Security Operations Specialist (Central)

Job Description and Duties

Under direction of the Vulnerability Management Unit, Information Technology Supervisor II, the Information Technology Specialist I, provides technical expertise and oversight in the security and protection of the Department of Developmental Services’ (Department) information assets, and has responsibility to ensure that the Departments information technology assets, and endpoints are protected against the latest published vulnerabilities and hardened to state standards. As part of the Information Security Office (ISO), the incumbent provides monitoring of network activity, system operations and communications to support the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and IT management at the local facilities in their mission to ensure compliance with state and federal requirements. The incumbent will be expected to provide knowledge and support to all Department staff for device configuration, installation, patching, and best practices of state issued equipment and to protect Department resources.

Effective July 1, 2025, State employees are subject to a salary reduction of three percent in exchange for five hours per month of the Personal Leave.

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You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

Open-spaced partitioned offices; Prolonged periods on a computer a majority of the time. May require 24/7 on call support as well as weekend support. Occasional travel including overnight stays or day trips.

Pursuant to California Government Code requirements, candidates must be residents of the State of California at the time of appointment.

This position requires lawful authorization to work in the United States. The Department does not sponsor employment visas for this position.

Special Requirements

• The position(s) require(s) a Background Investigation be cleared prior to being hired.

The Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) must be numbered in the same order as the following areas, typed in 12-point Arial font, single spaced, and be no more than two pages in length.  Applicants must respond to each of the four questions below, providing specific examples from their education, training, or professional experience. Responses should clearly describe individual responsibilities, technologies utilized, actions performed, and results achieved.  Applicants who fail to answer the questions or submit an SOQ may not be considered.

1. Describe your experience identifying, analyzing, and managing security vulnerabilities across enterprise IT environments. Include the vulnerability scanning or security management technologies you have used, how you evaluated findings, and your role in developing or implementing corrective actions.

2. Describe how you would identify and address gaps in vulnerability scanning coverage across an enterprise environment containing workstations, servers, network devices, and cloud resources. Include how you would validate asset coverage and report unidentified or unmanaged assets.

3. Describe your experience applying security standards, system hardening requirements, or configuration management practices to Windows desktops, servers, network infrastructure, or cloud environments. Explain how you evaluated compliance, identified deviations, and ensured corrective actions did not negatively impact system operations.

4. Describe your experience analyzing technical security information, such as vulnerability scan results, system logs, or published Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs), and communicating your findings to technical staff or management. Provide an example of how your analysis or reporting supported a security decision, remediation activity, or operational improvement.

If you are using list eligibility from an on-line exam to qualify for this position, you MUST include with your application any documentation (i.e., copy of transcript, degree, license, etc.) to verify meeting the MQ’s or you may not be considered for the position.

The MQs will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment. If it is determined that an applicant does not meet the MQs of the classification, the applicant may not be considered and withheld from the eligible list.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

Knowledge of : Windows Desktop (Win10/Win11) and Server Administration; Familiarity with a variety of system log file types; Hands on experience managing active vulnerability scans and patch management; Strong working knowledge IT networking/infrastructure; Functional knowledge of infrastructure components and the roles they serve; Experience with Cloud based auditing and monitoring (O365, AWS, Azure) a plus.

Ability to : Create scripts using PowerShell, Batch, SQL, and Regular Expressions. Develop and maintain cooperative and harmonious relationships with Department staff and colleagues; analyze situations accurately and take effective action; communicate effectively; reason logically and creatively; analyze data and present ideas and information effectively; review and edit written reports ; present in front of small and medium sized audiences.

Benefits

As a state employee working for the Department of Developmental Services, you and your family will have access to excellent medical, dental and vision insurance benefits in addition to retirement benefits.

Benefit eligibility may be based on job classification, bargaining unit, time base and length of appointment. Additional benefits may also be outlined for specific bargaining units in employee collective bargaining contracts. For more information, please visit the links below:

Benefit information can be found on the website and the website.

Additional Information

Electronic application submission is highly encouraged.

Multiple positions may be filled from this recruitment. This recruitment may be utilized to fill future vacancies that may occur during the life of the certification list.

Possession of Minimum Qualifications will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment. If you are meeting Minimum Qualifications with education, you must include your unofficial transcripts/diploma for verification. Official transcripts may be required upon appointment. If it is determined an applicant does not meet the Minimum Qualifications, the candidate may be withheld from the eligibility list, rendering them inactive and ineligible to be hired for the position. Candidates who have been withheld may file an appeal with the California Department of Human Resources.

All appointments are subject to State Restriction of Appointment (SROA), Departmental Restriction of Appointment (DROA), Re-employment List procedures, pre-employment physical and fingerprint clearances. Further information on the definition of the above may be found on the California Department of Human Resources' website at:

If you have not taken the Information Technology Specialist I exam/assessment you may find the exam for this classification at the link below. You must take and pass the exam/assessment to obtain eligibility for hire. Click to gain list eligibility.

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.
• Statement of Qualifications -

  A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is required and is a narrative discussion of how the candidate's education, training, experience, and skills meet the minimum and desirable qualifications and qualify them for the position. The SOQ serves as a documentation of each candidate's ability to present information clearly and concisely in writing. SEE “SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS” ABOVE FOR INSTRUCTIONS.