Senior Career Specialist (Internal)

SANS Institute; Rockville (MD); Remote; USD 65,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Base salary

Bonus opportunities

401(k) match

Health insurance

Dental & Vision

Disability insurance

PTO & volunteering

Career development

Job summary

SANS Institute seeks a Senior Career Specialist to lead a team of Career Specialists in delivering career support to SANS.edu students. The role emphasizes mentorship, process improvement, and collaboration with stakeholders to drive student job search success.

You will manage a lighter caseload, develop resources, and ensure data integrity while supporting a primarily remote work environment with occasional in-person needs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 2+ years leadership in higher education or related field.
• Positive attitude with critical thinking and openness to improvement.
• Advanced familiarity with institution values, curriculum, policies, and resources.
• Ability to manage relationships effectively across all levels.
• Outstanding interpersonal communication and customer service.
• Ability to plan, implement, evaluate, and maintain programs and procedures.
• Employee development and performance management skills.
• Problem solving, mediation, and dispute resolution.
• Unrestricted authorization to work in the USA; visa sponsorship is not available.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, facilitate, and evaluate career services for students.
• Maintain SOPs to ensure quality and data integrity.
• Foster cross-team collaboration for student success.
• Onboard, mentor, and train new Career Specialists.
• Troubleshoot routine issues and drive resolution with resources and updates.
• Coordinate with stakeholders to advance student outcomes.
• Advise a caseload to achieve job search goals.
• Ensure compliance with SANS.edu and regulations.

Skills

Leadership

Interpersonal skills

Customer service

Problem solving

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Canvas

Salesforce

Slack

Job description

About SANS

Founded in 1989, SANS Institute (SANS) began as a cooperative research and education organization. Over the next 25 years, it grew to become the most trusted and widely recognized provider of information security training and certification in the world. Today, SANS has served more than 300,000 cybersecurity professionals around the world, with more than 60,000 earning Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) security certifications - the leading certification that provides assurance to employers that their people and prospective hires can do the job.

At the heart of SANS is a community of practitioners, from auditors and network administrators to CISOs, who share their lessons learned and collaborate on solutions to the challenges they face. These experts, working across corporations, government agencies, and universities, come together to support and strengthen the global information security community.

Why SANS?

At SANS, our culture is defined by three pillars: Mission, Brand, and People.

• Our Mission is to hire people who understand the importance fighting against cybersecurity threats.
• Our Brand reflects a commitment to delivering the highest quality training.
• Our People are grounded in a culture of fairness, honesty, customer focus, and a pragmatic approach.

What You'll Achieve at SANS

We are seeking a Senior Career Specialist to join our SANS Institute of Technology team. This role plays a key part in providing leadership/mentorship to their team of Career Specialists. This role manages a reduced caseload of students, performing day-to-day career support for undergraduate and workforce program students at SANS.edu. The Senior Career Specialist will also assist the Assistant Director with initiatives regarding career support resources, employer relations, special projects, data, and/or staff training/development. This person must be a current employee of SANS Institute to be eligible to apply.

As a Senior Career Specialist, you will:

• Develop, implement, facilitate, and evaluate various career services to assist students in preparing and effectively executing a professional cybersecurity job search.
• Maintain standard operating procedures to ensure quality and consistency of student support, as well as integrity of data collection and key KPI targets.
• Foster cross-team collaboration to assist the Career Specialist team with student management, problem solving, and a cohesive student experience.
• Assist with onboarding, mentoring, and training of new Career Specialists, as well as assist in the evaluation of readiness of new Specialists to meet with students independently.
• Troubleshoot routine student issues with Career Specialists and identify obstacles impeding Career Success that could be addressed by specific resource or procedural updates; follow up on problems until resolution.
• Work with internal and external stakeholders to advance student success.
• Advise a caseload of assigned students to complete their job search goals.
• Maintain administrative policies that ensure compliance with SANS.edu, state, and federal policies and regulations
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

What We're Looking For

Every SANS employee brings something unique. For this role, we're looking for candidates with:

• Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 2 years of progressive responsibility and leadership in higher education or related field.
• Possess a positive attitude and critical thinking skills along with an openness for continuous improvement.
• Advanced familiarity of institution values, curriculum, policies, procedures, and resources.
• Ability to manage relationships effectively and foster a cooperative work environment at all levels of the organization.
• Outstanding interpersonal communication skills based on open communication and collaborative relationships.
• Excellent customer service skills and experience being held to measurable outcomes.
• Ability to plan, implement, evaluate, and maintain programs, policies, and procedures that support career services needs and student interests.
• Employee development, performance management skills and the ability to effectively plan and delegate the work of others.
• Skill in problem solving, mediation, and dispute resolution.
• Unrestricted authorization to work in the USA; visa sponsorship is not available.

Preferred qualifications include:

• Advanced degree
• Experience in effectively managing, supervising and evaluating assigned staff
• Experience leading career services processes/projects
• Demonstrated knowledge of job market trends, preferably in cybersecurity/tech
• Experience with Canvas, Salesforce, Slack or other higher education platforms

Benefits and Perks of Working at SANS

We're committed to fair and equitable compensation. The expected salary range for this position is $65,000- $70,000, depending on geographic location, skills, and experience. At SANS, pay equity and transparency are priorities.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that supports your total well-being so you can be and deliver your best. This means caring for you and your loved ones' physical, financial, and mental health, as well as providing the flexibility you need to thrive personally and professionally:

• Financial Benefits: Competitive base salary,bonus opportunities, and a 401(k) plan with company match.
• Health & Wellness: Robust medical, dental, and vision plans; company-provided short term disability; optional long-term disability, supplemental life and AD&D insurance for employees and dependents; voluntary benefits including accident insurance and identity theft protection; fitness and wellness programs; and a company paid employee assistance program (EAP).
• Time Off & Flexibility: Generous paid time off, including volunteer time.
• Learning & Development: Access to professional development and SANS training opportunities.

Flexibility and Balance at SANS

We support our colleagues with the tools and flexibility they need to thrive, both professionally and personally. As a primarily remote work environment, we are committed to maintaining strong connections, collaboration, and a vibrant culture across virtual teams. While most roles operate remotely, some positions may require occasional in-person presence depending on role-specific or business needs.

SANS is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

SANS is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

If, because of a medical condition or disability, you require a reasonable accommodation during the application process, or to perform the essential functions of a position, please contact SANS Human Resources.

SANS complies with all applicable state and local laws regarding the consideration of applicants with arrest or conviction records. For positions governed by federal and/or state banking regulations, SANS will adhere to relevant requirements when evaluating candidates with criminal histories.

Employment eligibility in the United States is required. SANS does not provide visa sponsorship for this position.