Director, IT Cybersecurity Operations
George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States
Director, IT Cybersecurity Operations
The Director, IT Cybersecurity Operations is responsible for ensuring the daily protection of the Mason enterprise by developing secure business processes, monitoring cyber threats, and responding to security incidents. The Director executes the strategic cybersecurity goals outlined by the Chief Information Security Officer. Responsibilities include working with Mason leadership to identify risks to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of university systems and data; providing leadership in the enforcement of security and associated policies; providing leadership to the team in the analysis, discussion, and development of security policy, standards, and practices, and guiding the acquisition of advanced security technology; providing guidance and influence the university with regard to network and computing security needs in selecting hardware and software technologies, choosing between commercial and open source software, and determining whether services should be local or cloud-based; collaborating with and supporting IT colleagues to monitor, assess, and test security solutions; supervising IT Cybersecurity Operations staff; preparing staff to respond around the clock (24/7/365) to security incidents (as required); assessing risk in proposed, new, or current IT systems; maintaining technology to detect and prevent cyber threats to Mason's business enterprise including network sensors, firewalls, endpoint protection, anti-virus, and security information and event management tools; leading the Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT); preparing meaningful cybersecurity and risk metrics to inform the CISO and Chief Information Officer (CIO) and guide future Mason expenditures; ensuring Mason compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and requirements; responding to audit findings; monitoring and closing assigned security tickets; researching, testing, and proposing new technology or processes to improve Mason cybersecurity; communicating with Mason system administrators, faculty, staff, and students within and outside of ITS about cybersecurity issues; providing cybersecurity advice to senior Mason leadership including the CISO, CIO, and Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance; briefing the Board of Visitors committees (as required); working with internal and external parties to resolve incidents including University Counsel, Mason Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation; maintaining annual Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) currency; participating and exchanging information with industry and higher education security groups including the Virginia Alliance for Secure Computing and Networking (VASCAN) and Research & Education Networking Information Sharing & Analysis Center (REN-ISAC); and ensuring Mason's IT security policies and procedures are up to date and provide appropriate protections for Mason. Required qualifications include a bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience; generally 10+ years in cybersecurity, with generally 5+ years leading security operations or incident response teams in complex enterprises; generally 3+ years managing SOC functions (in house, MSSP, or hybrid); demonstrated systems administration experience; direct experience in higher education or similarly decentralized, open network environments, or equivalent experience supporting academic/research missions in government or non-profit sectors; familiarity with ransomware targeting universities, intellectual property theft, and nation state driven research espionage; understanding of open-access networks typical in higher ed; demonstrable consensus building skills and excellent communications skills, especially in writing and presentation; demonstrated leadership across decentralized or federated IT environments; ability to lead a cybersecurity operations program across colleges, research labs, and central IT with both authority and influence; hands on leadership supporting research computing (e.g., HPC clusters, secure research enclaves, lab/OT networks, scientific instruments); and must be a U.S. citizen. Preferred qualifications include a master's degree in related field; CISSP, CISM, GIAC (GCIH/GCIA/GCED/GRID), CCSP; NIST 800 171/CUI experience indicators; experience establishing secure research platforms (CUI enclaves, PHI environments) and data use agreement processes; knowledge of research computing systemsHPC clusters, lab instrumentation networks, secure enclaves; participation in higher ed security communities (REN ISAC, EDUCAUSE); and prior success integrating security into grant lifecycles (proposal, DMPs, reviews, audits). Instructions to applicants: For full consideration, applicants must apply for the Director, IT Cybersecurity Operations at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume for review.
The Director, IT Cybersecurity Operations is responsible for ensuring the daily protection of the Mason enterprise by developing secure business processes, monitoring cyber threats, and responding to security incidents. The Director executes the strategic cybersecurity goals outlined by the Chief Information Security Officer. Responsibilities include working with Mason leadership to identify risks to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of university systems and data; providing leadership in the enforcement of security and associated policies; providing leadership to the team in the analysis, discussion, and development of security policy, standards, and practices, and guiding the acquisition of advanced security technology; providing guidance and influence the university with regard to network and computing security needs in selecting hardware and software technologies, choosing between commercial and open source software, and determining whether services should be local or cloud-based; collaborating with and supporting IT colleagues to monitor, assess, and test security solutions; supervising IT Cybersecurity Operations staff; preparing staff to respond around the clock (24/7/365) to security incidents (as required); assessing risk in proposed, new, or current IT systems; maintaining technology to detect and prevent cyber threats to Mason's business enterprise including network sensors, firewalls, endpoint protection, anti-virus, and security information and event management tools; leading the Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT); preparing meaningful cybersecurity and risk metrics to inform the CISO and Chief Information Officer (CIO) and guide future Mason expenditures; ensuring Mason compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and requirements; responding to audit findings; monitoring and closing assigned security tickets; researching, testing, and proposing new technology or processes to improve Mason cybersecurity; communicating with Mason system administrators, faculty, staff, and students within and outside of ITS about cybersecurity issues; providing cybersecurity advice to senior Mason leadership including the CISO, CIO, and Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance; briefing the Board of Visitors committees (as required); working with internal and external parties to resolve incidents including University Counsel, Mason Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation; maintaining annual Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) currency; participating and exchanging information with industry and higher education security groups including the Virginia Alliance for Secure Computing and Networking (VASCAN) and Research & Education Networking Information Sharing & Analysis Center (REN-ISAC); and ensuring Mason's IT security policies and procedures are up to date and provide appropriate protections for Mason. Required qualifications include a bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience; generally 10+ years in cybersecurity, with generally 5+ years leading security operations or incident response teams in complex enterprises; generally 3+ years managing SOC functions (in house, MSSP, or hybrid); demonstrated systems administration experience; direct experience in higher education or similarly decentralized, open network environments, or equivalent experience supporting academic/research missions in government or non-profit sectors; familiarity with ransomware targeting universities, intellectual property theft, and nation state driven research espionage; understanding of open-access networks typical in higher ed; demonstrable consensus building skills and excellent communications skills, especially in writing and presentation; demonstrated leadership across decentralized or federated IT environments; ability to lead a cybersecurity operations program across colleges, research labs, and central IT with both authority and influence; hands on leadership supporting research computing (e.g., HPC clusters, secure research enclaves, lab/OT networks, scientific instruments); and must be a U.S. citizen. Preferred qualifications include a master's degree in related field; CISSP, CISM, GIAC (GCIH/GCIA/GCED/GRID), CCSP; NIST 800 171/CUI experience indicators; experience establishing secure research platforms (CUI enclaves, PHI environments) and data use agreement processes; knowledge of research computing systemsHPC clusters, lab instrumentation networks, secure enclaves; participation in higher ed security communities (REN ISAC, EDUCAUSE); and prior success integrating security into grant lifecycles (proposal, DMPs, reviews, audits). Instructions to applicants: For full consideration, applicants must apply for the Director, IT Cybersecurity Operations at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume for review.