Area of research:
IT - Computing
Job description: Cyber Security Specialist (f/m/x)
102896
Full time, close to full time
35-39 hrs./week
Neuherberg near Munich
Partial Home Office possible
At Helmholtz Munich, we develop groundbreaking solutions for a healthier society in a rapidly changing world. We believe that diverse perspectives drive innovation. Through strong partnerships, we accelerate the transfer of new ideas from the lab to real-life applications, improving lives.
Your work provides the foundation for scientific discoveries with real impact, shaping the future of health.
Helmholtz Digital Services for Science (HIFIS) aims to provide excellent, seamlessly accessible IT services for the whole Helmholtz Association.
Your work will help both Helmholtz Munich and HIFIS to secure the foundation for scientific discoveries with real impact, shaping the future of health.
Your tasks
* You will collaborate closely with partners in the Helmholtz Association and HIFIS (Helmholtz Digital Services for Science) to design, develop, and implement comprehensive security solutions across the cloud federated services architecture used at Helmholtz sites and partner organizations.
* You will assess and continuously monitor the current security posture of Helmholtz Munich’s infrastructure (including network, storage solutions, virtualization platforms, and high-performance computing systems) and recommend improvements in design and implementation aimed at strengthening the overall security posture of the center.
* You will assess the application security posture, offering guidance on integrating secure coding practices, performing threat modelling and code reviews, and embedding security throughout the software development lifecycle for both in-house and third-party applications.
* You will evaluate policies, standards, procedures and recommendations to enhance adherence to national and international security standards and frameworks (e.g., ISO/IEC 27001, BSI C5, BSI IT-Grundschutz), ensuring regulatory compliance and security best practices.
* You will collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to proactively identify, assess, and mitigate security risks through risk management processes, including threat modelling and risk assessment.
* You will support incident response activities, vulnerability management, and forensic investigations, helping to minimize impact and strengthen defenses.
* You will provide technical guidance, training, and awareness programs to colleagues and partners on security best practices, emerging threats, and compliance requirements, fostering a strong security culture across the organization.
Your profile
* Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, computer engineering, cybersecurity or a related field and relevant security certifications (e.g., OSCP, CCSP, CISSP, CISM) from a university with internationally recognized quality standards.
* Good understanding of networking, storage, cloud computing, virtualization, and application technologies, and their associated security principles and controls.
* Interest with Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Single Sign-On (SSO) technologies (such as SAML, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and similar standards), including designing and implementing secure authentication and authorization systems.
* Interest in application security, including secure software development lifecycle (SSDLC), vulnerability assessment, code review, and mitigation of common vulnerabilities (e.g., OWASP Top 10).
* Familiarity with firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools, endpoint/server protection solutions, and encryption technologies.
* Familiarity with open-source tools applicable for securing corporate environments.
* Familiarity with security frameworks and standards such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), ISO 27001, BSI C5, BSI IT-Grundschutz, and similar regulatory requirements.
* Ability to perform security risk assessments, threat modelling, and develop risk mitigation strategies within complex technical environments.
* Good problem-solving skills, with the ability to communicate complex security concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders at all levels.
We value passion and potential!
So please consider applying even if your experience does not match every line of the description.
If you fulfill all the requirements, you may be eligible for a salary grade of up to E 13. Social benefits are based on the Collective Wage Agreement for Public-Sector Employees (TVöD). The position has an (initial) fixed term until 31.12.2028 but may be extended under certain circumstances.
Managing Director Mike Frieser: „We believe that diversity is the key to groundbreaking research and innovative solutions. Our flexible working models and remote options create a supportive environment for balancing work and family life. For us, contributing to a healthier society in such an inspiring workplace is truly meaningful.“
Get to know us
Benefits
* Career Development: Postdoc program, scientific training & career center with tailored offers
* Scientific Resources: State-of-the-art infrastruture and Core Facilities
* Recreation: 30 days annual leave, flexi days, plus public holidays
* International Staff Service: Support with the relocation and integration process in Germany
* Health Promotion: Sports, company doctor, mental health initiatives
Interested in applying?
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Dr. Alf Wachsmann, +49 89 31872488, who will be happy to help.
Our recruiting is decentralized - your application will be reviewed directly by the specialist department in which you could work in the future.
More information about our application process
Please send your application only via our online application tool and with the following documents:
* CV
* Cover letter
* Degrees/Diplomas/Certificates
* Contact details for at least two referees
If you have obtained a university degree abroad, we will require further documents from you regarding the comparability of your degree by the time you start work at the latest.
Please request the Statement of Comparability for Foreign Higher Education Qualifications as early as possible.
We are committed to promoting a culture of diversity and welcome applications from talented people regardless of gender, cultural background, nationality, ethnicity, sexual identity, physical abilities, religion or age. Qualified applicants with physical disabilities will be given preference.
Learn more about diversity at Helmholtz Munich
Our commitment
Helmholtz Munich
Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt (GmbH)
Scientific IT
Ingolstädter Landstraße 1
85764 Neuherberg
This research center is part of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers. With more than 42,000 employees and an annual budget of over € 5 billion, the Helmholtz Association is Germany's largest scientific organisation.
Company
The Helmholtz Association contributes to solving major challenges to assure the future of our society. With more than 47.500 people on staff in 18 national Research Centers and an annual budget of more than 6 billion euros, the Helmholtz Association is Germany’s largest scientific organization. The name Helmholtz stands for concerted research, in which networks form the key principle behind inquiring thought and action.
The profile of the Helmholtz Association
The Helmholtz Association performs cutting-edge research which contributes substantially to solving the grand challenges of science, society and industry. To succeed in meeting these responsibilities, Helmholtz concentrates its work in six research fields: Energy, Earth and Environment, Health, Information, Matter, as well as Aeronautics, Space and Transport. Within each of these fields, research programs are developed by our scientists and regularly evaluated by renowned international experts. Their evaluation forms the basis for the program-oriented funding that is allocated to Helmholtz research. Within the six research fields, Helmholtz scientists cooperate with each other and with external partners – working across disciplinary, organizational and national borders.
Moreover, Helmholtz specializes in large-scale research infrastructures – from accelerator facilities, earth observation satellites, research ships to supercomputers. They form the basis for scientific advances in tackling global societal challenges. Managing national research infrastructure is part of the Helmholtz Association's mission.
Promoting young academics
Helmholtz scientists, a high-performance infrastructure and modern and efficient research management are the ingredients to the Helmholtz Association‘s success and global impact.
Promoting young researchers is a major priority for the Helmholtz Association. Its qualification schemes for young researchers are geared mainly towards PhD students, postdocs and young managers. The Helmholtz Association has set high standards for its talent management. Its strategy begins with targeted recruitment of highly qualified staff at all levels, followed by comprehensive support aimed at further developing their potential. Ensuring equal opportunities is an essential element in all talent management activities undertaken by the Helmholtz Association.
The Helmholtz Graduate Schools and Research Schools at almost all Helmholtz Centers provide doctoral students with the general and specific skills and training they need, as well as ample opportunity to network. The period following a doctorate is decisive in determining the direction and success of a scientific career. For this reason, we established Career Development Centers for postdoctoral researchers in the Helmholtz Centers. This equips young researchers with the skills they need to go on to head a Helmholtz Investigator Group, for example. As an Investigator Group leader, junior scientists can independently set up their own group to conduct research in their specialist field and acquire management skills.
Within its talent management strategy, the Helmholtz Association pays special attention to the increased recruitment of talented female scientists both from Germany and abroad. To this end, there are currently two funding programs supporting this policy: and Helmholtz Distinguished Professorship – Funding for the recruitment of leading international female scientists (W3) .
The increasing complexity of the content, structures and framework conditions of scientific work today requires researchers to organize their projects, their employees and, of course, themselves in a highly professional and effective way. In response to these demands, we have set up the Helmholtz Leadership Academy to provide leaders in science with professional management training. Furthermore, the Helmholtz network provides a platform for the alumni of the Helmholtz Leadership Academy to come together and share their experiences of leadership, career development and lifelong learning.
All of this combined makes the 18 Research Centers of the Helmholtz Association a highly attractive environment for talented researchers from all over the world.
Company info
Telephone
0049-30-206329-0
Location
Anna-Louisa-Karsch-Str. 2
Berlin
Berlin
10178
Germany