Information Security Operations Specialist - Incident Response

Description/Job Summary

Join a team focused on the success of our customers, the success of our communities, and the success of each other. Farm Credit East (FCE) is the leading provider of loans and farm advisory services to farm, forest product, fishing, and other agricultural business owners across the northeast with $13.5 billion in total loan volume and $29 million in annual financial services revenue from 18,000 customers across our 8-state territory. We are One Team Working Together with a focus on our five pillars: Outstanding Customer and Employee Experience, Quality Growth, Operational Excellence, Commitment to our Communities, and Protecting Customer Information. 

The Information Security Operations Specialist - Incident Response supports the operational strength of the information security program by coordinating incident response activities for both insider and external risks. This role ensures that security incidents are escalated and managed effectively, insider risks are proactively addressed, and response processes are standardized through playbooks and automation. Working closely with other members of the Information Security team, Legal, HR, business stakeholders and our managed service provider Farm Credit Financial Partners (FPI), the position promotes alignment on governance and reporting requirements, facilitates training and follow-up actions, and drives continuous improvement through root cause analysis and lessons learned. 

The value drivers for this role are as follows:

• Coordinated Incident Response 
• Proactive Risk Management 
• Operational Consistency & Readiness
• Continuous Improvement & Stakeholder Alignment 

Come join a collaborative, customer-focused team at Farm Credit East!

Duties and Responsibilities

Incident Response Coordination & Escalation 

• Act as the first responder for all reported security events and confirmed security incidents, ensuring timely triage, classification, escalation as needed and ensuring close collaboration with FPI to ensure containment and escalation.
• Align incident handling with FPI and their incident response framework and coordinate across internal teams and external partners.
• Perform and document RCA for all security incidents and security events as needed.
• Coordinate incident response activities outside of standard business hours as needed, including facilitating calls, engaging external partners (e.g., FPI), and ensuring appropriate stakeholders are informed during active incidents.
• Maintain accurate event and incident documentation and tracking for compliance and audit readiness.
• Collaborate with other InfoSec team members to ensure integrated responses.
• Develop and maintain KPIs, KRIs, and SLAs for incident response performance.
• Align SLAs with FPI’s service delivery commitments and monitor adherence. 

Incident Preparedness & Process Development 

• Develop and maintain incident response playbooks, ensuring regular testing and updates.
• Complete a periodic review of FPI and FCE playbooks to ensure alignment, accuracy and drive updated improvements as needed.
• Plan and coordinate tabletop exercises, ensuring corrective actions are documented, tracked, and implemented.
• Maintain incident response related policies, procedures, and instructions.
• Ensure documentation supports audit readiness and aligns with internal cybersecurity controls matrix.
• Support automation and orchestration initiatives to streamline responses. 

Risk Monitoring & Risk Management 

• Configure and maintain Insider Risk Management policies o Define risk indicators (e.g., data exfiltration, privilege misuse, anomalous activity, etc.)
• Integrate insider risk alerts with incident response workflows for timely escalation.
• Collaborate with InfoSec team members to align insider risk detection with data protection strategy.
• Work with HR and Legal to ensure proper handling of investigations and privacy compliance.
• Develop playbooks for insider risk scenarios, including escalation paths and evidence handling.
• Report insider risk trends and metrics to leadership for governance and awareness.  
• Coordinate with GRC work efforts to ensure insider risk processes meet regulatory and organizational requirements.  
• Validate sensitivity labels and DLP policy effectiveness during incidents, provide feedback for tuning. 

Reporting, Metrics & Communication 

• Develop and maintain dashboards and metrics for incident trends and KPIs.
• Provide timely follow-ups and communications to staff and managers and after security incidents.
• Share lessons learned and best practices across the organization.
• Coordinate with InfoSec team members regarding security awareness training needed for staff on incident response processes.
• Support audit and compliance activities with evidence and documentation.
• Collaborate with leadership to ensure reporting aligns with strategic objectives.
• Report SLA performance and risk indicators to leadership and FPI. 

Documentation & SOPs 

• Maintain operational documentation, procedures, and playbooks.
• Collaborate with interns and other team members to ensure documentation is current and accessible.
• Ensure documentation supports audit readiness and aligns with internal cybersecurity controls matrix. 

Job Qualifications and Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, or a related field required. 

• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in security operations, incident response, or SOC environment.

• Hands-on experience with:
  • Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management, DLP, sensitivity labels.
  • Incident response playbook development and tabletop facilitation.
  • Metrics/KPI reporting and SLA management.  
• Familiarity with:  
  • Legal/HR collaboration for insider risk cases.
  • Compliance frameworks (NIST CSF, FCA, NYDFS, PCI, etc.). 
• Recommended certifications include:
  • CompTIA Security+
  • GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)
  • Microsoft Certified: Security Operations Analyst Associate
  • Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) 
• We offer hybrid work options after two weeks of employment with Farm Credit East. Hybrid work options are determined based on job role and balancing the needs of the customers, the team, and individual work performance. This will be reviewed based on manager discretion.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Salary Range: $80,000 to $100,000 commensurate with experience
• Short-Term Incentive to reward business results
• Retirement Contributions :
  • 401k match up to 6% of salary; or for those unable to take full advantage of the 401(k) match, verified student loan payments may qualify for an employer match in your 401(k) up to 6% of salary
  • Defined Contribution retirement plan funded at 2-9% of salary depending on years of service
• Time Off:
  • 15-25 days of vacation leave per year, depending on years of service
  • 12 days of holiday leave per year
  • 7.5 days of sick leave in your first year, followed by 12 days of sick leave per year thereafter; unlimited rollover of unused sick leave year to year
  • Paid Parental Leave: Up to 80 hours of paid leave for birthing, non-birthing, and adoptive parents
  • Family Care Leave: Additional leave options available under FMLA and company policy
• Health and Insurance:
  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans, including preventive care and wellness programs to support your overall health and well-being
  • Health Savings Account
  • Life insurance at 2x base pay
  • Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance at 2x base pay
  • Long-term disability insurance at 2/3 base pay
• Additional Benefits: 
  • Tuition reimbursement
  • Continuing education and training
  • Employee Assistance Program offering a wide variety of tools and resources
• Benefits Eligibility:
  • Eligibility Begins: First of the month following your hire date
    
  • Eligible Employees: Full-time employees working 30+ hours per week; Part-Time employees working 20+ hours per week.

Farm Credit East is an Equal Opportunity Employer. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, parental status, political affiliation, disability status, protected veteran status, genetic information or any other status protected by federal, state or local law. It is our goal to make employment decisions that further the principle of equal employment opportunity by utilizing objective standards based upon an individual's qualifications for a specific job opening. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), if you have a disability and would like a reasonable accommodation in order to apply for a position with Farm Credit East, please call 1-800-562-2235 or e-mail FarmCreditCareers@farmcrediteast.com