Cybersecurity Specialist

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

1d•$102,612 - $150,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Cybersecurity Specialist manages institutional information security risk and supports secure research computing across the University of Washington. Reporting to the Director of Risk Management Services, the role partners across the University to design and deliver security solutions, communicate risk to technical and non-technical audiences, and support compliance for regulated research, including NIST 800-171, CMMC, and DFARS. The position emphasizes secure cloud and research computing environments and advances proactive risk assessment and management in collaboration with executive management, UW departments, and academic partners. The specialist advises university organizations on security strategy and risk, conducts complex system risk assessments, and coordinates security and compliance assessments for research computing environments. Responsibilities also include supporting System Security Plans, POA&Ms, and audit evidence; reviewing vendor products and research tools; contributing to incident response; and providing security guidance to researchers and technical staff. The role is part of UW Information Technology’s Information Security program, which supports secure, compliant, and resilient technology operations and uses NIST standards as a foundation for security, privacy, and risk management. This is a regular, 100% FTE position with a hybrid work arrangement in an open-office environment. The position is first shift. The annual pay range is $102,612 to $150,000.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience; equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications where legally permitted.
Four years of relevant experience with progressive responsibility in a consultative capacity in a large enterprise environment.
Strong written, verbal, and listening skills to communicate effectively and consult with technical and non-technical audiences.
Deductive reasoning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
Strong interpersonal skills to influence, motivate, persuade, mentor, and train diverse groups or individuals.
Ability to architect and deliver actionable information security solutions.
Ability to quickly conceptualize new ideas and complex technical matters.
Ability to work with diverse constituencies in collaborative groups, build consensus, and foster ongoing relationships.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.

Nice To Haves

Experience with information security in higher education.
Professional certification such as CISSP, CISA, CEH, GPEN, GSNA, or GCIH; cloud and compliance certifications such as AWS, Security+, or CCSP are also relevant.
Experience supporting secure research computing, high-performance computing (HPC), or scientific computing environments.
Experience with security assessments, vulnerability management, or security operations.
Experience supporting regulated or sensitive research environments.
Experience implementing, administering, and supporting cloud security and compliance practices in enterprise or research computing environments, such as AWS, Google Cloud Platform, or Microsoft Azure.
Experience supporting or implementing security controls, risk management, or compliance frameworks, including NIST 800-171, CMMC, and DFARS requirements for regulated research environments.

Responsibilities

Partner with cross-functional teams to architect and deliver information security solutions aligned with UW’s mission, goals, and applicable regulatory requirements; support research activities and evaluate emerging cloud services and security technologies.
Conduct risk assessments of complex systems, identify and track exploitable vectors, and communicate remediation strategies to decision makers.
Serve as a subject matter expert to guide university organizations in managing risk and developing and implementing information security strategies; enter qualifying findings into the risk registry and prepare reports for executive management.
Coordinate security and compliance assessments for research computing environments; help develop, review, and maintain System Security Plans (SSPs), POA&Ms, and audit evidence for NIST 800-171, CMMC, and DFARS assessments.
Provide information security expertise for vendor product risk assessments, including reviews of third-party tools and vendors used in research workflows.
Stay current on threats, risks, vulnerabilities, and relevant technologies through online presentations and in-person security conferences.
Advise on information security issues affecting higher education and consult on compliance and security requirements across the University; serve as a technical resource for researchers and technical staff on security best practices.
Contribute to information security incident response and analysis, including investigations involving research computing environments, risk analysis, and mitigation recommendations.
Review proposed data classifications, access controls, encryption configurations, and security architecture and design decisions for research computing and cloud environments against required baselines; provide findings and recommendations to system engineers.
Participate in ongoing information security outreach activities.
Perform other assigned duties, including developing and documenting repeatable workflows and knowledge-based articles.