INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST I

Job Description and Duties

Per CCR 249.3, this job control may be used to fill subsequent vacancies.

Are you an enthusiastic and motivated individual looking for a diverse, challenging, and rewarding position in a highly team-oriented environment? The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Information Technology Services Division’s (ITSD) Information Security Office (ISO) is seeking a conscientious professional with a proven record as an Information Security Specialist with experience in information security program operations, analysis, evaluation, and reporting.

Under direction of the Information Technology Manager I (ITM I) and Agency Information Security Officer (AISO), the Information Technology Specialist I (IT Specialist I) works as a security specialist in the CDFA Information Security Office (ISO) performing critical information security (InfoSec) operational, maintenance, support, planning, research, analysis, and reporting work to help identify, respond to, reduce, and remove risks to the Department’s critical applications and services. The position also assists in creation and upkeep of mandatory policies, procedures, plans, standards, and guidelines related to cybersecurity, and performs risk assessments and service reviews for systems and solutions as needed.

Candidates may perform these essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

The duties of this position are primarily conducted indoors in an office environment. The incumbent will have a workstation with modular furniture, an adjustable rolling chair, a computer with various software programs, a telephone with voicemail, and stationary filing drawers and bins. The position requires the ability to sit for extended periods of time and operate a personal computer utilizing a mouse and keyboard.

The incumbent must be able to give presentations, participate in meetings, and interact with other staff. They must also be able to : push buttons on a keyboard, calculator, photocopy machine, facsimile machine, and telephone; grasp papers, small objects, and manuals; access upper and lower files and cabinets; and exert up to 15 lbs. of force occasionally and / or a negligible amount of force frequently in order to move or position objects.

Travel to various CDFA facilities and sites throughout the State as needed using various means of transportation systems; overnight stays and weekend and off-shift work may be required.

Regular or recurring telework may occur as part of the incumbent’s ongoing regular schedule in accordance with CDFAs Telework Policy.

Position exists in downtown Sacramento. CDFA’s Headquarters office is located at 1220 N Street, Sacramento, California.

Close to major freeways, light rail and transit stops

Close to the California State Capitol Museum

Close to downtown shopping and restaurants

Close to the Sacramento Convention Center

Close to the Golden 1 Center

Special Requirements

A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ), in the form of a Supplemental Questionnaire, is REQUIRED. The Supplemental Questionnaire will be considered the first phase of the hiring process for this position. If your qualifications are competitive, you will be invited to an interview. The Supplemental Questionnaire must be typed, no more than three pages in length, not less than 12-point font, single-spaced, with margins not less than one inch, and include your first and last name at the top of each page. Each response must be numbered based on the following prompts and must include information that fully addresses each prompt in its entirety. Generative AI tools and output must NOT be used in responding to these SOQ prompts.

1. Based on the job description and duty statement, what skills and abilities do you believe are most critical to be successful in this position? Please describe your work experience as it relates to those skills and abilities.

2. Provide a detailed table, chart, and / or narrative of your working background, experience, education, and training, including months / years of experience and your support role and level of expertise, with the following information security and infrastructure systems, services, and related processes :

• a. CrowdStrike Falcon next-generation anti-virus solution, the MS Defender Suite, or similar solution(s);
• b. KnowBe4 security awareness and training platform, or similar solution(s);
• c. Tenable vulnerability scanner, or similar solution(s);
• d. Microsoft Sentinel SIEM solution, or similar SIEM solution(s);
• e. Microsoft 365 (M365);
• f. Microsoft Intune;

g. Microsoft Active Directory and / or Entra ID services; and

h. Cal-CSIRS (California Compliance and Security Incident Reporting System), or similar governance, risk, and compliance platform(s).

3. Describe your approach to ensuring that IT security solutions are properly and effectively implemented, optimized, monitored, and maintained.

Resumés and / or cover letters DO NOT take the place of the Supplemental Questionnaire. Applications received without Supplemental Questionnaire responses to all prompts will not receive further consideration and will be excluded from the hiring process.

California State Civil Service Employee Benefits Summary Benefit Description​ ​Additional Information ​ New Employee Benefits Orientation Page

Summary review of benefits available to you as a new State Civil Service employee. ​ State Civil Service Act

Review the benefits and protections provided to State Civil Service employees through the State Civil Service Act.

