Job DescriptionDescription:
The Senior Technology Architect role requires knowledge, expertise, and experience in cybersecurity solutions, security operations (SecOps) practices, managed security services (MSS/MSSP), and next-generation network security. This resource will provide strategic coordination, planning support, and delivery oversight to Ontario K-12 school boards in the areas of cyber security incident management, operational resilience, and technology modernization. The role focuses on coordinating technical workplans, providing program tracking and oversight, supporting managed security service (MSS) onboarding, and managing cyber incident response processes as boards shift toward shared service models and modernized operations.
This resource is responsible for, but not limited to:
- Delivering solution and architecture guidance, training, and implementation support for next-generation networks, network protection, and cyber security technologies, including:
- Security Service Edge (SSE) / Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), including integration of network and security functions (SWG, CASB, ZTNA, FWaaS)
- SD-WAN and Software-defined Networking (SDN)
- Endpoint security (EPP, EDR, XDR)
- Advanced threat protection (IPS, IDS, NAC, DDoS)
- Identity and authentication solutions (passwordless, password-based, certificate-based, MFA)
- Incident Response and Incident Management (IR/IM) solutions
- Automated vulnerability management and patching
- User and Entity Behaviour Analytics (UEBA)
- Providing subject matter expertise in Network Operations Centre (NOC) and Security Operations Centre (SOC) technologies and tools, security analytics, and performance management, including:
- Use of SIEM, SOAR, telemetry, and analytics tools
- Development of SOC KPIs/KRIs and MSSP accountability metrics
- Application of threat-informed methodologies (e.g., MITRE ATT&CK)
- Coordinate and track technology modernization workplans across school boards, including timelines, milestones, and dependencies.
- Provide oversight of program activities, monitoring status, risks, issues, and actions across multiple initiatives.
- Maintain documentation and deliver progress reports and briefings to leadership and stakeholders.
- Collaborate with boards, vendors, and project teams to manage schedules, address risks, and close coordination gaps.
- Serve as a central coordination point to ensure alignment, consistency, and effective communication.
- Provide technical advisory support by interpreting requirements and bridging technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Support MSS onboarding, including timelines, documentation, and stakeholder communication.
- Assist boards with operational readiness, transition planning, and go-live coordination.
- Identify and escalate readiness gaps and risks during implementation and transition phases.
- Coordinate cyber incident response activities, including communication, escalation, and reporting.
- Support development and maintenance of incident response and crisis communication plans.
- Monitor incident trends and support continuous improvement of response capabilities.
- Support proactive cybersecurity initiatives, including vulnerability management and risk prevention.
- Coordinate CVEM activities, including scanning, remediation tracking, prioritization, and reporting.
- Prepare vulnerability management metrics and reports for leadership.
- Develop and maintain documentation (e.g., architectures, playbooks, onboarding guides) to support secure operations.
- Monitor emerging cyber threats and technologies to inform security practices.
- Presenting to senior and executive management and external senior stakeholders, as needed.
- Providing regular status updates and project reports on assigned deliverables
- Taking a collaborative approach to solution definition, development, and implementation with multiple stakeholder groups with differing needs and expectations.
- Aligning with industry and legislative advancements at the federal, provincial/local level (e.g., Enhancing Digital Security and Trust Act, 2024 (EDSTA)).
- Delivering on other duties as assigned.
This work involves working in close partnership with various government departments, the K-12 education sector, telecommunications providers, and network and cyber security technology vendors to develop tailored approaches and implementation plans. To support various stakeholders, the resource must be available to perform hands-on configuration, troubleshooting and training at the client site. Therefore, the resource must be available to travel same day or overnight in Ontario, as needed.
The unit manager may assign other related board work for other unit or branch initiatives, as required.
Requirements
Experience and Skill Set Requirements:
Must Haves:
- 5+ years of experience designing and implementing secure architectures and automation-enabled solutions, preferably within Ontario K–12 environments
- 5+ years of experience in modern network and security architectures (e.g., SDN, SD-WAN, SASE/SSE)
- Proven experience implementing enterprise security architectures, including Zero Trust and integrated network-security solutions
- SASE/SSE technologies (SWG, CASB, FWaaS, ZTNA)
- Cloud security architectures (e.g., Azure, AWS, Google Cloud)
- Endpoint security (EPP, EDR, XDR)
- Advanced threat protection (IPS, IDS, NAC, DDoS)
- Identity and authentication solutions (passwordless, MFA, certificate-based)
- Incident Response and Incident Management (IR/IM) platforms
- Vulnerability management and patching automation
- 5+ years of experience supporting or coordinating security operations or IT programs
- Experience coordinating onboarding, service alignment, or transition to steady-state operations
- Strong understanding of incident response lifecycle and coordination activities
- Experience with SIEM, SOAR, or security monitoring tools (functional/user level)
- 5+ years experience coordinating across multiple stakeholders (e.g., internal teams, vendors, external partners)
- 5+ years experience facilitating meetings, workshops, or cross-functional initiatives
- 5+ years experience developing and maintaining documentation (e.g., playbooks, onboarding guides, status reports)
- Experience supporting operational readiness, transition planning, or service adoption
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, cyber security, or a related field
Nice to have:
- Strong knowledge and application of cybersecurity frameworks and threat-informed methodologies, including:
- NIST CSF v2, CIS Controls v8
- MITRE ATT&CK, D3FEND, and ATLAS
- Experience working with Managed Security Service Providers (MSSP/MDR) or shared service models
- Experience working in multi-organization or federated environments (e.g., multiple boards/agencies)
- Postgraduate degree (e.g., M.Sc. and/or Ph.D.) in computer science, cyber security or engineering is preferred.
