Security Specialist - Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center

Carnegie Mellon University; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 83,000 - 103,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Tuition benefits

Paid time off

Life and disability insurance

Transit bus pass

Family Concierge Team

Fitness center access

Job summary

Carnegie Mellon University’s Pittsburgh campus seeks an Information Security Compliance Specialist. This per diem, hourly role leads planning and execution to align data center facilities and computing systems with federal and sponsor requirements.

You will assess security posture, develop remediation plans, author policies, and maintain audit-ready records while advising management on risks and compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in CS/Info Security/Info Assurance or related field.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• CISSP, CISA, or CISM certification preferred.
• 5+ years in information security or cybersecurity compliance in regulated environments.
• Experience implementing federal security control frameworks (e.g., NIST SP 800-171, SP 800-53) and preparing for audits.

Responsibilities

• Assess the security posture of facilities, systems, and processes against applicable requirements and document risks.
• Develop and drive a prioritized remediation plan with milestones and resource estimates.
• Author and maintain security policies, standards, and documentation.
• Coordinate with system admins and engineers to implement security controls.
• Advise management on obligations, risks, and assessment readiness.
• Track and report progress with audit-ready records and evidence.

Skills

Security compliance

Risk assessment

Policy development

Audit readiness

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science / Information Security / Information Assurance

Master’s Degree preferred

Job description

Carnegie Mellon University is a private, global research university that stands among the world’s most renowned education institutions. With ground-breaking brain science, path-breaking performances, creative start-ups, big data, big ambitions, hands-on learning, and a whole lot of robots, CMU doesn’t imagine the future, we invent it. If you’re passionate about joining a community that challenges the curious to deliver work that matters, your journey starts here!

The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) a joint research center of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, was established in 1986, and for over 30 years has provided university, government, and industrial researchers with access to several of the most powerful systems for advanced computational research, communications, and data storage available to scientists, engineers and scholars nationwide for unclassified research. PSC advances science across a wide spectrum of fields, including artificial intelligence / machine learning, medical imaging, weather modeling, cell biology, and genomics.

We are seeking an Information Security Compliance Specialist. This is a per diem, hourly position that leads the planning, coordination, and execution of a structured effort to bring the Center’s data center facility and computing systems into alignment with applicable federal, sponsor, and regulatory information security requirements. This position evaluates current security posture, identifies gaps, develops and drives a prioritized remediation plan, and produces the policies, documentation, and evidence needed to demonstrate compliance. The position serves as a subject matter expert and an advisor to technical staff and senior management on cybersecurity risk, governance, and compliance, and works on a flexible, as-needed schedule.

Core Responsibilities

• Assess the security posture of facilities, systems, and operational processes against applicable federal, sponsor, and regulatory requirements, and document findings and associated risks.
• Develop, maintain, and drive a prioritized remediation plan, including scope definition, gap analyses, milestones, schedules, and resource estimates.
• Author and maintain security policies, standards, system security documentation, and supporting procedures.
• Coordinate with system administrators, engineers, and project staff to implement, validate, and document required security controls.
• Advise management on compliance obligations, risks, cost and schedule trade-offs, and assessment readiness.
• Track and report progress to stakeholders and maintain organized, audit‑ready records and evidence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Security, Information Assurance, or related field, e.g., Electrical Engineering.
• Master’s Degree preferred.
• Preferred: CISSP, CISA, CISM, or comparable professional information security certification.
• Five (5) years in Information security or cybersecurity compliance experience in a regulated, research, or high-performance computing environment.
• Experience implementing federal security control frameworks (e.g., CMMC, NIST SP 800-171, NIST SP 800-53), conducting gap assessments, authoring system security documentation, and preparing organizations for formal security assessment or audit.
• A combination of education and relevant experience from which comparable knowledge is demonstrated may be considered.

Benefits

• comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance as well as a generous retirement savings program with employer contributions.
• tuition benefits
• ample paid time off and observed holidays
• life and accidental death and disability insurance
• free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass
• Family Concierge Team to help navigate childcare needs
• fitness center access
• much more!

Location Pittsburgh, PA

Job Function Systems Administration and Support

Position Type Staff – Regular Full Time/Part time Part time

Pay Basis Hourly

Carnegie Mellon University is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran.

If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation at any stage of the application, interview, or hiring process, please contact Equal Opportunity Services by email at [e-mail] or by phone at 412-268-5072.

For technical assistance, email HR Services or call 412-268-4600.