Senior Network Security Specialist

Description

Senior Network Security Specialist

(IT Security-Senior Specialist)

WaTech: Leading the way forward!

Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech) is a national leader in adopting new, innovative technologies that transform the way Washingtonians receive state services. WaTech sets the strategic technology direction of the state in multiple domains and programs and is responsible for the state’s core technology services.

About the position

This position is a part of the Network Operations Center (NOC) within the Network Services Division (NSD) within WaTech. NSD delivers data networking, internet, cloud connectivity, telephony, and network security (firewall) services to Washington state agencies, federal entities, all counties, various cities, municipalities, school districts, boards, commissions, Tribes, and nonprofits.

As a Senior Network Security Specialist, you will be the escalation point for state agencies, counties, municipalities and Tribes when they experience network outages or connectivity issues with their respective networks or applications. In this role you will be responsible for cross-divisional engineering, designing, and maintaining standards and enhancements, facilitating the installation and maintenance of a complex statewide network that supports state agencies and statewide critical business and financial applications.

Duties

Some of what to expect with this role:

• Implement high-level design solutions.
• Research, identify and suggest potential technical solutions to meet agency or customer needs and future state.
• Create logical designs, network-synthesis, and network realization to add clarity and understanding of design proposal(s).
• Administer and implement SSL VPN Virtual Private Networks (VPN) solutions.
• Provide senior technical level understanding and leadership for WaTech and customer agency IT staff for the Enterprise Reverse Proxy, Enterprise Forward Proxy, Application Delivery, Security, and Traffic Management, SSL VPN, Splunk and other F5 based services.
• Maintain critical statewide core network in a Cisco environment. Monitor and manage to ensure 24x7x365 network reliability on the statewide network that enables all state agencies to conduct essential businesses.
• Ensure all state agency internet and IT connectivity is operational. Address outages and escalations by customers’ IT groups.
• Utilize advanced hardware and software network monitoring tools, diagnostic equipment, and network design protocols.
• Document incident, customer service requests and requests for change in ticket management system.
• Analyze the security risk of the network and independently initiate actions to minimize the impact of network security incidents and system events.
• Provide consultation to internal and external customers on highly complex, statewide IT initiatives and efficiency.

Here’s what we’re looking for:

• Eight years of information technology (IT) experience. This experience must include:
• Three years’ experience with digital Certificates, PKI and crypto concepts, http(s) protocols, and/or LDAP authentication and authorization.
• Three years’ experience with supporting F5 or similar network gear to include Linux, VM Ware and SSL VPN, forward/reverse proxy technology.
• Three years of layer 3 network routing and switching experience in a Cisco production environment to include IP addressing and knowledge of network protocols, and security concepts.
• A bachelor’s degree in IT Security or Network area or an equivalent technical discipline from an accredited college or university may substituted on a year for year basis for up to four years’ experience.

Preference may be granted to applicants with the following:

• Network, security or other IT networking related certifications such as:
• Cisco Certified Networking Professional (CCNP) Routing and Switching.
• Cisco Certified Design Professional (CCDP).
• Experience with supporting or deploying cloud services such as AWS/Azure or other cloud providers
• Security service edge (SSE) experience, such as:
• Zero trust network access (ZTNA).
• Secure Web Gateway (SWG).
• Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB).
• Cloud Firewall or Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS).

Telework: This position is approved for telework. However, it requires that the incumbent be within a two-hour commuting distance from the Olympia, WA office to response to emergencies and/or outages, lab testing and major maintenance activities. 

We value diversity and different perspectives:

WaTech is committed to providing equal access and opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees. We seek to attract and retain a diverse staff and welcome your experiences, perspectives, and unique identity. 

What WaTech Offers:

As an employee of WaTech, you’ll have access to an outstanding employee benefits package that includes medical and dental plan options for you and your family, paid leave and holidays, retirement plan options and more. 

While WaTech is headquartered in Olympia, Washington, which is near some of the country’s most scenic national parks, we are able to offer many of our positions telework and flexible schedule options to help support a healthy work life balance. 

To learn more about WaTech, and what our employees enjoy about working here, please visit our website. 

How to apply:

Applications for this recruitment will be accepted electronically. Please select the large “apply button” at the top of this announcement. You may need to create a profile and account in Washington state’s automated application system. We invite you to include your name and pronouns in your material to ensure we address you correctly throughout the application process.

To be considered for this position you will need to:

• Submit your online application.
• Answer all required Supplemental Questions.
• Attach a Letter of Interest that addresses how your experience qualifies you for this role.
• Attach a Resume that clearly documents the work history, training, and education that makes you a viable and competitive candidate for this position.
• Include three professional references and their contact information.

Applicants wishing to claim Veterans Preference should attach a copy of their DD-214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22, or signed verification of service letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to their application. (Please redact any personally identifiable data such as social security number prior to submittal.)

Note: Applications without the requested attachments identified above or containing supplemental question responses with comments such as “see resume” may lead to your application being disqualified from consideration. 