- Industry-recognized security certifications preferred,
- 5+ years’ hands-on experience working in the K-12 education sector, with Ontario K-12 school boards, in particular with school board network, network security and cyber security.
Skill Set Requirements:
Cyber Security and Network Security Expertise:
- 5+ years of experience designing and implementing secure architectures and automation-enabled solutions, preferably within Ontario K–12 environments
- 5+ years of experience in modern network and security architectures (e.g., SDN, SD-WAN, SASE/SSE)
- Proven experience implementing enterprise security architectures, including Zero Trust and integrated network-security solutions
- Proven hands-on experience implementing and supporting:
- SASE/SSE technologies (SWG, CASB, FWaaS, ZTNA)
- Cloud security architectures (e.g., Azure, AWS, Google Cloud)
- Endpoint security (EPP, EDR, XDR)
- Advanced threat protection (IPS, IDS, NAC, DDoS)
- Identity and authentication solutions (passwordless, MFA, certificate-based)
- Incident Response and Incident Management (IR/IM) platforms
- Vulnerability management and patching automation
- User and Entity Behaviour Analytics (UEBA)
- Penetration testing and automated red teaming
- Operational Technology (OT) security
- Strong knowledge and application of cybersecurity frameworks and threat-informed methodologies, including:
- NIST CSF v2, CIS Controls v8
- MITRE ATT&CK, D3FEND, and ATLAS
- Experience assessing emerging technologies and conducting pilots/proof-of-concepts to support architecture and strategy decisions
Security Operations, MSS & Program Coordination:
- 5+ years of experience supporting or coordinating security operations or IT programs
- Experience working with Managed Security Service Providers (MSSP/MDR) or shared service models
- Experience coordinating onboarding, service alignment, or transition to steady-state operations
- Strong understanding of incident response lifecycle and coordination activities
- Experience tracking risks, issues, dependencies, and deliverables across multiple initiatives
- Ability to develop and maintain program-level reporting (status, KPIs, risks)
- Experience with SIEM, SOAR, or security monitoring tools (functional/user level)
- Experience supporting vulnerability management programs (e.g., CVEM concepts)
- Exposure to SOC operations, escalation workflows, and performance metrics
Stakeholder Coordination, Communication & Delivery:
- 5+ years experience coordinating across multiple stakeholders (e.g., internal teams, vendors, external partners)
- 5+ years experience facilitating meetings, workshops, or cross-functional initiatives
- Ability to translate technical concepts into clear, non-technical language
- Experience preparing briefings, reports, and documentation for leadership and stakeholders
- Strong organizational and communication skills
- Experience delivering training or knowledge transfer sessions
- Experience working in multi-organization or federated environments (e.g., multiple boards/agencies)
Documentation, Training & Continuous Improvement:
- 5+ years experience developing and maintaining documentation (e.g., playbooks, onboarding guides, status reports)
- Experience supporting operational readiness, transition planning, or service adoption
- Ability to identify process gaps and support continuous improvement initiatives
- Experience developing formal training materials or structured learning sessions
- Exposure to change management or service improvement frameworks
Industry Certifications / Relevant Degrees:
- Relevant vendor certifications or equivalent work experience.
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, cyber security, or a related field
- Postgraduate degree (e.g., M.Sc. and/or Ph.D.) in computer science, cyber security or engineering is preferred.
- Industry-recognized security certifications preferred, including:
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
- Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
- Other examples include Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC).
Public Sector Experience:
- Knowledge of Government of Ontario standards (e.g., GO-ITS) and relevant legislation (e.g., EDSTA).
- 5+ years’ hands-on experience working in the K-12 education sector, with Ontario K-12 school boards, in particular with school board network, network security and cyber security.
