Senior Compliance Research Analyst

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We are looking for a technically strong and detail-oriented Senior Compliance Research Analyst with 5–8 years of experience to join our Security Compliance and Research team. The ideal candidate will have strong hands-on expertise in enterprise networking, network security devices, configuration hardening, and technical compliance research, with deep practical knowledge of Cisco routers and switches and experience across multiple network and security vendors, including Juniper, F5 BIG-IP, Palo Alto Networks, and Fortinet.

This role involves researching, analyzing, developing, validating, and maintaining technical compliance policies and configuration standards based on industry benchmarks such as CIS Benchmarks, DISA STIGs, and vendor security hardening guidelines. The candidate will translate network and security requirements into actionable technical controls, define configuration validation logic, develop automation scripts, map technical controls to compliance frameworks, and ensure the accuracy and quality of compliance content across supported technologies.

The ideal candidate should combine strong networking fundamentals with practical expertise in securing network infrastructure, firewalls, and application delivery platforms. The role requires independent ownership of assigned compliance content, strong technical troubleshooting and research capabilities, and effective collaboration with cross-functional teams.

Key Responsibilities

1. Technical Research and Compliance Policy Development

• Independently research, analyze, and interpret security benchmarks, technical standards, and compliance requirements, with a primary focus on network infrastructure and security devices, including routers, switches, firewalls, and application delivery controllers.
• Translate security requirements into implementable technical controls, including configuration parameters, validation logic, expected values, remediation procedures, and supporting documentation.
• Analyze control intent, technical feasibility, security impact, and applicability across different vendors, device models, operating systems, and software versions.
• Research and interpret CIS Benchmarks, DISA STIGs, and vendor hardening guidelines to develop and maintain technically accurate configuration compliance policies.
• Map technical controls to security and compliance frameworks such as NIST SP 800-53, NIST CSF, ISO 27001, and CIS Controls, where applicable.
• Take ownership of assigned compliance content throughout its lifecycle, ensuring consistency, traceability, technical accuracy, and timely delivery.

2. Network Infrastructure Security and Hardening

• Apply strong hands-on knowledge of enterprise networking and security configuration across Cisco routers and switches, including Cisco IOS, IOS XE, and NX-OS.
• Analyze and validate network configurations involving VLANs, trunking, routing protocols, access control lists (ACLs), management interfaces, and network segmentation.
• Assess and harden network device management access, including SSH, authentication and authorization, role-based access, AAA, SNMP, management-plane restrictions, and secure administrative access.
• Review device configurations to identify insecure protocols, unnecessary services, weak management settings, excessive access permissions, and other configuration weaknesses.
• Evaluate network device logging, auditing, time synchronization, configuration backup, and monitoring settings to support security, accountability, and compliance requirements.
• Investigate configuration differences and security implications across device families, platforms, and software releases, and define appropriate validation and remediation guidance.

3. Firewall and Network Security Device Expertise

• Demonstrate strong practical knowledge of firewall configuration, security policy management, and hardening across Palo Alto Networks, Cisco FTD, Fortinet FortiGate, and other enterprise firewall platforms.
• Analyze and validate firewall security rules, access policies, network zones, NAT configurations, object definitions, administrative access, and logging settings.
• Assess firewall configurations for overly permissive rules, unused or redundant policies, insecure management access, and deviations from recommended security practices.
• Apply hands-on knowledge of Juniper networking and security platforms, including Juniper Junos-based devices, to assess configuration security and compliance.
• Analyze F5 BIG-IP configurations, including relevant Local Traffic Manager (LTM) and application delivery settings, management access, administrative security, and applicable platform hardening requirements.
• Research vendor-specific security recommendations and translate them into reusable technical controls, validation checks, and remediation instructions.
• Troubleshoot control validation issues and determine whether configuration differences represent genuine compliance gaps, platform limitations, or vendor-specific implementation variations.

4. Content Development and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Define and maintain control categories, subcategories, criticality ratings, control statements, and remediation guidance in accordance with established content standards.
• Analyze benchmark updates, vendor security advisories, software releases, and customer requirements to identify changes affecting existing compliance policies.
• Work with Development and QA teams to implement and validate technical controls, troubleshoot configuration parsing or assessment issues, and ensure reliable policy behavior.
• Investigate customer-reported compliance gaps, perform root cause analysis, and provide technically sound explanations and remediation guidance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver new and updated compliance content within committed timelines.

5. Compliance Content Quality and Process Excellence

• Establish and follow standardized technical validation procedures for compliance policies, configuration checks, and automated assessments.
• Perform detailed technical reviews to identify incorrect assumptions, incomplete checks, false positives, false negatives, and gaps in compliance coverage.
• Ensure compliance content is supported by authoritative technical references, clear control intent, accurate validation logic, and actionable remediation guidance.
• Continuously improve research, testing, review, and content maintenance processes to reduce defects and maintain consistent quality across supported network and security technologies.

Required Skills and Experience

• 5–8 years of relevant professional experience in network administration, network security, firewall management, infrastructure security, or technical security compliance.
• Strong hands-on experience with Cisco routers and switches, including practical knowledge of Cisco IOS, IOS XE, and NX-OS configuration and security hardening.
• Hands-on experience with multiple network and security device vendors, including Juniper, Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet FortiGate, and F5 BIG-IP. Strong practical expertise in at least one major firewall platform is essential.
• Strong understanding of networking fundamentals, including TCP/IP, VLANs, routing, switching, ACLs, network segmentation, and secure management access.
• Practical knowledge of firewall policies, NAT, security zones, administrative access controls, logging, and configuration hardening.
• Familiarity with CIS Benchmarks, DISA STIGs, vendor security hardening guidelines, or similar technical security standards.
• Proficiency in Python or Bash/Shell scripting, with the ability to develop or maintain automation for configuration analysis and compliance validation.
• Strong technical research, troubleshooting, and analytical skills, with the ability to independently investigate complex vendor-specific configuration requirements.
• Demonstrated ownership, attention to detail, and commitment to technical accuracy, documentation quality, and delivery timelines.

Required Soft Skills

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, particularly when documenting technical requirements and remediation guidance.
• Ownership, accountability, and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple research and content development assignments.
• Effective collaboration with Development, QA, and other cross-functional teams.
• Proactive approach to problem-solving, technical investigation, and continuous improvement.

Preferred Qualifications

• Relevant networking or security certifications, such as CCNA, CCNP Enterprise, CCNA Security, JNCIS/JNCIP, PCNSE, Fortinet FCP, or F5 certification.
• Experience developing technical compliance policies, configuration assessment checks, or automated security validation content.
• Familiarity with NIST SP 800-53, NIST CSF, ISO 27001, CIS Controls, or other security and compliance frameworks.
• Experience with network configuration analysis, configuration management tools, or automated security assessment platforms.
• Exposure to AI-assisted research and scripting tools for improving technical research and content development efficiency.