Cybersecurity Specialist SURFcert
ApplyDo complex cybersecurity challenges energize you, and would you like to apply your expertise to education and research? As a Technical Specialist at SURFcert, you’ll help institutions identify cyber threats, mitigate risks, and respond effectively to incidents. You’ll combine technical expertise with direct contact with institutions and contribute to an increasingly resilient sector. Would you like to apply your expertise to this cause? If so, we’d love to meet you!
Where you will work
SURF is the ICT cooperative for Dutch educational and research institutions. Together with them, we work on digital services and complex innovation challenges to enhance the quality of education and research. We do this in close collaboration with the institutions themselves, with an eye toward public values, and as transparently as possible.
Working at SURF means working for a unique and open organization. This is evident in everything: the structure of the organization, the setup of the project teams, the culture in our offices, and the atmosphere among colleagues. SURF offers excellent terms of employment and a flexible approach to work/life balance. Employees enjoy working independently. In addition, everyone is given the space and freedom to use and develop their talents as effectively and broadly as possible.
The team you will join
You’ll be joining the SURFcert team: the Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT/CERT) for the Dutch education and research sector. For over thirty years, SURFcert has been supporting education and research institutions in preventing, detecting, and responding to cybersecurity incidents. Starting in 2027, SURFcert is also expected to assume a statutory role as the sectoral CSIRT for higher education under the Cybersecurity Act (CBW), enabling the team to make an even greater contribution to the sector’s digital resilience.
SURFcert is at the heart of the education and research security community. The team consists of passionate security professionals with diverse areas of expertise and backgrounds. Some work full-time for SURFcert, while others combine their work with a role within SURF or at an educational institution. It is precisely this mix of knowledge, practical experience, and close collaboration with the sector that enables SURFcert to respond quickly to current threats and developments. The team fosters an open culture centered on knowledge sharing, collaboration, and continuous learning.
What you will do
As a Technical Product Manager at SURFcert, you’ll contribute to digital security in the education and research sector. You’ll play an active role in SURFcert’s service delivery and support institutions in addressing cybersecurity vulnerabilities and incidents. You’ll analyze threat intelligence from various sources and share this information with the appropriate institutions. In addition, you will develop one or more areas of expertise and contribute to the further development of our tools, methodologies, and services.
Other responsibilities include:
- You will answer questions from education and research institutions regarding (serious) cybersecurity vulnerabilities and incidents.
- You will analyze incoming threat intelligence and translate it into actionable insights and recommendations for institutions.
- You will identify opportunities and areas for improvement, and independently contribute to the development of new tools, methodologies, and policies for SURFcert.
- You will develop and maintain one or more specialized areas of expertise, such as forensics, scanning, or residential proxies.
- You will work closely with other cybersecurity experts both within and outside SURFcert and actively share your knowledge and expertise.
Your skills and experience
You are an experienced cybersecurity professional with a solid technical foundation and the ability to clearly explain complex security issues to a variety of audiences. You combine subject-matter expertise with strong communication skills and an understanding of diverse interests. You enjoy working collaboratively but can also act independently when the situation calls for it.
In addition, you have:
- Msc-level work and thinking ability and at least 5 years of relevant work experience;
- thorough technical knowledge of the cybersecurity field and the ability to convey this knowledge to both technical and non-technical audiences;
- strong communication skills and an understanding of administrative and political dynamics
- willingness to participate in 24/7 on-call shifts (for compensation) and to work on-site at the affected institution in the event of major incidents.
- Experience with CERT/CSIRT activities is a significant plus (incident coordination, cyber crisis management, detection, mitigation, and prevention)
Security screening may be part of the further hiring process. SURFcert’s success stems from the diversity of talent within the team. We encourage you to apply regardless of your background or identity.
SURF takes pleasure in doing its recruitment itself; acquisition is therefore not appreciated.