Position Summary / Career Interest:

The University of Kansas Health System is seeking an experienced Cybersecurity Engineer to support a new Enhanced AI (eAI) Research Center in partnership with Kansas University Medical Center (KUMC). This role will collaborate closely with both KUMC and Health System leadership to lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of secure computing environments that enable cutting-edge AI research while ensuring data security and regulatory compliance. The ideal candidate will bridge security expertise with an understanding of AI research needs, creating frameworks that protect sensitive research data while enabling collaboration across institutions. This position offers a unique opportunity to shape the security architecture of an innovative research initiative focused on advancing healthcare through artificial intelligence. The role requires balancing rigorous security controls with the performance demands of AI/ML computing workflows in both cloud and on-premises environments.


Responsibilities and Essential Job Functions

• Act as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the planning, implementation, management, and monitoring of security measures primarily in support of a research environment.
• Build strong, collaborative, relationships with leaders at all levels across both Kansas University Medical Center and The University of Kansas Health System.
• Partner closely with the Director, Artificial Intelligence Initiatives - Research Informatics to design and implement secure frameworks for AI research data handling, ensuring compliance with CUI, HIPAA, and research-specific regulatory requirements.
• Develop secure architectures for hybrid cloud/on-premises AI computing environments that maintain data integrity and security.
• Lead the technical implementation of AI-focused security technologies including secure enclaves, controlled data access, and distributed computing security.
• Create and maintain security protocols for AI model training, validation, and deployment within a research context.
• Facilitate secure cross-institutional research collaborations through appropriate identity management and secure data sharing mechanisms.
• Collaborate with researchers to develop secure high-performance computing (HPC) environments that meet both performance and security requirements.
• Develop security solutions that scale appropriately for intensive AI/ML workloads without creating performance bottlenecks.
• Provide advanced troubleshooting for complex security and network problems in AI research environments.
• Stay current on emerging AI security trends and threats; assess and recommend appropriate security controls to research leadership.
• Respond to security events related to the research environment as required.
• Participate actively in the change management process, providing high-level technical guidance for the eAI Research Center.
• Communicate complex security concepts to non-security specialists, including research teams and executive leadership.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship on AI security best practices.
• Must be able to perform the professional, clinical and or technical competencies of the assigned unit or department.
• These statements are intended to describe the essential functions of the job and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities. Skills and duties may vary dependent upon your department or unit. Other duties may be assigned as required.

Required Education and Experience

• Experience securing research computing environments
• Experience with security frameworks for controlled unclassified information (CUI) compliance
• Experience with at least one scripting language, preferably Python or PowerShell
• 3 or more years of experience in a large enterprise or research environment

Knowledge Requirements

• Strong knowledge of secure cloud implementations
• Understanding of data governance principles and implementation in research environments
• Working knowledge of containerization security and secure computing orchestration (Kubernetes, Docker, etc.)
• Familiarity with identity management across research institutions or collaborative environments
• Demonstrated ability to balance security requirements with research performance needs
• Familiarity with high-performance computing security considerations
• Working-level knowledge in at least 4 of cybersecurity domains: Security & Risk Management, Asset Security, Security Engineering, Communications & Network Security, Identity & Access Management, Security Assessment & Testing, Security Operations, Software Development Security
• Understanding of research workflows and how security integrates with research processes
• Familiarity with grant-based research security requirements (NIH, DoD, etc.)
• Excellent communication skills and ability to translate complex security concepts to research audiences

We are an equal employment opportunity employer without regard to a person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity and sexual orientation), national origin, ancestry, age (40 or older), disability, veteran status or genetic information.