Compliance Research Analyst

Compliance Research Analyst

Come work at a place where innovation and teamwork come together to support the most exciting missions in the world!

We are looking for a motivated and detail-oriented Compliance Research Analyst with 2–3 years of experience to join our organization. The ideal candidate has foundational to intermediate hands-on knowledge of Linux systems, scripting, and security frameworks, along with a growing interest in automation and AI-powered tooling. This role involves research, analysis, and scripting to support the development and maintenance of compliance policies, technical standards, and target configuration as per CIS/DISA benchmarks. We value curiosity, a willingness to learn, and a strong work ethic over perfection.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Research & Policy Support

• Assist in analyzing and documenting compliance controls across platforms including Windows, Linux, macOS, and network devices.
• Support the development of technical standards and compliance policies based on frameworks such as CIS, DISA STIG, NIST, PCI-DSS, ISO, and HIPAA.
• Help map controls to industry frameworks (e.g., MITRE, NIST) and document control categories, criticality ratings, and remediation steps.

Linux Systems & Hardening

• Analyze, interpret, and implement Linux security hardening and compliance configuration requirements across enterprise server environments.
• Work with Linux systems across enterprise distributions including RHEL, Ubuntu, CentOS, and Debian.
• Configure and manage disk partitioning, filesystems, mount options, and LVM layouts for secure system deployments.
• Configure and maintain SELinux in enforcing mode, including policy configuration, contexts, and validation of confined services.
• Harden Linux systems by configuring kernel parameters, disabling unnecessary kernel modules, and applying secure sysctl settings.
• Configure and manage auditd services, audit rules, log retention policies, and audit log analysis to support security monitoring, traceability, and compliance reporting.
• Implement secure authentication and access control mechanisms including SSH hardening, PAM configuration, sudo policies, password controls, account restrictions, and cron/at access management.
• Work with critical Linux configuration files including /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow, sudoers, SSH configuration, PAM modules, fstab, systemd services, and audit configurations.
• Write and maintain Bash/shell scripts to automate compliance checks, remediation activities, configuration validation, and reporting tasks.
• Research security hardening updates, understand control intent and rationale, and document implementation approaches, exceptions, and remediation procedures for Linux systems.

Automation & AI-Assisted Tooling

• Write and maintain automation scripts using Python, Shell scripting, and PowerShell to support compliance workflows.
• Explore and apply LLM APIs (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic Claude) to assist with research, content generation, and task automation.
• Support the development of AI-assisted tools and basic agent workflows under guidance from senior team members.
• Learn and apply prompt engineering techniques to interact effectively with AI models for compliance use cases.
• Contribute to automation libraries and reusable script templates for compliance checks and remediation.

Content Development & Collaboration

• Develop and maintain compliance scripts using PowerShell, Python, and shell scripting.
• Update and improve existing content as benchmarks, policies, and customer requirements evolve.

• Work with cross-functional teams (Development, QA, Infrastructure) to deliver quality output on time.
• Support customers by helping identify and address compliance gaps with practical, well-documented solutions.

Required Technical Skills

Linux

• 2+ years of hands-on experience including:
  • At least one RHEL-based distribution (RHEL / CentOS / Rocky / Alma)
  • At least one Debian-based distribution (Ubuntu / Debian)
• Working knowledge of disk partitioning, filesystems, and mount management
• Basic to intermediate understanding of SELinux modes and contexts (good to have)
• Familiarity with kernel parameter tuning via sysctl
• Experience with Linux auditing (auditd, audit rules, ausearch, aureport)
• Exposure to Linux system hardening guidelines (CIS Benchmarks or DISA STIG)
• Ability to read, write, and troubleshoot Bash/shell scripts
• Comfort working with system files: /etc/passwd, sudoers, SSH config, PAM, cron, syslog

Automation & Scripting (Required)

• Python scripting (preferred for automation)
  • Basic to intermediate proficiency
  • Ability to independently write functional automation scripts
  • Used in place of shell where more effective
• PowerShell scripting for Windows-based or cross-platform tasks
• Experience using AI-assisted development (“vibe coding”) tools such as GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, or similar tools to accelerate scripting, troubleshooting, research, and automation workflows
• Familiarity with or curiosity about LLM APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, or similar) and prompt-driven automation workflows
• Familiarity with or curiosity about LLM APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, or similar)

General Technical Skills

• Foundational knowledge of Windows, Linux, macOS, networking, and database systems
• Basic to intermediate proficiency in regular expressions (Regex)
• Awareness of industry hardening standards (CIS, DISA STIG, Microsoft SCT)
• Familiarity with security frameworks: NIST, ISO 27001/27002, PCI-DSS, GDPR, etc.
• Basic understanding of the MITRE ATT&CK framework
• Exposure to APIs and tools like Postman is a plus

Required Soft Skills

• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Eager to learn, grow, and take on new challenges
• Team player who can collaborate in a distributed team environment
• Organized and attentive to detail with a commitment to quality
• Ability to manage assigned tasks independently with minimal supervision

Preferred Qualities

• Self-motivated with a genuine interest in security and compliance
• Comfortable asking questions and learning from feedback
• Adaptable to changing requirements and priorities
• Interest in AI/ML trends and how they apply to security and automation

Experience Level

Mid Level