IT Security Analyst

IT Security Analyst

Work location: Allentown, PA Start date: ASAP End date: 12/31/2018 / Potential contract to hire for the right candidate Will access NERC data, NERC clearance required No shift requirements, expected 8-5 M-F schedule OT not expected but may be required for large scale cyber security events OVERTIME WILL BE BILLED AT STRAIGHT TIME RATE MAX SUPPLIER RATE: $92.63 3+ years of cyber-security experience required – no recent college grads Security Operation Center (SOC) experience required Experience working for a large company (as a contractor would be acceptable as well) required Experience working as a team lead or in a supervisory capacity is required 24/7 on call availability will be required every other week

Job Description

Position Summary: PPL's IT Security team has the vital responsibility of protecting the integrity, confidentiality and availability of information and systems within PPL Electric Utilities and PPL Corporation. This cybersecurity lead role will serve as a technical leader within the organization and will be responsible for maintaining and improving PPL's strategic security posture through secure architecture and process design, through engagement on project teams, and applying security operational lessons learned. This role will provide transformative leadership to shape the evolution of technical and process cybersecurity controls implemented throughout the organization to protect against growing global cyber threats. In addition to working with traditional IT systems, the candidate will also input for the design of security controls to protect PPL's Operational Technology (OT) systems.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Proactively understand business needs and apply sound cybersecurity architecture design and operations, including cloud security as appropriate, to mitigate security risks. Ensure business targets are achieved through secure and reliable use of appropriate technology and process.
• Proactively protect the integrity, confidentiality and availability of information that is in the custody of or processed by the corporation.
• Escalate to management unresolved cybersecurity exposures, misuse, or noncompliance situations as warranted.
• Provides thought leadership on the cybersecurity team, and as part of IT and the business, to move forward through exploration of innovative ideas and concepts prioritize and mitigate security risk. Act as a cybersecurity advocate for internal business partners and manage vendor relationships as required.
• Provide consultation and coordination to Business Unit and IT Management as required to ensure resource owner responsibilities are understood and accepted, selection and use of realistic enforcement mechanisms that appropriately balance security and business functions risk, understanding of, and development of appropriate response to cybersecurity audit findings by internal and external auditing departments, or engagement of other 3rd party assessments relative to security risk mitigation.
• Stay abreast of emerging technology and architecture directions while focusing on advanced IT Security techniques/tools/processes, including pursuit and attainment of appropriate cybersecurity related certifications, advanced education, and/or security clearances.
• Provides high level research on internal projects, recommending strategic cybersecurity directions and plans that address company-wide cybersecurity issues.
• Solve IT Security problems of varying complexity across multiple technology specialization areas through development of well thought out plans for highly complex or ambiguous issues.
• Design, develop/enhance process/procedures for periodic review and correlational analysis of system logs to enable active defense approach to system security
• Designs, develops and implements tests of systems to monitor effectiveness of cybersecurity defenses
• Respond in a timely manner to loss or misuse of corporate assets. As part of cybersecurity team, serves as a team member for primary 24x7 on call security response on rotational basis (typically one week at a time) per security alert notifications, and as part of departmental security incident response processes.
• Provide skilled leadership consultation with other technical staff on cybersecurity related updates to applications and technical environments, including mentoring/coaching other more junior technical staff members across areas of IT Security to promote and exchange knowledge and personal skills and leadership development.
• Provides technical analytical and security leadership for project development and implementation.
• Committed to continuous learning by striving to increase own skills and knowledge required for the position. Sorts out personal strengths/weaknesses and seeks feedback for improvement.
• Contributes to a cooperative environment that encourages information exchange. Use oral and written communications that presents difficult or complex ideas in a clear, concise, organized and persuasive manner and able to identify the underlying business issue, impact and benefit while promoting cybersecurity advancements.
• Coordinate, document and report on internal investigations of possible security violations or information security misuse or compliance reviews as requested and approved by HR, Internal Audit, Legal, and/or regulatory or law enforcement bodies.
• Support existing and evolving mandatory regulatory compliance requirements as appropriate to workgroup responsibilities, including NERC CIP and SOX.
• Participates in special projects involving outside personnel or companies in security-related assignments.
• Provides needed perspective across organizational boundaries to ensure consistency in the application of security solutions in each area in a manner that is conducive to the achievement of departmental as well as corporate objectives.

Candidate Qualifications

Candidates must meet the basic qualifications and pass all required tests or assessments to receive consideration. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility form upon hire.

Basic Qualifications

1. Bachelor's degree in information security, computer science, math, or business related field or an alternate combination of education and experience which results in equivalent job knowledge is required. 2. Five years of experience in information technology required, including knowledge and performance of information systems and security controls, as well as networking, telecom or application development with cybersecurity experience. Minimum seven years' experience required for lead level. 3. Familiarity with Industrial control system (ICS) security vulnerabilities / mitigation strategies highly desired, and IT security concepts. 4. Security experience across the range of managed asset types, e.g. desktop/mobile/server, network and web-based systems. 5. Skills in effectively adapting to rapidly changing technology and ability to apply it to business needs and to merge multiple tools together to solve problems. 6. Strong analytical and problem solving background; good project management skills with ability to multitask and engage/lead multiple projects (large and small) in a cross-functional environment.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Advanced degree in information/cyber security or related security disciplines. 2. Relevant professional information security, auditing, control certification(s) such as CISSP/CISM or other security related certification(s) is preferred, including cloud security. 3. Ideal candidate will have an engineering, information security, information systems or computer science degree. 4. Active Secret Clearance.