Cybersecurity Specialist

University of Washington Medical Center • Seattle, WA

4d • $102,612 - $150,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

UW Information Technology (UW-IT) is hiring a Cybersecurity Specialist to manage institutional information security risk and support secure research computing across the University. Reporting to the Director of Risk Management Services, the specialist partners across teams to architect 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 role focuses particularly on secure cloud and research computing environments and advances the division’s work assessing and managing information security risk in partnership with executive management, UW departments, and academic partners.

The specialist serves as a subject matter expert for university organizations, supports security and compliance assessments for research computing, and contributes to risk assessments, vendor reviews, incident response, security outreach, and repeatable documentation and workflows. The position is part of UW-IT’s Information Security program, which supports secure, compliant, and resilient technology operations and is grounded in NIST standards, including the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and related Special Publications.

This is a regular, 100% FTE position on first shift in a hybrid, open-office environment. The listed annual pay range is $102,612 to $150,000. UW describes its employment benefits and professional-growth opportunities on its staff benefits website.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Engineering, or a related field, or experience; equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except where legal requirements apply.
• Four years of relevant experience with progressive responsibility working 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 or 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, using AWS, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, or comparable platforms.
• 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 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, guide university organizations in managing risk and developing 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), Plans of Action and Milestones (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 actionable mitigation recommendations.
• Review proposed data classifications, access controls, encryption configurations, and security architecture and design decisions for research computing and cloud environments against required security baselines; provide findings and recommendations to system engineers.
• Participate in ongoing information security outreach activities.
• Perform other duties as assigned, including developing and documenting repeatable workflows and knowledge-based articles.

Benefits

• The posting refers applicants to the University of Washington staff benefits website for information about benefits.
• Opportunities for professional growth.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level