Security Operations Analyst

Community Health Choice, Inc. (Community) is a non-profit managed care organization (MCO), licensed by the Texas Department of Insurance. Through its network of more than 10,000 providers and 94 hospitals, Community serves over 400,000 Members with the following programs: ' Medicaid State of Texas Access Reform (STAR) program for low-income children and pregnant women ' Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for the children of low-income parents, which includes CHIP Perinatal benefits for unborn children of pregnant women who do not qualify for Medicaid STAR ' Health Insurance Marketplace Plans that offer individual health coverage that includes preventive care, emergency services, prescription drugs, and hospitalization available to all, regardless of pre-existing conditions. ' Community Health Choice (HMO D-SNP), a Medicare Advantage Dual Special Needs plan for people with both Medicare and Medicaid that combines Medicare Part A and Part B benefits, Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, and Medicaid benefits with additional health benefits like dental, vision, transportation, and more. Improving Members' experiences is at the heart of every Community position. We strive every day to make sure that our Members have access to the high-quality health care they need and deserve. Community is accredited by URAC for its health plan operations. We offer care management programs for asthma, diabetes, and high-risk pregnancy. An affiliate of the Harris Health System (Harris Health), Community is financially self-sufficient and receives no financial support from Harris Health or from Harris County taxpayers. JOB SUMMARY: The Security Operations Analyst is responsible for monitoring, detecting, analyzing, and responding to cybersecurity threats across the enterprise. This role serves as a key member of the Security Operations team, helping protect the organization's information assets, cloud environments, networks, endpoints, and identities. The analyst will investigate security events, coordinate incident response activities, manage security technologies, support vulnerability management, and collaborate with IT and business teams to continuously improve the organization's security posture.The ideal candidate possesses strong experience in security operations, incident response, vulnerability management, Microsoft security technologies, risk assessments, and healthcare compliance frameworks including HIPAA and HITRUST. JOB SPECIFICATIONS AND CORE COMPETENCIES Security Operations & Incident Response Monitor enterprise security tools, including SIEM, EDR/XDR, email security, cloud security, and network security platforms. Investigate security alerts and incidents, determine impact, and coordinate containment, eradication, and recovery efforts. Perform triage and escalation of cybersecurity events based on severity and business impact. Conduct root cause analysis and document incident findings and lessons learned. Participate in on-call incident response activities as required. Security Operations Administer and optimize Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Defender for Office 365, Defender for Identity, and Defender for Cloud. Manage endpoint security controls including EDR/XDR solutions. Support Entra ID (Azure AD), MFA, Conditional Access, and identity governance initiatives. Monitor cloud environments for security misconfigurations and policy violations. Assist with Zero Trust architecture implementation and continuous improvement efforts. Vulnerability & Risk Management Support vulnerability management by validating critical findings, prioritizing remediation activities, and tracking risk reduction efforts. Monitor external threat intelligence sources and evaluate their impact on the organization's environment. Collaborate with IT and application teams to prioritize and remediate vulnerabilities based on risk. Support attack surface management and penetration testing activities and remediation validation. Develop and Produce vulnerability metrics and executive reporting Governance, Compliance & Security Assurance Support HIPAA, HITRUST, NIST CSF, and regulatory compliance initiatives. Participate in security risk assessments and third-party/vendor risk reviews. Assist in maintaining security policies, standards, and procedures. Support internal and external audits and evidence collection activities. Participate in security awareness initiatives and phishing simulation programs. Produce operational metrics, dashboards, and executive reports on threat activity, incidents, and response effectiveness. Continuous Improvement Identify opportunities to automate operational processes and improve security monitoring capabilities. Develop dashboards and metrics to measure security performance. Stay current on emerging cyber threats, attack techniques, and industry best practices. Participate in tabletop exercises and disaster recovery testing. Other Duties as Assigned QUALIFICATIONS: Education/Specialized Training/Licensure: Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field required. Master's degree preferred. Preferred Certifications such as: CISSP HCISPP CEH Microsoft Security Certifications HITRUST experience Work Experience (Years and Area): 5+ years of cybersecurity experience. 3+ years in security operations, incident response, or security engineering. Experience supporting healthcare, insurance, or regulated environments preferred. Hands-on experience with Microsoft security technologies and cloud security platforms Experience in Healthcare IT environments and clinical systems preferred. Proficiencies: Strong analytical and critical thinking skills Excellent written and verbal communication Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment Strong incident investigation and troubleshooting capabilities Ability to work independently and collaboratively across teams Customer-focused mindset with strong stakeholder management skills Other: Managing MSSP Presentation Skills Mentoring of Analysts Strong business Acumen