Cyber Security Architect (IT Consultant 3)

As the Cyber Security Architect, you serve as a senior-level security architect within the Office of Information Security & Risk Management, providing expert technical direction on cloud security, AI governance, and enterprise risk for systems that support millions of Ohioans. You will design and maintain cloud security architecture across cloud and hybrid environments, ensuring alignment with NIST 800-53, IRS 1075, FBI CJIS, and statewide security and privacy requirements. You will be responsible for leading security engineering for modernization and cloud-native development, conducting threat modeling, evaluating identity and logging technologies, reviewing IaC templates and workload configurations, and collaborate with platform teams, enterprise architects, and business offices to align solutions with agency goals.

You also guide the security architecture and governance of AI systems, performing AI risk assessments, developing secure integration patterns, ensuring responsible AI compliance, and supporting incident response for issues such as data leakage or model drift. In addition, you support anti-fraud initiatives by evaluating fraud detection tools, analytics environments, and cross-agency data exchanges, and you review vendor proposals and procurement materials to ensure required controls and protections are in place. This role blends strategic influence with technical depth, offering the opportunity to shape ODJFS’s security posture while guiding teams through complex, high-visibility modernization efforts

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Designing, developing, and maintaining enterprise cloud security architecture across ODJFS platforms, ensuring alignment with Azure, AWS, GCP, OCI, and hybrid environments.
• Leading security engineering efforts that support modernization, cloud migration, and cloud-native development, applying best practices for Zero Trust, regulatory compliance, and secure-by-design principles.
• Conducting threat modeling, developing reference architectures, and guiding implementation of cloud security controls, including identity, logging, DLP, EDR/XDR, secrets management, and API security technologies.
• Reviewing and approving cloud configurations, Infrastructure as Code templates, workload designs, and security baselines to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations such as NIST 800-53, IRS 1075, and FBI CJIS.
• Partnering with platform teams, enterprise architects, network/security engineers, DAS collaborators, and business offices to align security architecture with organizational goals and statewide technology strategies.
• Advising executives and technical leadership on cloud risk posture, mitigation strategies, architectural decisions, and modernization readiness for high-visibility initiatives.
• Leading security architecture, governance, and risk management for AI systems, including conducting AI security risk assessments, evaluating model/data risks, and ensuring adherence to statewide AI policies and federal guidance.
• Developing secure integration patterns for AI and ML models, APIs, vector databases, inference environments, and agentic AI solutions, ensuring privacy, transparency, and responsible AI standards.
• Coordinating and supporting incident response related to AI misuse, anomalous activity, data leakage, model drift, or other emerging AI threats.
• Delivering security expertise for ODJFS anti-fraud initiatives by assessing fraud detection platforms, identity verification systems, analytics environments, and cross-agency data exchanges.
• Supporting fraud investigations by reviewing audit logs, evaluating system integrity, identifying anomalous behavior, and assisting with data queries or eDiscovery requests.
• Reviewing vendor proposals, contracts, statements of work, and procurement materials to validate required security controls and recommend appropriate contractual protections.
• Assessing cloud and AI service provider architectures, SLAs, data-handling commitments, and regulatory compliance to ensure alignment with agency security standards., Location: This position will be headquartered in an ODJFS Facility in one of the following cities - Columbus, Akron, or Dayton. This determination will take into account the proximity to the applicant’s home address.

• Completion of undergraduate core program in information technology, electrical engineering or telecommunications
• 5 years experience in information systems analysis, design and operations
• 18 months experience in project or program management
• 6 months or 2 courses in budgeting

Option 2:

• The equivalent of Minimum Class Qualifications For Employment noted above.

Pulled from the full job description

• Loan forgiveness
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance
• Dental insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid holidays, At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:
• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems (such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation (Ohio Deferred Compensation), This position is in the State of Ohio’s E1 Pay Schedule, Pay Range 17. Unless required by legislation or union contract, starting salary will be the minimum salary of that pay range (step 1, currently $53.91 per hour). These ranges provide a standardized pathway for pay increases. With continued employment, new hires move to the next step in the range after 6 months and annually thereafter. Cost of Living Adjustments increase wages in these ranges each fiscal year. The current step progression wages are in the table below.

Pay Range 17

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Hourly

$53.91

$56.89

$60.07

$63.38

$66.94

$70.67

Annual

$112,113

$118,331

$124,946

$131,830

$139,235

$146,994

Months of Employment

At Hire

6 Months

18 Months

30 Months

42 Months

54 Months Supplemental Information

ADA Notice

The Office of Information Services (OIS) works to support the business functions and the delivery of health, human, and employment services through the application of information technology. OIS supports the delivery of programs to millions of recipients through the development and round-the-clock operation of automated information systems. Due to the number of end-users and technologies supported, OIS is one of the largest and most complex IT organizations within Ohio state government. Learn more about the Office by visiting the ODJFS OIS webpage., Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.