​ Salaries and Civil Service Pay Scales

Information regarding salary ranges for State Civil Service employees, as well as the Civil Service Pay Scales, the official salaries for all state jobs.

​ Represented Employee Bargaining Contracts

Review the specifics of represented state employee collective bargaining contracts.

​ Retirement

Learn more about the defined benefit plan that is offered to state employees through the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) based on years of service, age and final compensation. CalPERS also offers disability retirement, partial service retirement, and death benefits for eligible employees.

401(k) and 457(b) Plans (Savings Plus)

Offers a voluntary benefit that allows you to contribute to both a 401(k) and a 457(b) plan to enhance your retirement benefit. This allows you to contribute, through payroll deduction, up to twice the amount available to the private sector and most public sector employees. You can contribute on both a pre-tax and an after-tax designated Roth basis that offers you the opportunity to take advantage of tax savings now and in the future.

​ California State Civil Service Employee Benefits Summary - Specific Benefits ​Specific Benefits ​Additional Information

Cash In Lieu of Health and / or Dental Benefits (Cash Option)

Allows you to receive cash in lieu of state-sponsored health and / or dental benefits insurance if you have other qualifying medical and / or dental coverage through a spouse, domestic partner, parent or other source.

​ ​ Common Carrier Travel and Accident Insurance – for Excluded Employees Only

Offers employer-paid accidental death and dismemberment insurance to managers, supervisors and other specified employees who travel on state business.

​ ​ Commute Program

Voluntary benefits that subsidize commuting expenses for eligible employees who commute to and from work using public transportation, vanpools, or bicycles.

​ Consolidated Benefits (CoBen)

Provides a benefit allowance, rather than specific contribution amounts for health, dental and vision benefits. You may receive additional taxable income each month, depending on the total cost of the benefit plans you choose.

​ ​Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA)

Continuation of health, dental, and vision insurance coverage as well as medical reimbursement account for employees and eligible dependents who involuntarily lose coverage.

​ Death Benefits

Benefits available to legal survivors and / or designees of state employees; see "Planning Ahead" handbook.

​Planning Ahead Handbook | ​Dental Benefits

Offers you and your dependents preventive, basic and major dental care coverage through one of several dental plans.

​ Employee Assistance Program

Employer-paid program offers free professional and confidential short-term counseling and referral services to employees and their eligible dependents, as well as valuable information on a variety of topics including financial, legal, and wellness.

California State Civil Service Employee Benefits Summary Benefit Description​ ​Additional Information

Group Legal Services Insurance

Voluntary, employee-paid plan that provides comprehensive legal coverage designed to meet most common personal legal needs. Available to eligible employees and their eligible dependents.

​Group Long-Term Disability Insurance – For Excluded Employees Only

Voluntary, employee-paid plan that replaces a portion of the employee's income in the event the employee is unable to work for six months or longer due to a covered illness or injury.

Health Benefits

Offers you and your dependents a broad range of health insurance plans with the state paying a portion of the premium. CalPERS administers this coverage.

CalPERS Health and Wellness

Promotes a work environment that encourages healthy lifestyle choices, decreases the risk of illness and disease and enhances employee effectiveness and well-being.

​ Long-Term Care Program

Offers coverage through CalPERS for a chronic illness, frailty of old age, or a serious accident. Available to all California public employees, retirees, and their eligible family members.

​ ​Part-time, Seasonal, and Temporary Retirement Program

Offers a retirement savings program for part-time, seasonal and temporary employees who are not covered by CalPERS or Social Security.

​ ​ Reimbursement Accounts

Allows you to set pre-taxed money aside in a reimbursement account to pay for certain kinds of medical and dependent care expenses. You can increase your take home pay and decrease your taxable income.

​ ​ Third-Party Pre-Tax Parking Reimbursement Account Program

Allows you to deduct a specific pre-tax amount for work-related parking fees from your pay. Available to employees who drive a personal vehicle to work or to a location from which the employee commutes to work and pays for parking.

​ ​Vision Benefits

Employer-paid benefit that offers you and your dependents an annual eye examination and an allowance for frames and lenses. An enhanced vision plan is also available which provides higher allowances for certain materials and other benefits.