How to apply for Head of Privacy & Security

About Playlab

Playlab is a mission-driven EdTech company that builds AI-powered tools for educators and students. They prioritize child safety, responsible AI, and data privacy, making this a unique opportunity to shape security in an impactful educational environment. Remote-first culture with a focus on innovation and trust.

About the role

As Head of Privacy & Security, you will own the entire security and compliance strategy, from engineering controls to audits. You'll lead initiatives like SOC 2 and GDPR compliance, incident response, and security automation, directly protecting sensitive educational data. This role is critical for maintaining customer trust and enabling Playlab's growth.

A typical day

You might start the day reviewing security alerts and incident response status, then meet with the engineering team to discuss a new feature's privacy impact. Afternoons could involve preparing for a SOC 2 audit or collaborating with Trust & Safety on AI safety policies. You'll also lead a security training session and review cloud infrastructure changes.

Who Playlab is looking for

• A seasoned security leader with 7+ years in security and 3+ in leadership, preferably in fast-growing tech or EdTech.
• Hands-on experience with DevSecOps, embedding security into agile engineering workflows and containerized environments (AWS EKS).
• Deep familiarity with GDPR and SOC 2 compliance operations, including managing audits and privacy programs.
• Passionate about child safety and responsible AI, with ability to collaborate with Trust & Safety teams.

Tips for this application

• Highlight specific examples of leading SOC 2 or GDPR audits from scratch, including challenges and outcomes.
• Showcase your experience with AWS EKS security (IAM, network policies, logging) in your resume or portfolio.
• Mention any work with educational data or child safety regulations (e.g., COPPA, FERPA) to align with Playlab's mission.
• Quantify impact: e.g., reduced incident response time by X% or achieved SOC 2 certification in Y months.
• Tailor your cover letter to emphasize your passion for responsible AI and protecting children's data.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your leadership in building security programs from the ground up in fast-paced environments.', 'Your technical expertise in cloud security (AWS EKS) and automation (DevSecOps).', 'Your experience with privacy regulations (GDPR) and compliance audits (SOC 2).', "Your alignment with Playlab's mission: protecting educational data and ensuring child safety in AI."]

Research before applying

• Review Playlab's product offerings and understand the types of educational data they handle.
• Read their blog or press releases about AI safety and privacy initiatives.
• Check their careers page for any security-related content or values.
• Look up their SOC 2 status or any privacy certifications they mention.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How would you design a security automation pipeline for a containerized microservices architecture on AWS EKS?
• Describe your approach to managing a SOC 2 audit in a remote-first, fast-moving engineering team.
• How do you balance security controls with developer velocity? Give a specific example.
• How would you handle a data breach involving student records? Walk through your incident response plan.
• What is your experience with responsible AI frameworks, and how would you implement child safety measures?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Don't focus solely on compliance without demonstrating technical security engineering skills.
• Avoid generic leadership examples; be specific about security outcomes and team management.
• Don't neglect the child safety aspect—show awareness of COPPA, FERPA, or similar regulations.