Security Vulnerability Analyst

Are you looking for more than just a job and do you want to make a difference? If so, then join the National Student Clearinghouse talent community and discover your impact today!

We are a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization and the leading provider of educational reporting, data exchange, verification, and research services. Serving the education, workforce and learner communities has been at the heart of our mission for over 30 years. Our work - performed in a trusted, secure, and private environment - provides numerous time- and cost-saving benefits to students, schools, administrators, and requestors. Education leaders rely on the Clearinghouse's unique national student data resources to better understand student pathways and outcomes in order to help students succeed, and our research better informs practitioners and policymakers about student educational pathways and enables informed decision making.

The Specialist III, Security Vulnerability Analysis (a.k.a Security Vulnerability Analyst) plays a critical role in identifying, analyzing, and coordinating the remediation of security vulnerabilities across enterprise systems, applications, and cloud infrastructure. This position supports the organization's cybersecurity posture by leveraging tools such as Wiz and Microsoft Defender to detect vulnerabilities, validate findings, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure timely and effective remediation.

Working under general supervision, the analyst follows established procedures and guidelines, exercising judgment in escalating complex issues.

Currently, this is a remote-first position, and this position may be required to periodically work on-site at our office and the frequency would depend on the department/division's requirements. Therefore, candidates must either reside within a reasonable distance to commute to our office or be willing to travel to our office in Herndon, when required.

• Demonstrate the Clearinghouse's core competencies: Customer Focus, Optimizes Work Processes, Collaborates, Communicates Effectively, and Be Open and Authentic.
• Conduct vulnerability scans using enterprise-grade tools (e.g., Wiz, Microsoft Defender, GitLab integrations) across operating systems, applications, and cloud environments.
• Analyze scan results to differentiate between true vulnerabilities and false positives, applying contextual knowledge and collaborating with engineering teams to validate findings.
• Maintain and improve the vulnerability exception process, including documentation and workflows for justified exclusions.
• Generate and present detailed reports on vulnerability trends, remediation status, and overall risk posture to stakeholders.
• Collaborate with DevSecOps, Cloud Engineering, Network, and Infrastructure teams to assign ownership and prioritize remediation efforts based on severity, exploitability, and business impact.
• Recommend enhancements to scanning configurations and detection logic to improve accuracy and reduce noise.
• Support compliance initiatives by aligning vulnerability management practices with internal policies and industry standards such as NIST SP 800-40 and PCI DSS.
• Assist in configuring and interpreting Web Application Firewall (WAF) data to identify vulnerabilities and reduce false positives.
• Monitor emerging vulnerabilities and threat intelligence feeds to identify potential risks before they impact systems and recommend timely mitigation strategies.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of vulnerability management policies, standards, and automation workflows to enhance program efficiency and scalability.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Position may be required to perform other duties as required. These essential functions are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

• Associates degree in Information Technology, Cybersecurity, or a related field. A combination of education and experience including military service will also be considered.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in vulnerability management, security operations, or a related role.
• Proficiency in cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) for managing scalable infrastructure.
• Experience with vulnerability management tools, especially Wiz; familiarity with Microsoft Defender and GitLab integrations is a plus.
• Strong scripting skills in Python, Bash, or Go for automating tasks and supporting CI/CD pipelines.
• Knowledge of system health and performance monitoring tools (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, ELK stack); Datadog experience preferred.
• Expertise in Git-based workflows and CI/CD tools such as Jenkins, GitLab CI, or GitHub Actions.
• Ability to manage on-call rotations, perform root cause analysis, and lead post-mortem processes.
• Strong diagnostic skills for resolving complex system issues.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for cross-functional collaboration.
• Adaptability to evolving technologies and a proactive approach to learning new tools.
• Solid understanding of Linux/Unix systems, networking fundamentals, and web architecture.
• Familiarity with security practices including IAM least privilege, policy-as-code, secrets management, and audit logging; experience with Wiz is a plus.
• Ability to measure and improve reliability using DORA and operational metrics (e.g., MTTR, deployment frequency).
• Must live within a commutable distance to Herndon, VA or in one of the Clearinghouse's approved States for hiring purposes. Refer to our HR Policies Page, located on our Careers site at https://www.studentclearinghouse.org/careers/human-resource-policies/, for more details.
• Must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. We do not intend to sponsor external applicants for work visas, and may consider sponsorship only if no qualified candidates can be found who are authorized to work without sponsorship.
• Must be at least 18 years old.

Additional Desired Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, cybersecurity, or a related discipline.
• Industry certifications such as CompTIA Security+, CISSP, or GIAC.
• Experience working in cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Familiarity with compliance frameworks such as NIST, PCI DSS, or ISO 27001.

• Use of a computer for 8 or more hours a day.
• Use of a telephone and/or copy machine.
• Frequently required to sit for 7 or more hours per day.
• Occasionally required to use hands and fingers to operate, handle, and reach.
• Vision abilities include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

The National Student Clearinghouse provides a robust benefit program designed to help meet the needs of each employee and their family, both now and in the future. We offer comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as life and disability insurance benefits, for employees and their qualified dependents. Health care, dependent care, and limited purpose flexible spending accounts, as well as a health savings account, are options available for employees to set aside pre-taxed dollars for certain qualifying expenses. We offer a very generous 401k matching contribution program with the opportunity to defer pre-tax and Roth contributions, as well as catch-up contributions for those who are eligible! We are proud to offer a competitive paid leave program consisting of vacation, sick, and personal time, as well as paid holidays, up to 3 weeks of paid parental leave during a 12-month period, and up to 5 days of paid military leave per calendar year. Vacation time will accrue based on length of service, and new full-time hires can accrue up to 13 days of vacation and up to 10 days of sick time per year. On an annual basis, new employees may use up to 32 hours of accrued sick time as personal time. Additionally, the Clearinghouse observes at least 11 paid holidays per year.

Another perk is that employees have the option to get reimbursed for basic wholesale company and roadside assistance memberships (e.g., Costco and AAA) and to request a buy back on portions of unused accrued vacation based on tenure and certain other qualifications. Employees can further their education and professional development by using our Employee Education Assistance Program, which establishes reimbursement for qualified education expenses upon successful completion of the program, and leveraging the enterprise-wide LinkedIn Learning subscription. There are additional employee benefits too, including but not limited to, mental health and well-being benefits. To find out more, please request a copy of our Benefits at a Glance!

Additionally, we reasonably believe that the salary range for this position is between $79,000 - $99,000.

The pay range listed above represents a general guideline and is not a guarantee of compensation or salary, and the National Student Clearinghouse considers a number of factors when determining base pay for offers, which include but are not limited to, responsibilities and scope of the job and the candidate's experience, education, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Internal Candidates: If you feel that you qualify and meet the requirements of the job, we highly encourage you to apply and focus on preparing for the application process. Once the final candidates are selected, they can anticipate a review of the compensation prior to any offer made.

This job announcement was posted to the National Student Clearinghouse's Careers site at www.studentclearinghouse.org/careers 11/18/2025 and the online application period will be open for at least 3 days. A completed online application is required to be considered for this opportunity.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities: The National Student Clearinghouse is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to actual or perceived race, creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability or handicap, sex, marital status, veteran status (or known to have a spousal, family, business, social or other relationship or association with a protected veteran), sexual orientation, genetic information, arrest record, natural hairstyle, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Our management team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities and general treatment during employment.

Pay Transparency Notice: The National Student Clearinghouse is a federal contractor that abides by all applicable equal opportunity laws and regulations. Under these laws, companies doing business with the federal government must provide applicants and employees with certain policies, including the following information. The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)