facing different sectors, and the difference between candidates who understand security technically and candidates who can lead a security programme in a real business.
Roles We Place
- Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
- Head of Cybersecurity
- Head of Information Security
- Cybersecurity Manager
- Data Protection Officer (DPO)
- Head of Data Protection and Privacy
- IT Risk and Compliance Manager
- Security Operations Lead
- Senior Information Security Analyst
- Cyber Risk Manager
How We Work
Cybersecurity hires require a level of trust that goes beyond a standard recruitment process. The person you hire will have access to your most sensitive systems and will be responsible for protecting your business from threats that are growing in sophistication every year.
We take the brief seriously. We want to understand your current security posture, the regulatory obligations you face, the board level expectations, and what you need this person to build or fix in their first year.
We look for candidates with genuine capability, not just certifications. The best cybersecurity leaders in Ireland are technically credible, communicate clearly with colleagues outside the technology function, and understand how to build a security culture, not just a security policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily. For many Irish SMEs, a Head of Security or IT Risk and Compliance Manager is a more appropriate first hire. A full time CISO makes more sense as your business grows, your regulatory obligations increase, or your client base demands a named security accountable.
We help clients work through this question before the search starts. Getting the level right matters as much as getting the person right.
NIS2 requires organisations in scope to have named accountability for cybersecurity risk management at a senior level. It also imposes obligations around incident reporting, supply chain security, and board level oversight.
If you are in scope and do not yet have the right person in place, the urgency is real. Get in touch and we will help you move quickly.
DORA, which came into force in January 2025, requires regulated financial services firms in Ireland to have named individual accountability for ICT risk management. That is a compliance requirement, not a nice to have.
If that position is currently vacant or inadequately filled, we can help you resolve it. We have placed into this space and we understand what the role needs to deliver.
A Data Protection Officer is primarily focused on GDPR compliance, data handling policies, and regulatory obligations around personal data. A Head of Cybersecurity has a broader remit covering threat management, security operations, risk, and infrastructure protection.
Some Irish businesses need both. Many need one person who can span both areas at a level appropriate for the size of the organisation. We help clients work out which is right for them.
Strong cybersecurity leaders in Ireland are in high demand. The best candidates are not actively looking and need to be approached directly. That takes time, but it is the only way to reach the right people.
We typically complete cybersecurity leadership searches within eight to twelve weeks. If there is genuine urgency, we will be honest about what is achievable and prioritise accordingly.
Cybersecurity is the fastest-growing area of the Irish IT talent market in 2026, driven primarily by NIS2, DORA, and the growing volume of security requirements related to AI adoption. Competition for strong candidates is intense, and salaries have moved accordingly.
At senior level, a senior IT Security Analyst typically earns €75,000 to €90,000 plus in a permanent role, while a senior IT Security Engineer will typically attract €80,000 to €100,000 plus and a senior IT Security Manager commands €100,000 to €120,000 and above.
At Head of Information Security level, the range runs from €120,000 to €150,000 or beyond, and a CISO in Ireland typically earns €130,000 to €190,000, with the upper end applying to organisations in financial services, healthcare, or those carrying significant regulatory obligations. For Data Protection roles, a senior Data Protection Officer at an Irish company will typically earn €65,000 to €90,000 plus, depending on the volume and sensitivity of the data the organisation holds.
On the contractor side, senior IT Security Engineers typically attract day rates of €525 to €700 plus, a Head of Information Security on an interim basis generally commands €700 to €900 per day, and a CISO-level appointment on contract typically attracts €800 to €1,050 per day or above.
Given how quickly NIS2 and DORA compliance timelines have accelerated hiring in this space, salary expectations are moving faster than most published guides can keep up with. If you want a current view of what your specific role would attract, get in touch and we will take it from there.