At Strategic Education Inc., our mission is to enable economic mobility through education. Through our portfolio of institutions and learning solutions, we serve working adult learners by improving affordability, engagement, and workforce readiness. This mission guides our approach to technology, cybersecurity, and risk management.

The Principal IT Risk Management Analyst is a senior leader responsible for advancing the organization's IT risk management program. This is not a compliance or audit role. The successful candidate will have deep experience identifying, assessing, quantifying, and managing technology risk, along with the technical understanding needed to evaluate security controls, identify technology risks, and engage effectively with cybersecurity, engineering, and architecture teams. While the role does not require designing technical solutions or interpreting detailed system configurations, it does require the ability to understand how technology decisions, vulnerabilities, and control weaknesses translate into organizational risk and business impact.

This role drives strategy, leads complex technology risk assessments, and partners across the enterprise to ensure technology risks are effectively identified, measured, managed, and communicated in alignment with organizational risk appetite and tolerance. Success in this role requires the ability to translate technical risk into meaningful business context for executive leadership.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

Lead and evolve the IT security risk management program in alignment with organizational goals, risk appetite, and risk tolerance

Partner with executive leadership to shape risk strategy and drive enterprise-wide adoption

Serve as a key advisor on risk posture, translating technical findings into strategic business decisions

Risk Assessment & Analysis

Identify, assess, and quantify technology risks by evaluating cybersecurity threats, operational vulnerabilities, and emerging technology risks using qualitative and quantitative methodologies

Conduct risk assessments using established frameworks, including NIST CSF and CIS Controls v8

Translate technical findings into clear, actionable business risk and support risk-based decision making

Manage and maintain the enterprise IT risk register, including risk ownership, scoring, and lifecycle tracking

Risk Mitigation & Governance

Design and implement IT security risk mitigation strategies and controls aligned with industry standards

Lead the risk exception management process, including evaluation, documentation, and risk acceptance decisions

Provide risk-informed guidance for complex technology initiatives, including emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and machine learning

Integrate IT security risk management practices into business and technology processes

Support the development and lifecycle management of information security policies and standards

Risk Reporting & Insights

Define and evolve risk metrics, key risk indicators (KRIs), and risk appetite thresholds

Develop dashboards and reporting that translate risk data into actionable insights for executive and board-level audiences

Communicate complex risk concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders

Program Enablement & Continuous Improvement

Drive adoption of IT security risk platforms and workflow automation to improve efficiency and scalability

Identify and implement automation opportunities across risk management workflows

Continuously enhance risk methodologies, tools, and processes

Stay current on the evolving threat landscape, emerging technologies, and industry practices

Mentorship & Development

Mentor and guide junior team members in direct or matrixed reporting relationships

Lead or own workstreams while providing direction and support to junior analysts

Qualifications

Skills & Expertise

Strong leadership, analytical, and problem-solving skills with a risk-first mindset

Demonstrated team leadership through mentoring, coaching, or leading analysts

Ability to own workstreams and guide junior staff in a matrixed environment

Strong technical depth to identify risks, evaluate control effectiveness, and translate vulnerability and technical data into business risk

Deep knowledge of NIST CSF, CIS Controls v8, and related frameworks

Proven ability to build and manage an enterprise IT risk register and exception management program

Experience building and evolving risk metrics, KRIs, dashboards, and executive reporting

Hands-on experience with GRC platforms and workflow automation tools (e.g., Archer, ServiceNow GRC, OneTrust, Jira, Rapid7 Nexpose) and the ability to automate processes

Understanding of AI/ML risk domains, including model risk, data integrity, bias, and adversarial threats, with the ability to recommend controls

Experience drafting, reviewing, and improving information security policies and standards

Ability to communicate technical concepts and residual risk clearly to non-technical stakeholders

Work Experience

5+ years of IT risk management experience, with a focus on risk assessment, quantification, and risk register ownership (not primarily compliance or audit)

3+ years mentoring or leading team members

Demonstrated experience mentoring analysts while owning and delivering discrete risk workstreams or program components

Experience conducting risk assessments aligned to NIST CSF, CIS Controls v8, or similar frameworks

Experience managing an IT risk register, risk exception processes, and residual risk documentation

Experience developing risk metrics, dashboards, and executive reporting

Experience with GRC platforms and workflow automation in a risk context

Experience managing risks related to emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence

Education & Certifications

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline required; Master’s degree preferred

Preferred certifications:

CRISC (ISACA)

CISSP (ISC²)

CISM (ISACA)

CompTIA Security+

CompTIA CySA+

CompTIA CASP+

CGEIT (ISACA)

Other:

Must be able to travel occasionally should a business need arise. For most roles travel would not be common. Travel may involve plane, car or metro. In accordance with ADA policies, reasonable accommodations regarding travel limitations can be provided. Travel will be more common for roles such as Account Executives (25 - 50%), senior leaders (10 – 20%) or Capella Core Faculty (5 – 10%).
Ability to work onsite in Corporate or Campus location (in a typical office environment) may be required based on role. If so, this would include being mobile within the office, including movement from floor-to-floor using elevators or stairs.
If offsite or hybrid role, must have access to work in setting which enables meeting all requirements of the role (including privacy, reliable internet access, phone, ability to video conference, etc.) at a remote location.
This role may require lifting, however reasonable accommodations will be provided in accordance with our ADA policies.
Must be able to meet critical thinking and problem solving aspects aligned to job duties, as well as effectively communicating with co-workers.
Must be able to work more than 40 hours per week when business needs warrant. Accommodations related to schedule may be considered.
Able to access information using a computer.
Other essential functions and marginal job functions are subject to modification.

#LI-JD1

SEI offers a comprehensive package of benefits to employees scheduled 30 hours or more per week. In addition to medical, dental, vision, life and disability plans, SEI employees may take advantage of well-being incentives, parental leave, paid time off, certain paid holidays, tax saving accounts (FSA, HSA), 401(k) retirement benefit, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, tuition assistance as well as entertainment and retail discounts. Non-exempt employees are eligible for overtime pay, if applicable.

Careers - Our Benefits, Strategic Education, Inc

SEI is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and collaborative culture where individuals can grow their careers and contribute fully. We strive to attract talent with broad experiences, skills and perspectives. We welcome applications from all. While it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top end of the pay range at SEI, we offer a competitive salary. The actual base pay offered to the successful candidate may vary depending on multiple factors including, but not limited to, job-related knowledge/skills, experience, business needs, geographical location, and internal pay equity. Our Talent Acquisition Team is ready to discuss your interest in joining SEI. The expected salary range for this position is below.

$119,300.00 - $178,900.00 - Salary

If you require reasonable accommodations to complete our application process, please contact our Human Resources Department at Careers@strategiced.com.