Chief Information Security Officer

The IMDEA Software Institute (Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Software Development Technologies) is a non-profit research institute promoted by the Regional Government of Madrid, Spain. The Institute’s goal is to perform the research of excellence required to devise methods that enable the cost-effective development of software products with sophisticated functionality and high quality, i.e., secure, reliable, and efficient.

The IMDEA Software Institute is committed to excellence in research and to foster technology transfer to the industrial sector. The Institute attracts talent from all over the world and has built a truly international environment.

The IMDEA Software Institute is located in the Montegancedo Science and Technology Park in the outskirts of the vibrant city of Madrid, Spain.

The IMDEA Software Institute is looking for a talented and enthusiastic Senior Networking and Security Infrastructure Engineer to be our Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).

The Chief Information Security Officer will be responsible for leading and managing the organization’s information security program, ensuring the protection of data and IT systems across all units. In this role, they will work closely with several teams, including IT, HR, Research and Legal departments, to implement and maintain robust security measures.

The selected candidate will develop and implement comprehensive security strategies, policies, and procedures aligned with industry best practices and regulatory requirements.

Since most of our servers are Linux-based machines, the candidate will be required to have a strong knowledge of that operating system. Additionally, we have internal tools written in a variety of programming / scripting languages (see below). Thus, we will require candidates to have good programming skills in those languages.

The responsibilities for the candidate include, but are not limited to:

• Defining the Institute’s long-term security strategy.
• Ensuring the Institute complies with applicable security regulations and standards.
• Monitoring IT infrastructure for threats and vulnerabilities, using techniques such as reverse engineering, fuzzing, and static analysis.
• Evaluating, implementing, and managing security technologies and tools to improve the security and protect the Institute’s digital assets.
• Responding to Incidents: Leading the incident response team to quickly and effectively respond to security breaches and incidents.
• Automating and orchestrating tasks to enable efficient validation and notification of security-relevant events.

Candidates should meet the following requirements:

• M.Sc. or B.Sc. degree in Telecommunications, Computer Science or related discipline.
• At least 15 years of proven experience as a systems engineer.
• Proven experience in systems and network security technologies.
• Strong knowledge of Debian GNU/Linux operating systems.
• Good programming and scripting skills in a variety of languages, including bash , awk , sed , Python , C/C++ , JavaScript .
• Proficient Go systems programmer and designer.
• Knowledge of network protocols ( IP , TCP , UDP , HTTP , HTTPS , MQTT , KNX ).
• Knowledge in a variety of system tools and technologies, including Git , SVN , LaTeX , Docker , KVM .
• Fluent in English and Spanish speaking, writing, and reading.

Besides the requirements stated above, some additional capabilities / knowledge will be a plus:

• Experience working in an academic environment.
• Debian Developer or Maintainer with 10+ years of experience.
• Ability to meet strict deadlines and work under pressure.
• Capable team player.

We offer a permanent contract. IMDEA Software considers the capabilities of its staff as the most valuable asset and pays special attention to their training. We offer flexible working conditions to reconcile personal life with work. The Institute is goal-focused, and the evaluation of performance is based on personal goals and team achievements.

The selected candidate will work with outstanding professionals in a dynamic, international environment, with constant interaction with cutting-edge technologies that foster learning new skills and acquiring new capabilities. The candidate will collaborate with experienced senior engineers from the team to gain expertise and independence.

The starting date will be as soon as possible once the selection process has been completed.

Interested applicants should apply online using the secure application form at: https://careers.software.imdea.org/

Please select the option: Other and reference code: 2024-09-other-ciso .

The application should include:

• A short CV (maximum 4 pages), written in English.
• A short introduction letter (maximum 1 page), written in English.

Applications should be received by Sep 23rd, 2024 . Applications will be reviewed as they arrive.

The recruitment process will comply with the IMDEA Software Institute’s OTM-R Policy.

For enquiries about the position, please contact Manuel Carro.