Cyber Security Analyst

National Heritage Academies (NHA) is seeking a talented and motivated Cyber Security Analyst to join our team. The ideal candidate will play a critical role in protecting our organization's digital assets and ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our information systems. As a Cyber Security Analyst, you will be responsible for leading the analysis, investigation, and response to security incidents.

This role is central to protecting our students, staff, and sensitive data while maintaining a secure and compliant educational environment. This position is based at our Grand Rapids headquarters (onsite 4 days/week) and requires close collaboration with business partners, customers, and IT teams.

COMPANY INFORMATION:

National Heritage Academies (NHA) partners with communities to build and operate public charter schools. Founded in 1995, today NHA serves over 100 schools in nine states, with more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Our schools are designed to eliminate the achievement gap and provide school choice to families so their children are prepared for success in college, career, and life.

A majority of our schools consistently outperform their local district on the state test. According to the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University, NHA is a leading performer among charter schools and management organizations, outperforming both conventional district schools and other charter school operators. In addition, according to our employee survey, over 90% of respondents agree that the work they do is meaningful to them.

Join our team.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Security Monitoring and Analysis:

Utilize the SIEM/XDR platform to perform threat hunting, correlation, and deep analysis of security events across cloud, network, and endpoint telemetry.

Analyze security data to identify and investigate potential security incidents and threats.

Stay current with emerging threats and vulnerabilities to proactively identify potential risks.

Respond promptly to security incidents, following established incident response procedures.

Execute Tier 2 incident response procedures, including detailed forensic evidence preservation, advanced containment strategies, and effective communication during active incidents.

Document incident details and lessons learned for future improvement.

Vulnerability Management:

Manage the full lifecycle of vulnerabilities, from tool configuration (e.g., Rapid7) and regular scanning, through risk prioritization, to working with IT peers to validate and implement remediation.

Identify and prioritize vulnerabilities, and work with relevant teams to remediate them.

Keep software and systems up-to-date with patches and security updates.

Security Policies and Procedures:

Contribute to the design and formal documentation of security policies and standards (e.g., access control, data handling) ensuring adherence to FERPA and other regulatory mandates.

Provide guidance and training to staff on security best practices and awareness.

Security Tools and Technologies:

Manage and configure security tools and technologies, such as firewalls, antivirus, intrusion detection/prevention systems, and encryption solutions.

Leverage AI/ML Features:
Actively utilize and fine-tune Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) capabilities within security platforms (SIEM/XDR, SOAR) to enhance threat detection accuracy, reduce false positives, and improve automated response workflows.

Evaluate, recommend, and manage new security technologies to continuously enhance the organization's security posture and automation capabilities.

Reporting and Documentation:

Generate and maintain reports related to security incidents, vulnerabilities, and compliance for management and regulatory purposes.

Maintain accurate records of security activities and documentation of security configurations and procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or a related field preferred. Relevant certifications (e.g., CISSP, CISA, CompTIA Security+) are a plus.

Minimum of 3+ years of progressive experience in a security operations…