Google Workspace Security Subject Matter Expert (SME)

The role involves leading a comprehensive security analysis and optimization project for a Google Workspace for Education Plus environment. The successful candidate will evaluate the current infrastructure, focusing on Gmail and Google Drive configurations, to identify vulnerabilities, mitigate phishing and credential harvesting risks, and deliver a roadmap of actionable security best practices.

The ideal engineer must balance deep technical mastery of the Google Admin Console with an understanding of enterprise identity security to prevent account takeovers and internal spam outbreaks.

Key Responsibilities

• Security Assessment: Conduct a thorough audit of the Google Workspace for Education Plus tenant via the Google Admin Console, analyzing current configurations against industry best practices.
• Email & Drive Optimization: Review and harden Gmail settings (including SPF, DKIM, DMARC, compliance routing, and advanced anti-phishing rules) and Google Drive settings (including external sharing policies, link defaults, and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) rules).
• Identity & Access Remediation: Evaluate the existing mandatory Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) framework and design a transition plan toward phishing-resistant MFA (e.g., FIDO2 security keys, Passkeys) and Context-Aware Access (CAA) policies.
• Incident Analysis Support: Analyze recent account compromise patterns, investigate session hijacking methodologies, and recommend automated controls to detect and block internal spam blasts.
• Strategic Roadmap: Deliver a comprehensive, prioritized findings report detailing immediate remediation steps, medium-term configurations, and long-term security governance recommendations tailored for an educational environment.

Required Skills & Qualifications

Technical Expertise

• Google Workspace Administration: Expert-level knowledge of Google Workspace for Education Plus architecture, Organizational Units (OUs), and administrative role delegation.

• Email Security Engineering: Deep proficiency in anti-spoofing protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), inbound/outbound content filters, and bulk mail mitigation techniques.

• Zero-Trust & Identity Access Management: Proven experience deploying Context-Aware Access (CAA) rules and transitioning organizations to phishing-resistant 2-Step Verification (2SV).

• Security Analytics & Forensics: Mastery of the Google Workspace Investigation Tool, Alert Center, and log analysis to track credential harvesting and anomalous user behavior.

Experience & Education

• Minimum 3–5 years of hands-on experience auditing, hardening, and securing large-scale Google Workspace environments.

• Education Sector Experience: Familiarity with the unique operational workflows and privacy landscapes (e.g., FERPA compliance) of educational institutions is highly preferred.

• Certifications:

o Required: Google Cloud Professional Google Workspace Administrator

o Highly Desirable: Google Cloud Professional Security Engineer, CISSP, CISM, or equivalent security credentials.

Soft Skills

• Strong technical consulting capability with a track record of translating complex log data and vulnerabilities into plain-language executive recommendations.