Conditions of employment: 

This position requires a background check. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant’s suitability and competence to perform in the position and is a continued condition of employment. 

Recruitment process:

First round of application assessments will be conducted seven days after the initial job posting date. The hiring authority reserves the right to offer the position at any time after the initial seven-day job posting date during the recruitment process. It is to the applicant’s advantage to apply as early as possible. This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions. 

Contact us: For inquiries about this position, please contact Rebekah Wilkes at (360) 407-8646 or email to Rebekah.Wilkes@WaTech.wa.gov

Persons requiring accommodation in the application process or for an alternative format may contact Human Resources at (360) 407-8242 or Human.Resources@watech.wa.gov. Persons of disability or those who are deaf or hard of hearing can call the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388. WaTech complies with the employment eligibility verification requirements of the federal Form I-9. The selected candidate must be able to provide proof of identity and eligibility to work in the United States consistent with the requirements of that form on the first day of employment.

Supplemental Information

More than Just a Paycheck!

Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Washington State offers one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation.

We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career. Like everyone, your first priority is ensuring that you and your family will maintain health and financial security. That’s why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of health and retirement plans, paid leave, staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.

Read about our benefits:

The following information describes typical benefits available for full-time employees who are expected to work more than six months. Actual benefits may vary by appointment type or be prorated for other than full-time work (e.g. part-time); view the job posting for benefits details for job types other than full-time.

Note: If the position offers benefits which differ from the following, the job posting should include the specific benefits.

Insurance Benefits

Employees and their families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout the state.

Staff are eligible to enroll each year in a medical flexible spending account which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care expenses. Employees are also covered by basic life and long-term disability insurance, with the option to purchase additional coverage amounts.

To view premium rates, coverage choice in your area and how to enroll, please visit the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) website. The Washington Wellness program from the Health Care Authority works with PEBB to support our workplace wellness programs.

Dependent care assistance allows the employee to save pre-tax dollars for a child or elder care expenses.

Other insurance coverage for auto, boat, home, and renter insurance is available through payroll deduction.

The Washington State Employee Assistance Program promotes the health and well-being of employees.

Retirement and Deferred Compensation

State Employees are members of the Washington Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS). New employees have the option of two employer contributed retirement programs. For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems’ web site.

Employees also have the ability to participate in the Deferred Compensation Program (DCP). This is a supplemental retirement savings program (similar to an IRA) that allows you control over the amount of pre-tax salary dollars you defer as well as the flexibility to choose between multiple investment options.

Social Security

All state employees are covered by the federal Social Security and Medicare systems. The state and the employee pay an equal amount into the system.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

If you are employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, and meet the qualifying criteria, you may be eligible to receive student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

Holidays

Full-time and part-time employees are entitled to paid holidays and one paid personal holiday per calendar year.

Note: Employees who are members of certain Unions may be entitled to additional personal leave day(s), please refer to position specific Collective Bargaining Agreements for more information.

Full-time employees who work full monthly schedules qualify for holiday compensation if they are employed before the holiday and are in pay status for at least 80 nonovertime hours during the month of the holiday; or for the entire work shift preceding the holiday.

Part-time employees who are in pay status during the month of the holiday qualify for the holiday on a pro-rata basis. Compensation for holidays (including personal holiday) will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status in the month to that required for full-time employment, excluding all holiday hours. Pay status includes hours worked and time on paid leave.

Sick Leave

Full-time employees earn eight hours of sick leave per month. Overtime eligible employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month, earn a monthly proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Overtime exempt employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month do not earn a monthly accrual of sick leave.

Sick leave accruals for part-time employees will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday.

Vacation (Annual Leave)

Full-time employees accrue vacation leave at the rates specified in WAC 357-31-165(1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Full-time employees who are in pay status for less than 80 nonovertime hours in a month do not earn a monthly accrual of vacation leave.

Part-time employees accrue vacation leave hours in accordance with WAC 357-31-165(1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA) on a pro rata basis. Vacation leave accrual will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment.

Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday.

As provided in WAC 357-58-175, an employer may authorize a lump-sum accrual of vacation leave or accelerate the vacation leave accrual rate to support the recruitment and/or retention of a candidate or employee for a Washington Management Service position. Vacation leave accrual rates may only be accelerated using the rates established WAC 357-31-165. 

Note: Most agencies follow the civil service rules covering leave and holidays for exempt employees even though there is no requirement for them to do so. However, agencies are required to adhere to the applicable RCWs pertaining holidays and leave.

Military Leave

Washington State supports members of the armed forces with 21 days paid military leave per year.

Bereavement Leave

Most employees whose family member or household member dies, are entitled to three (3) days of paid bereavement leave. In addition, the employer may approve other available leave types for the purpose of bereavement leave.

Additional Leave

Leave Sharing

Parental Leave

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Leave Without Pay

Please visit the State HR Website for more detailed information regarding benefits.

Updated 12-31-2022

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