Cyber Security Engineer III

American University•Washington, DC

2d•$105,519 - $115,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Cyber Security Engineer III plays a critical role in safeguarding the university’s information infrastructure by administering, monitoring, and optimizing security systems across on-premises and cloud environments. This position is responsible for threat detection, incident response, forensic analysis, and the development of secure system architectures. The engineer contributes to strategic planning, policy enforcement, and risk assessment, while also providing expert consultation on new technologies and mentoring junior staff. A strong technical foundation, proactive problem-solving skills, and a commitment to continuous learning are essential to success in this role.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent.
5 - 8 years of relevant experience.
Professional security certification (e.g., CISSP, SSCP, GIAC) is highly desirable.
Proven experience with incident response, log management and analysis, Virtual Private Networks, virtualization, firewalls, web application security, and intrusion detection/prevention systems.
Solid technical expertise in operating systems (Unix/Linux, Windows, macOS), internet applications (email, web, DNS/DHCP, TCP/IP), desktop software, antivirus tools), encryption technologies (SSL, TLS, IPsec), and networking hardware and software.
In-depth knowledge of internet and network protocols and standards, including TCP/IP, LDAP, and 802.1x.
Experience with network management tools, such as SNMP.
Background in system administration and scripting/programming (Python and Powershell), ideally in a higher education environment.
Excellent oral and written English skills required.
Ability to collaborate effectively within a team-oriented IT environment; must understand the importance of workload sharing and thorough documentation.
Customer-focused with the ability to support users with diverse technical backgrounds.
Must demonstrate high personal and professional integrity in a position of trust.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with process improvement frameworks, such as CMMI or ITIL, preferred.

Responsibilities

Configures, scripts, and develops applications across various computer, network, server, and cloud-based systems.
Monitors network systems and traffic to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the university’s information infrastructure.
Administers and develops systems to protect the internal network from unauthorized access or abuse and streamline information security operations.
Deploys, manages, and optimizes tools for analyzing enterprise logs and detecting anomalies or threats.
Perform forensic analysis of network, system, and application logs to support troubleshooting, incident response, and potential disciplinary or legal proceedings.
Assists IT units in resolving security issues and ensuring adherence to security protocols.
Contribute to the development and maintenance of the university’s information security strategy and architecture across systems, platforms, and services.
Enforce security policies, processes, and procedures.
Analyze emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and risks to assess potential business impact.
Collaborate with the Director of Information Security and CISO to mentor junior cyber security engineers and support strategic planning.
Advise on security risks for new technology initiatives.
Provide guidance on university policies and regulatory compliance.
Recommend risk mitigation strategies aligned with institutional goals.
Stay current on cybersecurity trends, technologies, and best practices through research, training, and participation in external knowledge-sharing communities (budget permitting).