Vulnerability Management Engineer

Farnell

Farnell, an Avnet company, is a global high-service distributor of technology products, services and solutions for electronic system design, maintenance and repair.

Job Summary:

The Vulnerability Management Security Engineer is responsible to assist the Security Operations team in the comprehensive execution and management of vulnerability identification, assessment, and remediation processes across the organization. This role includes deploying and operating vulnerability assessment tools, refining scan results, providing technical assistance in coordinating with internal teams for remediation, and providing actionable insights to enhance the organization's security posture. The individual in this role must have a solid understanding of information security, risk assessment methodologies, and remediation best practices to address vulnerabilities effectively. The engineer will work closely with IT, development, and compliance teams to ensure that risks are managed within acceptable thresholds and regulatory requirements.

Principal Responsibilities:

• Vulnerability Scanning and Assessment: Deploy and maintain vulnerability scanning tools to identify weaknesses across the organization's IT infrastructure, including servers, endpoints, networks, and applications. Conduct scheduled and ad-hoc vulnerability scans, ensuring comprehensive coverage and accuracy of scanning results. Assist in analyzing scan data to identify trends, patterns, and high-risk vulnerabilities, prioritizing issues based on potential impact and exploitability.
• Remediation Coordination and Tracking: Work closely with IT and Security operations, application development, and other internal teams to track and support remediation efforts for identified vulnerabilities. Develop and document remediation plans and timelines based on vulnerability criticality and business impact. Facilitate the communication of remediation guidance and oversee the execution of risk mitigation actions.
• Reporting and Documentation: Prepare detailed vulnerability assessment reports, including metrics on scan results, remediation status, and risk mitigation progress. Develop executive-level dashboards and summaries to provide a high-level overview of vulnerability management activities. Maintain documentation of processes, procedures, and vulnerability management playbooks, ensuring consistency and repeatability.
• Continuous Improvement and Automation: Identify opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the vulnerability management toolset, including process automation. Develop and implement scripts, automation workflows, and tools to enhance vulnerability scanning, reporting, and remediation tracking. Collaborate with other security teams to integrate vulnerability data with security incident response and threat intelligence workflows.
• Compliance and Security Standards Adherence: Ensure vulnerability management activities align with industry standards, such as NIST, ISO 27001, and regulatory requirements like PCI-DSS and SOX. Maintain up-to-date knowledge of compliance requirements and emerging vulnerability management frameworks, incorporating relevant changes into existing processes.
• Threat Intelligence Integration: Work with threat intelligence teams to contextualize vulnerabilities within the broader threat landscape. Adjust scanning priorities and remediation efforts based on emerging threats, zero-day vulnerabilities, and relevant exploit activity in the industry.

• Other Duties as Assigned

Distinguishing Characteristics:

• Technical Expertise in Vulnerability Management: The engineer should have deep expertise in vulnerability management tools and technologies, such as Qualys, Tenable, Rapid7, or similar platforms, and be skilled in configuring, tuning, and optimizing these tools.
• Experience in Network Engineering: Demonstrated proficiency in managing and troubleshooting layer 2 and layer 3 devices.
• Proficiency in Scripting Languages: Experience with scripting languages such as Python for automating tasks, developing custom scripts, and enhancing system administration workflows, with an ability to write, debug, and optimize code for various operational needs.
• Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills: This role demands a strong ability to analyze scan data, understand complex infrastructure dependencies, and devise actionable and efficient remediation plans.
• Communication and Coordination Abilities: This position requires excellent interpersonal skills to communicate vulnerability issues clearly to non-technical stakeholders and to coordinate remediation efforts across diverse teams.
• Risk-Based Approach to Security: A successful engineer will apply a risk-based approach to vulnerability prioritization and mitigation, focusing resources on the most impactful issues, and balancing security needs with business goals.
• Industry certifications such as CISSP, CASP, or GIAC are a plus.
• Relevant vendor specific certifications are a plus.

Work Experience:

• Typically, 3 to 5 years with bachelor's or equivalent.

Education and Certification(s):

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience from which comparable knowledge and job skills can be obtained.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills.