Junior Security Analyst

Junior Security Analyst

The Center for Translational Data Science (CTDS) at the University of Chicago is seeking a highly motivated Junior Security Analyst who is passionate about information security. In this hands-on, entry-level role, you will support the protection of multi-petabyte scale data on platforms like GDC and Gen3 data commons while actively collaborating with cross-functional teams. Your eagerness to learn is just as important as your current skill set. We are committed to mentorship, fostering your growth as a well-rounded practitioner who moves beyond administrative tasks to provide meaningful security support, stays up to date on emerging threats, and advocates for the improvement of CTDS's products and services. If you are ready to soak up knowledge and make a tangible impact on the security of critical data science initiatives, we want to hear from you. This at-will position is wholly or partially funded by contractual grant funding which is renewed under provisions set by the grantor of the contract. Employment will be contingent upon the continued receipt of these grant funds and satisfactory job performance.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day security operations and triage incoming security tickets.
• Support the vulnerability management lifecycle to help identify, track, and remediate risks.
• Assist the team with basic incident response, monitoring, log analysis and reporting.
• Write and maintain basic Python scripts to help automate routine security tasks.
• Contribute to ongoing security projects, such as our transition to a zero-trust network access model.
• Provide necessary support for pulling supporting Governmental reporting paperwork and compliance documentation.
• Under close supervision, performs basic technical support procedures to ensure the safety of information systems. Identifies potential hardware and software deficiencies on systems such as web servers, mail servers, routers, firewalls and intrusion detection systems.
• Learns fundamental security penetration tests to identify system vulnerability against malicious code, system exploitation using SQL injection, cross-site scripting, buffer overflows, parameter tampering, hidden field manipulation, cookie poisoning, and web services manipulation.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Minimum requirements include vocational training, apprenticeships or the equivalent experience in related field (not typically required to have a four-year degree).

Work Experience: Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through < 2 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

Education: Associate or bachelor's degree in progress within cybersecurity, computer science, or a related field.

Experience: Foundational understanding of basic security principles and IT operations. Familiarity with Python and a genuine interest in improving your scripting abilities.

Preferred Competencies

• Strong willingness to learn, ask questions, and adapt to new challenges.
• Ability to respond to changing priorities and operate effectively in a dynamic demand-based environment, requiring extreme flexibility and responsiveness.
• Ability to build trust and work effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Ability to present information in a consistent and concise manner.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to foster collaborative working relationships.

Working Conditions

• Hybrid office/remote.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (preferred)

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law.