Education Analytics (EA) is a national non-profit organization located in downtown Madison, WI that uses data and analytics to improve outcomes for students and increase equity in education. We work closely with our partners to illuminate patterns in data that drive change. At EA, we believe in a culture that is collaborative, equitable, mission-driven, human-centered, innovative, and rigorous. We believe in the potential of people to foster continuous improvement. The Security Operations Manager position supports remote work, with travel to Madison as needed.

Position Description

The Security Operations Manager will be expected to consistently provide high quality and innovative work to Education Analytics by leading the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of cybersecurity and security compliance operations. This individual ensures our cloud infrastructure, data platforms, and internal systems are secure, resilient, and aligned with regulatory standards.
This role will oversee security incident detection and response, manage security tooling and technical operations, and collaborate with internal teams and partners to foster a culture of proactive cybersecurity awareness. The Security Operations Manager has leadership over junior security staff and works closely with legal, data governance, DevOps, and Governance, Risk, and Compliance stakeholders to ensure alignment with frameworks like SOC 2, FERPA, TX-RAMP, ISO 27001, and others.

Orientation to the Work

• Comfortable with taking initiative and sharing responsibility in a team-based, collaborative environment at a fast-paced nonprofit organization.
• Customer-service orientation to working with other teams and partners.
• Ability to think strategically about complex issues as they arise, including weighing competing options and acknowledging the importance of context.
• This is a full-time, salaried exempt position with the expectation that specific periods of work around project deadlines or peak loads during the year may require additional time commitment to support completion.

Duties and responsibilities

Security Operations and Monitoring

• Lead the daily operations of EA’s security infrastructure across cloud and on-prem environments
• Monitor alerts, analyze logs, and oversee tools such as SIEM, IDS/IPS, EDR, firewalls, and vulnerability scanners.
• Maintain and improve asset inventory, patch management, and secure endpoint provisioning.
• Regularly assess threat intelligence and oversee secure configurations for CI/CD pipelines and data systems.

Incident Response and Risk Management

• Coordinate cross-functional incident response including investigation, containment, recovery, documentation, and lessons learned.
• Maintain and continuously improve the incident response plan and run regular tabletop exercises.
• Perform security risk assessments and drive mitigation efforts across systems and processes.

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Ensure adherence to internal and external security and privacy frameworks, including FERPA, SOC 2, TX-RAMP, ISO 27001, and other relevant regulatory or contractual requirements.
• Collaborate with compliance, privacy, legal, and data governance teams to implement and enforce organizational security policies.
• Lead or support the collection of evidence and documentation for audits, assessments, and third-party reviews.
• Conduct or oversee risk assessments and security control evaluations to ensure continued compliance and data protection across EA systems.

Tooling and Infrastructure

• Manage deployment, configuration, and optimization of security tools (e.g., endpoint protection, vulnerability scanners, IAM).
• Partner with DevOps, Data, and IT teams to enforce secure architecture across AWS, Windows/Linux servers, and internal systems.
• Stay informed on evolving technologies and lead the adoption of tools that support scalable and secure operations.

Team Leadership and Culture Building

• Supervise and mentor junior security staff and administrators.
• Create and deliver security training, awareness campaigns, and onboarding materials for staff organization wide.
• Promote a proactive, collaborative security culture across department.
• Establish and maintain positive relationships with internal stakeholders at all levels of the organization, vendors, partners, and industry peers.
• Protect the security and privacy of all company and customer information and data.

Required Knowledge and Skills

• Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a distributed team and manage competing priorities in a mission-aligned setting.
• Deep understanding of cloud security (especially AWS), network security, and incident response practices.
• Familiarity with scripting or automation tools (e.g., Python, Bash, PowerShell).
• Demonstrated effective verbal and written communication skills, utilizing proper grammar, syntax, and excellent business acumen.
• Strong organizational and time management skills with proven ability to multitask and prioritize in a high paced environment with limited direction.
• Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook (or list other software or similar skills).

Education and Experience

• 5+ years of experience in cybersecurity or information security, including 2+ years in a leadership or supervisory role.
• Experience with education-sector compliance (e.g., FERPA) or equivalent privacy frameworks.
• Hands-on experience managing SIEM platforms, vulnerability management tools, and identity/access systems.
• Experience working in mission-driven, nonprofit, or education-focused environments preferred.
• Knowledge of K-12 education data systems and governance requirements.
• Certifications such as CISSP, CISM, GIAC, AWS Security Specialty, or CompTIA Security+ preferred.

Work Environment and Requirements

• An ability to communicate effectively in numerous conversations throughout the day on the telephone, in writing, on-line zoom and in person to provide information, collaboration and assistance.
• Ability to reach in all directions and bend/stoop to store and retrieve files, use telephone, calculator, computer, and other office equipment.
• An ability to move inside the office to access file cabinets, office equipment, retrieve office supplies and make general deliveries.
• Dexterity and hand/eye coordination necessary to operate computer keyboard and other office equipment.
• Ability to complete job duties where there may be eyestrain due to constant viewing of computer screens.
• Ability to complete job duties in an environment where background noise and frequent interruptions are consistent.
• Demonstrate the ability to utilize basic math skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Must be able to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, follow instructions and be able to comprehend written material or requests.
• Must demonstrate the ability to use reason and problem-solving skills in a fast-paced environment.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary for the Security Operations Manager position is $90,000-$100,000/year, based on experience. EA also has a generous benefits package including:

• A 12% employee salary contribution from EA to your 401k retirement plan
• An additional 3% salary deferral match by EA to your 401k
• 26.5 days of paid vacation annually + sick paid time off that accumulates per pay period
• 9 paid holidays of your choosing
• 93% of health insurance premium paid for by EA
• Paid parental leave (if eligibility requirements are met)

EA’s primary location is in downtown Madison, WI, on the Capitol Square. Steps away from coffee shops, a weekly summer farmers’ market, restaurants, shops, and two lakes. Many staff walk, bike, or use public transportation to commute to a well-appointed office.

Equal Employment Opportunity
Education Analytics is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.