Cybersecurity Liaison

Description

Applications will be accepted through 4:59 PM MST on the posting end date.

Cybersecurity Liaison

Pay Range: $36 - $38/hr., plus competitive state benefits

Job Type: Full Time

Location: Boise, ID

Closing: August 9, 2024

About

The Idaho Secretary of State’s Office works every day to serve the people of Idaho by building trust in government. From safeguarding transparent and secure elections to managing business filings, the Secretary of State’s Office is key to ensuring many aspects of government run smoothly in Idaho. The Secretary of State's Office has a team of dedicated professionals focused on providing excellent service to the people of Idaho while fostering a culture of support and engagement for its employees. 

Description

This position is dependent upon Help America Vote Act funds from Congress and is not definite in nature.

As the Cybersecurity Liaison for Election Integrity, you will act as the primary consultant to Idaho counties, providing operational recommendations on cybersecurity, and sharing recommendations relative to cybersecurity warnings and best practices. You will also be responsible for connecting State and federal resources with counties to create a cohesive and proactive plan for hardening our critical elections infrastructure against cyber threats of all types, including but not limited to advanced persistent threats, phishing, trojans, botnets, ransomware, unpatched software and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. This position reports directly to the Chief Information Officer.

Responsibilities

Working closely with the Chief Information Security Officer and Chief Information Officer, you will be instrumental in supporting the success of the Secretary of State’s office by delivering on the following key areas of responsibility:

• Establishing and maintaining productive relationships with elections officials throughout Idaho
• Disseminating information on Cybersecurity “best practices”
•   Actively gather, interpret, and disseminate threat intelligence from various sources such as the FBI, US DHS, EI-ISAC, CISA, and other government entities and private sector
• Facilitating the flow of threat intelligence between local election officials and our partners at the state and federal level
• Facilitating/conducting webinars and conferences focused on cybersecurity
• Facilitating security awareness training for local election officials and their staff
• Working with local election officials and their IT staff (and contractors) to ensure that they have access to all available services and assistance in the event of a cyber incident
• Assist in the development of a county and local government risk self-assessment and coordinate distribution of the risk self-assessment to counties and local governments
• In coordination with the CISO and other state and federal agencies, develop, facilitate, and execute annual statewide tabletop exercises on election cybersecurity
• Conduct research on the feasibility, cost, and benefits of proposed election cybersecurity solutions
• Support state and federal election security grants (e.g. HAVA funds) with county officials
• Develop technical and administrative evaluation reports to assess the effectiveness of the program and provide routine administrative updates to the Secretary of State’s senior management

Minimum Qualifications

• Knowledge of or experience with current IT and cybersecurity processes and best practices
• Experience developing and managing projects or programs
• Experience working collaboratively with diverse groups of people
• Strong leadership, analytical, organizational and project management skills sufficient to develop, lead, and coordinate a statewide program
• Ability to collect, evaluate, and summarize research
• Advanced level experience with Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, & Excel) and project management software (i.e., Microsoft Project)
• Strong communication skills (oral, reading, and writing) and the ability to communicate complex and specialized issues related to IT and cybersecurity
• Public speaking skills to make presentations to the public, elections officials, IT professionals, and the Legislature
• Interpersonal and human relations skills sufficient to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff and constituencies
• Sensitivity to the political environment and differing concerns of constituencies
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent work experience
• Five years' experience in information security or information technology disciplines

 Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with the structures of federal, state, and local governments
• Ability to commit to non-partisan principles 
• Secret Clearance desired but not required

To Apply:

Please submit:

• Current resume, and
• Cover letter detailing your qualifications and interest in the position with your application.

NOTICE: Employment will be contingent upon applicant successfully passing a criminal background investigation.

At Will Position (Non-classified)

The Idaho Secretary of State is an elected official of the state, and positions within the office are at will positions. While this position includes a full state benefits package, Secretary of State employees are not considered classified employees and, as such, do not have to complete the testing requirements mandated by other state agencies. This position is an “at-will position”.

Questions? Contact us at: [email protected].

The State of Idaho offers a robust total compensation package, including medical, vision, and dental insurance; PERSI retirement benefits; paid sick, vacation, and parental leave; and 11 paid holidays per year. For additional information, please visithttps://dhr.idaho.gov/information-for-state-employees/.

EEO/ADA/Veteran:

The State of Idaho is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, political affiliation or belief, sex, national origin, genetics, or any other status protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.

The State of Idaho is committed to access and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities, auxiliary aids and services are available upon request. If you require an accommodation at any step in our recruitment process, you are encouraged to contact (208) 334-2263 (TTY/TTD: 711), or email [email protected]. 

Preference may be given to veterans who qualify under state and federal laws and regulations.