IDEA Public Schools Careers

Security Analyst

Mission:

The role of the Security Analyst is to utilize current Information Security policies, standards and guidelines to implement and maintain operational security controls to protect all of IDEA’s technology resources including networks, systems, data centers, endpoints and applications to prevent loss of data or malicious acts. 

Supervisory Responsibilities:

None 

Location:

This is a full-time position based in Texas, with preference given to candidates who live in Austin, El Paso, Houston, Permian Basin (Midland/Odessa), Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, and Tarrant County (Fort Worth), or who are willing to relocate.

Travel Expectations:    

1-2 times a year 

What You’ll Do – Accountabilities

Essential Duties:

• Implement, enforce, and continuously maintain enterprise security policies, standards, and baseline configurations across networks, systems, endpoints, data centers, and applications to protect IDEA’s technology environment.
• Configure, administer, and monitor operational security platforms—including endpoint protection, email security, firewalls, VPN, cloud security, and vulnerability scanning tools—to detect and prevent security incidents and malicious activity. 
• Lead endpoint security architecture and daily operations across Intune, Google Workspace, Apple School Manager, and AWS-related environments, ensuring secure and compliant device lifecycle management. 
• Troubleshoot and resolve network and security-related issues while supporting maintenance, upgrades, and performance optimization to sustain high availability and organizational uptime targets. 
• Strengthen cybersecurity maturity by managing access controls, firewall/ACL policies, and vulnerability remediation efforts, while partnering with managed security providers on escalations and incident response actions. 
• Produce and maintain accurate technical documentation for major security initiatives, including maintenance plans, scan results, incident response playbooks, implementation records, and operational procedures. 
• Meet service delivery expectations by prioritizing and resolving Helpdesk tickets within established timelines and providing proactive, customer-focused communication and support to end users and stakeholders. 

Additional Duties and Responsibilities:

Additional Duties and Responsibilities include providing dedicated support for CTE devices and instructional applications to ensure secure setup, reliable performance, and instructional readiness across campuses. The Security Analyst also supports and oversees student safety and device monitoring workflows in Senso (Teams Supervision), including policy-aligned monitoring, escalation, and documentation of concerns. This role partners with campus and district teams to prepare and support district assessment testing, including device readiness checks, network/access validation, secure browser requirements, and rapid troubleshooting during testing windows. Additional responsibilities include coordinating security patching and vulnerability remediation on endpoints and critical systems, maintaining asset and configuration inventories for audits and compliance reporting, and delivering basic cybersecurity awareness guidance to staff to reinforce secure technology practices.

Knowledge and Skills – Competencies

• Make Strategic Decisions: This team member uses data and trends to drive decisions that impact multiple teams, while anticipating risks and planning contingencies for key initiatives. They apply strategic frameworks to clarify challenges and guide coherent action, and they actively support others in strengthening their strategic thinking and decision-making capabilities.

• Manage Work and Teams: This team member builds and maintains systems to track progress toward team goals, ensuring clarity through defined roles and responsibilities. They implement structured processes that support smooth team operations and strategically allocate time and resources to drive goal achievement. 

• Grow Self and Others: This team member regularly offers affirming and adjusting feedback, maintaining a positive balance that reinforces growth and motivation. They provide transparent, candid performance insights and offer consistent coaching and development aligned with individual goals, supporting both direct reports and cross-functional partners. 

• Build a Culture of Trust:  This team member proactively builds strong personal and professional relationships with individual stakeholders and regularly seeks feedback to improve their work experience. They create a supportive environment where others feel safe to take risks and learn from mistakes without fear of retribution. 

• Communicate Deliberately: This team member leads inclusive discussions that surface obstacles and drive actionable solutions, ensuring all voices are heard. They communicate key information clearly across multiple channels and establish feedback loops that promote open dialogue, collaboration, and continuous improvement. 

Additional Skills:

• Strong incident triage and escalation judgment in fast-paced K–12 environments
• Ability to correlate logs/events across SIEM, endpoint, network, and cloud tools
• Working knowledge of identity and access management (SSO, MFA, conditional access, RBAC)
• Experience with secure configuration baselines and hardening standards (CIS/NIST-aligned)
• Scripting/automation fundamentals (PowerShell or Python) for reporting, remediation, and task efficiency
• Data analysis and security metrics reporting for audits, leadership updates, and compliance tracking
• Change management discipline, including risk/impact assessment and rollback planning
• Strong technical documentation skills (runbooks, diagrams, SOPs, incident timelines)
• Vendor coordination and third-party risk follow-up for security tools and managed services
• Cross-functional collaboration with Instructional Technology, Testing, Helpdesk, and Campus Ops teams
• Excellent communication skills for translating technical risk to non-technical stakeholders
• High ownership, prioritization, and time management across tickets, projects, and incidents
• Knowledge of student data privacy expectations and regulatory awareness (FERPA/COPPA best practices)
• Ability to support after-hours maintenance, emergency response, and testing cutover windows
• Intune management of large scale Enterprise environment 

Required Education and Experience:

• An associate’s degree in Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Computer Science, or a related technology field
• Minimum of 3 years of professional IT or Information Security experience in a multi-site environment. 

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Computer Science, or a related technology field
• 5 years of professional IT or Information Security experience in a multi-site environment. 

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to sit and work at a computer workstation for extended periods while performing monitoring, analysis, documentation, and ticket resolution.
• Ability to lift, carry, and move technology equipment weighing up to 40 pounds during device deployments, campus support, and data center/network maintenance activities.
• Ability to travel between campuses or work sites and perform occasional after-hours, evening, or weekend on-site support during upgrades, outages, testing windows, or emergency response. 

What We Offer:

Compensation & Benefits:

Salaries for people entering this role typically fall between $74,700 and $87,100, commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications and in alignment with internal equity. This role is also eligible for performance pay based on organizational performance and goal attainment.

Additionally, we offer medical, dental, and vision plans, disability, life insurance, parenting benefits, flexible spending account options, generous vacation time, referral bonuses, professional development, and a 403(b) plan. You can find more information about our benefits at https://ideapublicschools.org/careers/benefits/.

* IDEA may offer a relocation stipend to defray the cost of moving for this role, if applicable.

Application process:

Submit your application online through Jobvite. Please note that applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

Learn more about IDEA 

At IDEA the Staff Experience Team uses our Core Values to promote human connection and a culture of integrity, respect, and belonging for all Team and Family members.  Learn more about our Commitment to Core Values here: https://ideapublicschools.org/our-story/#core-values