Systems and Security Technical Lead

About us:

The Faculty of Arts & Science is the heart of Canada's leading university and one of the most comprehensive and diverse academic divisions in the world. The strength of Arts & Science derives from our combined teaching and research excellence in the humanities, sciences and social sciences across 29 departments, seven colleges and 46 interdisciplinary centres, institutes and programs.

We can only realize our mission with the dedication and excellence of engaged staff and faculty. The diversity of opportunities and perspectives within the Faculty reflect the local and global landscape and the need for curiosity, innovative thinking and collaboration. At Arts & Science, we take pride in our legacy of innovation and discovery that has changed the way we think about the world.

The Citizen Lab is an interdisciplinary laboratory based at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto, focusing on research, development, and high-level strategic policy and legal engagement at the intersection of information and communication technologies, human rights, and global security. The Lab uses a "mixed methods" approach to research combining practices from political science, law, computer science, and area studies. Our research includes investigating digital espionage against civil society, documenting Internet filtering and other technologies and practices that impact freedom of expression online, analyzing privacy, security, and information controls of popular applications, and examining transparency and accountability mechanisms relevant to the relationship between corporations and state agencies regarding personal data and other surveillance activities.

Your opportunity:

Reporting to the Director of Administration, Citizen Lab and working under the general direction of the Director, Citizen Lab in coordination with the University of Toronto's Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), the Systems and Security Technical Lead is responsible for working with Information Technology staff and resources at Citizen Lab and the wider University to minimize risk of the compromising of information, data, servers, and server-based applications. Work is done in the context of existing policy, guidelines and applicable legislation in a fluid, consultative environment.

The Systems and Security Technical Lead assumes responsibility for the strategic and tactical planning and provision of systems security, confidentiality, privacy and risk management in the areas of systems administration, server and service design, implementation, operation and support. The Systems and Security Technical Lead is responsible for developing, updating, implementing, promoting and training the community on the Citizen Lab's Information Security Program. The Systems and Security Technical Lead is instrumental in ensuring reliable and robust access controls, service availability, and activity / incident reporting. The Systems and Security Technical Lead applies known security standards as well as establishes new security standards and best practices related to the use and operation of information technology solutions, systems, servers, network services solutions and proposes strategies by which those standards and best practices are implemented, tested and confirmed on a regular basis.

The Systems and Security Technical Lead works to support and undertake forensic audits of IT systems and services whose access control mechanisms have been compromised or circumvented, both within and from outside of the University working with the I+TS Information Security and Enterprise Architecture (ISEA) unit as well as external auditors when required. The Systems and Security Technical Lead reviews and performs detective auditing of the Citizen Lab Systems Administrators and other privileged IDs for all Citizen Lab systems and servers, actively monitors threats; works to ensure systems, servers and computing solutions administered by the Citizen Lab are secure, with uncompromised access.

The Systems and Security Technical Lead acts as a project manager for IT projects that fall within areas related to Information Security or projects, which include confidential and restricted information following the security standards and best practices for Identity and Access Management, Information Disclosure, Information Integrity, Business Continuity and Protection of Privacy.

The Systems and Security Technical Lead reviews the performance of security controls, and effectiveness of projects to achieve the security goals of Citizen Lab, in the context of the University. The Systems and Security Technical Lead is also responsible for the initiation, specification and assessment of a wide variety of contracts covering information security related hardware, software, support and services. The Systems and Security Technical Lead tables proposals to augment and/or improve services delivered and participates in reviewing proposals from others, using in-depth technical expertise and a teamwork approach to organizational issues in daily day-to-day developments and in tactical and strategic planning efforts.

Essential Qualifications: