IT Security Officer - Operational Technology (OT) Security (Public Sector)

At Xtremax, we're looking for an experienced IT Security Officer specialising in Operational Technology (OT) Security to support mission-critical meteorological systems that operate around the clock. You'll play a key role in protecting the infrastructure behind weather observation, forecasting, and environmental monitoring platforms that deliver essential services to the public.

Working within a highly specialised OT environment, you'll secure critical systems including weather radar networks, satellite ground stations, automated weather observation systems (AWOS), and upper-air sounding infrastructure. This role combines cybersecurity engineering, risk management, security operations, and regulatory compliance across hybrid IT/OT environments.

You'll work closely with infrastructure engineers, security stakeholders, and technology partners to strengthen cyber resilience while ensuring the continuous availability of systems supporting national weather operations.

Responsibilities

• Protect operational technology (OT) infrastructure supporting meteorological systems through proactive security monitoring and incident response.
• Discover and maintain an accurate inventory of OT assets using passive monitoring technologies without disrupting live operations.
• Develop and maintain IT/OT network architecture documentation, topology diagrams, and data flow mappings to support security assessments and risk management.
• Operate and optimise SIEM platforms, IDS/IPS, and endpoint security tools to detect and investigate security threats across hybrid environments.
• Coordinate vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, patch management, and remediation activities while balancing operational uptime requirements.
• Conduct cybersecurity risk assessments and ensure compliance with recognised frameworks including NIST SP 800-82, IEC 62443, FISMA, and organisational security policies.
• Support security incident investigations and collaborate with internal stakeholders and relevant cybersecurity authorities where required.
• Evaluate third-party technologies and vendors to identify supply chain security risks and strengthen overall security posture.
• Develop cybersecurity awareness programmes tailored for OT environments and provide technical guidance on operational security best practices.
• Support business continuity planning and disaster recovery readiness for mission-critical operational systems.

Requirements

• Degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in cybersecurity, IT security, or OT security roles.
• Hands-on experience with Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), IDS/IPS, endpoint detection, and security monitoring technologies.
• Experience performing vulnerability management, security assessments, and incident response.
• Strong understanding of Operational Technology (OT), Industrial Control Systems (ICS), or SCADA security concepts.
• Good knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks including NIST, IEC 62443, FISMA, or equivalent standards.
• Active professional certification such as CISSP, CISM, CEH, GICSP, or an equivalent cybersecurity certification.
• Ability to obtain the required government security clearance where applicable.

Preferred

• Experience securing critical infrastructure or government environments.
• Familiarity with meteorological systems, environmental monitoring platforms, or remote sensing technologies.
• Knowledge of cloud security across hybrid environments such as AWS or Microsoft Azure.
• Experience working within 24/7 operational environments.
• Knowledge of WMO standards, weather data formats (BUFR, GRIB, NetCDF, IWXXM, GeoJSON), or related technologies.

Benefits

We regret to inform you that should you not consent to providing the necessary data required for us to process your application, your application will be considered void.