Cybersecurity Specialist

NW Natural; Portland, Northern (OR, KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

NW Natural is seeking a senior Information Security professional to join the Security Operations team in Portland, OR. You will drive security projects, oversee incident response, and help mature our security program across IT and OT environments.

The role requires strong technical skills in security technologies, policy development, and cross-team collaboration, with hybrid work and onsite presence Tue–Thu at the Portland headquarters.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years of information security experience required.
• Experience with security operations, incident response, and SIEM.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in information security or related field.

Responsibilities

• Research, evaluate, design, test, and implement security technologies.
• Lead SIEM log collection and security tooling integration.
• Respond to security incidents and coordinate remediation.
• Develop and revise cybersecurity policies and standards.

Skills

Information security

Network security

Threat assessment

Education

Bachelor's degree in information security

Tools

PowerShell

Python

Bash

SIEM

Job description

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Non-Union Position
Security Operations and Identity Access Management; Portland,Oregon (US-OR)

Hybrid scheduleavailablefor Oregon & Washington residents.
Regular FT, Exempt
Posting # 5561

About Us:

At NW Natural, we offer more than rewarding career opportunities and a vibrant, inclusive work culture. We invite you to join us in providing safe and reliable utility services and renewable energy to better the lives of the communities we serve.Our vision is to be the leader in service excellence, innovation and environmental stewardship for our customers, while building on our strengths as a trusted energy provider and environmental leader for our industry.

In addition to environmental stewardship, we’re also deeply committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at NW Natural. Our DEI Council started 21 years ago, and today we continue to foster a culture where all employees can experience a sense of belonging, shared purpose and possibility.

NOTE:

This hybrid position is based at our headquarters in downtown Portland, Oregon. Candidates must reside within commuting distance of the office or be willing to relocate to the Portland metropolitan area. Employees are required to work onsite Tuesdays through Thursdays each week, with remote work flexibility on Mondays and Fridays, subject to business needs. This schedule supports collaboration, connection, and team engagement while providing flexibility for focused remote work.

The Role:

You’ll be a member of the Security Operations Team and collaborate with our team on projects and operational work, as part of our security program to meet Transportation Security Administration Security Directives. This a key role in a technology organization maturing its processes and modernizing its technology and you will work closely with Network, Cloud, and other technical teams.

The primary purpose of this position is to ensure Information Technology & Services (IT&S) Department is compliant with state and federal regulations by identifying, evaluating, prioritizing, monitoring, and reporting on the effectiveness of operational controls within Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) environments. Your responsibilities would include people, process, and technology.

This position will be based at our office in downtown Portland, OR.

Per regulatory requirements, this role requires US citizenship due to the potential need for access to restricted cybersecurity-related information. Proof of US citizenship will include visual verification of the person’s US birth certificate, certificate of naturalization, US passport, or US passport ID card during the onboarding process

Day to Day:

Security Consulting

• Research, evaluate, design, test, recommend, plan, implement, and administer new or updated security technologies.
• Collaborate on projects with staff and vendors to ensure that security issues are addressed throughout the project lifecycle.
• Review system designs and identify areas for security improvements, including cloud and network systems.
• Provide ad hoc consulting on tactical security topics.
• Develop and revise cybersecurity policies and standards.

Connectivity and Automation Focus

• Serve as the lead integration specialist for Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) log collection
• Administer email and Domain Name System (DNS) security tools.
• Develop automation for security integrations, detections, and responses.
• SAP familiarity is a bonus.

Security Monitoring and Incident Response

• Review alerts from security monitoring tools.
• Respond to security incidents, including leading the response for smaller incidents.
• Apply NW Natural context to potential incidents to better understand them.
• Liaise between incident response leads and subject matter experts.
• Research and assess new threats and vulnerabilities.
• While the security monitoring and incident response responsibilities mean that there is an after-hours component to this role, typically it is less than one hour per week.

General

• Evaluate security risks and their impact to NW Natural.
• Create technical documentation for other analysts and teams.
• Present technical solutions or recommendations to peers and leadership and provide updates on technical issues.
• Level 3: Provide training to less experienced team members and colleagues
• Level 4: Mentor less experienced team members and colleagues

Come on your first day with:

• Minimum five years of information security experience required for Level 3. Minimum eight years of experience in information security with focus on advanced skills and complex designs required for Level 4.
• Bachelor’s degree in information security, related industry certifications, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• ITIL Foundations certified or successful completion within 90 days of starting.

Technical Competency

• A solid understanding of network and information security priorities, protocols, and concepts.
• Scripting knowledge (e.g., PowerShell, Python, or Bash).
• In-depth knowledge of information security principles and considerable practical experience.
• Technical knowledge of mainstream Windows and Linux operating systems, complex applications, identity and access management technologies, SIEM, or endpoint security solutions.

Occupational Personality

• You’ll interact with NW Natural's personnel at various levels to understand business imperatives.
• Technical communication skills will be key to your success. Your written and verbal communication skills will help you succeed, as will your ability to communicate security concepts and situations to audiences with varying levels