Fast Facts

Join Encoura as a Cloud Security Engineer to enhance the security of AWS-based systems and contribute to compliance programs like SOC2 and TX-RAMP. Work closely with development teams to optimize security practices and ensure robust governance and risk management.

Responsibilities: Key responsibilities include managing risk and compliance, tracking vulnerabilities, developing security reports, and collaborating with development teams to enforce security best practices for AWS platforms.

Skills: Candidates should possess expertise in AWS security tools, IAM roles, microservice architecture, and strong scripting skills for automation.

Qualifications: Preferred candidates will have 5+ years of IT experience, relevant AWS certifications, and a degree in Computer Science or related field.

Location: This position is fully remote within the USA, with no additional travel required.

Compensation: Not provided by employer. Typical compensation ranges for this position are between $110,000 - $160,000.

Role Overview

We are looking for an experienced, talented, and motivated Cloud SecOps Engineer with strong experience with the secure delivery of AWS-based Linux and Windows workloads, and related systems and processes. The role involves broad governance, risk and compliance responsibility for evaluating systems, providing recommendations, supporting the SOC2 and TX-RAMP compliance programs, and mitigating issues to ensure the security of the Encoura systems. You will be a key member of a small, skilled, results-oriented team of technology professionals tasked with ens ring our systems and data are protected. The candidate should be detail-oriented and be able to quickly evaluate processes and systems and optimize security controls and practices.  

This role partners with application development teams and DevOps Engineers in the development and secure delivery of AWS-based platforms and products and to align account permissions and access levels to business needs consistent with required audit/compliance standards. Additionally, this role will audit systems security and ensure Encoura platforms meet relevant compliance benchmarks. A few examples of technologies we work with daily are AWS Core Services, API Gateway, Lambda, Sumo Logic, Data Dog, Docker, Linux, Windows, Okta, PostgreSQL, MS SQL Server, MongoDB, Databricks, Node.JS, Python, Kubernetes, GitHub, GitHub Actions, StackHawk, JIRA & Confluence, LaunchDarkly, GraphQL, OneTrust, Tenable, CrowdStrike and Snowflake. 

A Day in the Life

• Risk & compliance tracking against government standards (e.g. CCPA, NIST, SOCII).
• Tracking and remediation management of vulnerability issues and system patches. 
• Review and recommend additional or changes to existing AWS security-minded services. 
• Work with managed security service provider to triage and respond to potential security events. 
• Grow, as needed, the data fed to SIEM to provide visibility into potential security events. 
• Develop security-minded reports and dashboards for the Exec team, and for techies. 
• Develop and deploy security system alerting and monitoring strategy. 
• Systems access level inventory and auditing. 
• Provide as-needed security-minded operational support of our applications and platforms. 
• Partner with development teams on security architecture decisions. 
• Implement tagging and reporting strategy to measure security event risk/impact.  
• Gain functional knowledge of all Encoura applications. 
• Serve in an on-call rotation for security, or potential security-related issues. 

Role Progression

• Within 1 month, you’ll: Be learning about the company and department priorities for near-term and long-term security tasks, compliance support and risk mitigation. 
• Within 3 months, you’ll: Support your security team members for tactical support of product, process and SOC2 audit evidence. 
• Within 6 months, you’ll: Begin to take ownership and provide security-minded improvements. 
• Within 1 year, you’ll: Be an integral part of the security team, securing Encoura’s systems and data, learning and growing your career. 

About You

• Experience securely delivering in a complex AWS-based micro-services application environment. 
• Strong understanding of the AWS-based security tooling and services. 
• Strong understanding of AWS-based IAM roles and accounts. 
• Strong understanding of AWS CloudWatch/Athena. 
• Proficiency and understanding of the AWS console and CLI. 
• 3+ Years experience securing a similarly complex AWS-based environment. 
• 5+ Years of IT experience designing and implementing security solutions. 
• Strong scripting and automation skills – you believe you can automate everything. 
• Hands-on experience with troubleshooting, securing, and improving AWS environments. 
• As related to related to security, familiar with the concepts of microservice architecture and how those concepts are implemented in AWS. 
• Experience installing, configuring, and managing and patching cloud-based and on-prem systems. 
• A solid security foundation – you’re always thinking, “what happens if this system is compromised?”  
• Experience working with application development teams who work in Agile/Scrum/Kanban. 
• Able to balance security requirements with budgetary requirements. 
• Experience working with SaaS-based solutions that integrate with AWS is a plus. 
• Experience with Linux and Windows administration. 
• Information Security experience preferred. 
• BS in Computer Science, Software Engineering or equivalent, or a Bachelor’s in an unrelated field with at least 5 years of professional technology-based experience.  
• AWS Security – Specialty certification (strongly preferred). 
• Additional AWS certifications are a plus, as are other relevant certifications. 
• A detail-oriented, data-driven decision-maker with a strong appreciation for simplicity in system architecture.
• A collaborative team player, comfortable mentoring others and cross-functionally communicating. 

What Sets Us Apart

• Mission driven culture 
• Comprehensive health and benefits package 
• 401k company match that vests immediately upon participation 
• Paid holidays and a generous PTO policy 
• Paid parental leave

About Us

Encoura’s mission is to empower students and institutions to create meaningful connections so everyone can make the most informed decisions to achieve their goals. Since 1972, the company has evolved its products and services to better represent the link between students and higher education institutions and to create the highest probability of student success. 

With the launch of the Encoura platform in 2017, the company provides custom technology solutions that combine Eduventures research, data science, strategic enrollment, and multichannel marketing services to over 2,000 higher ed institutions. The company also offers Encourage® —the nation’s largest free college and career planning program used by millions of high school students and educators nationwide. 

It is the policy of the Company to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information. All applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S. 

Encoura endeavors to make reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities and disabled veterans pursuant to applicable federal and state law. If you are an individual with a disability and require reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process or are limited in the ability and need an alternative method for applying, please contact the Talent Team. 

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