RequirementsExperience and Skill Set Requirements: Must Haves: 5+ years of experience designing and implementing secure architectures and automation-enabled solutions, preferably within Ontario K–12 environments 5+ years of experience in modern network and security architectures (e.g., SDN, SD-WAN, SASE/SSE) Proven experience implementing enterprise security architectures, including Zero Trust and integrated network-security solutions SASE/SSE technologies (SWG, CASB, FWaaS, ZTNA) Cloud security architectures (e.g., Azure, AWS, Google Cloud) Endpoint security (EPP, EDR, XDR) Advanced threat protection (IPS, IDS, NAC, DDoS) Identity and authentication solutions (passwordless, MFA, certificate-based) Incident Response and Incident Management (IR/IM) platforms Vulnerability management and patching automation 5+ years of experience supporting or coordinating security operations or IT programs Experience coordinating onboarding, service alignment, or transition to steady-state operations Strong understanding of incident response lifecycle and coordination activities Experience with SIEM, SOAR, or security monitoring tools (functional/user level) 5+ years experience coordinating across multiple stakeholders (e.g., internal teams, vendors, external partners) 5+ years experience facilitating meetings, workshops, or cross-functional initiatives 5+ years experience developing and maintaining documentation (e.g., playbooks, onboarding guides, status reports) Experience supporting operational readiness, transition planning, or service adoption Bachelor’s degree in computer science, cyber security, or a related field Nice to have: Strong knowledge and application of cybersecurity frameworks and threat-informed methodologies, including: NIST CSF v2, CIS Controls v8 MITRE ATT&CK, D3FEND, and ATLAS Experience working with Managed Security Service Providers (MSSP/MDR) or shared service models Experience working in multi-organization or federated environments (e.g., multiple boards/agencies) Postgraduate degree (e.g., M.Sc. and/or Ph.D.) in computer science, cyber security or engineering is preferred. Industry-recognized security certifications preferred, 5+ years’ hands-on experience working in the K-12 education sector, with Ontario K-12 school boards, in particular with school board network, network security and cyber security. Skill Set Requirements: Cyber Security and Network Security Expertise: 5+ years of experience designing and implementing secure architectures and automation-enabled solutions, preferably within Ontario K–12 environments 5+ years of experience in modern network and security architectures (e.g., SDN, SD-WAN, SASE/SSE) Proven experience implementing enterprise security architectures, including Zero Trust and integrated network-security solutions Proven hands-on experience implementing and supporting: SASE/SSE technologies (SWG, CASB, FWaaS, ZTNA) Cloud security architectures (e.g., Azure, AWS, Google Cloud) Endpoint security (EPP, EDR, XDR) Advanced threat protection (IPS, IDS, NAC, DDoS) Identity and authentication solutions (passwordless, MFA, certificate-based) Incident Response and Incident Management (IR/IM) platforms Vulnerability management and patching automation User and Entity Behaviour Analytics (UEBA) Penetration testing and automated red teaming Operational Technology (OT) security Strong knowledge and application of cybersecurity frameworks and threat-informed methodologies, including: NIST CSF v2, CIS Controls v8 MITRE ATT&CK, D3FEND, and ATLAS Experience assessing emerging technologies and conducting pilots/proof-of-concepts to support architecture and strategy decisions Security Operations, MSS & Program Coordination: 5+ years of experience supporting or coordinating security operations or IT programs Experience working with Managed Security Service Providers (MSSP/MDR) or shared service models Experience coordinating onboarding, service alignment, or transition to steady-state operations Strong understanding of incident response lifecycle and coordination activities Experience tracking risks, issues, dependencies, and deliverables across multiple initiatives Ability to develop and maintain program-level reporting (status, KPIs, risks) Experience with SIEM, SOAR, or security monitoring tools (functional/user level) Experience supporting vulnerability management programs (e.g., CVEM concepts) Exposure to SOC operations, escalation workflows, and performance metrics Stakeholder Coordination, Communication & Delivery: 5+ years experience coordinating across multiple stakeholders (e.g., internal teams, vendors, external partners) 5+ years experience facilitating meetings, workshops, or cross-functional initiatives Ability to translate technical concepts into clear, non-technical language Experience preparing briefings, reports, and documentation for leadership and stakeholders Strong organizational and communication skills Experience delivering training or knowledge transfer sessions Experience working in multi-organization or federated environments (e.g., multiple boards/agencies) Documentation, Training & Continuous Improvement: 5+ years experience developing and maintaining documentation (e.g., playbooks, onboarding guides, status reports) Experience supporting operational readiness, transition planning, or service adoption Ability to identify process gaps and support continuous improvement initiatives Experience developing formal training materials or structured learning sessions Exposure to change management or service improvement frameworks Industry Certifications / Relevant Degrees: Relevant vendor certifications or equivalent work experience. Bachelor’s degree in computer science, cyber security, or a related field Postgraduate degree (e.g., M.Sc. and/or Ph.D.) in computer science, cyber security or engineering is preferred. Industry-recognized security certifications preferred, including: Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) Other examples include Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC). Public Sector Experience: Knowledge of Government of Ontario standards (e.g., GO-ITS) and relevant legislation (e.g., EDSTA). 5+ years’ hands-on experience working in the K-12 education sector, with Ontario K-12 school boards, in particular with school board network, network security and cyber security.
