CMS Energy’s primary business is Consumers Energy, providing natural gas and electricity to 6.7 million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. Consumers Energy is committed to serving our customers, and making Michigan a great place to live and work.

Consumers Energy’s Electric Business

Consumers Energy provides electric service to 1.8 million customers in 62 of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula counties. Among the largest cities served are Battle Creek, Bay City, Cadillac, Flint, Grand Rapids, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Midland, Muskegon and Saginaw.

In addition to the generating plants that produce the majority of electricity for customers, Consumers Energy is a leader in developing renewable energy in Michigan. Its Green Generation™ initiative is the largest renewable energy program in Michigan.

Consumers Energy’s Natural Gas Business

Consumers Energy provides natural gas service for heating and other uses to nearly 1.7 million customers in 54 of the 68 counties in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. It serves an area that spans 13,000 square miles and includes 215 cities and villages. Among the largest areas served are Bay City, Flint, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Macomb, Midland, Royal Oak, Saginaw and Livonia. More than one-half of the utility's gas customers are in metro Detroit.

The company has one of the largest underground natural gas storage capacities in the country. This allows the company to economically purchase and store gas during warm months, for eventual use in the winter heating season.

Position Summary

The Senior Network Security Solution Architect/Engineer:

• Researches, designs, advocates and implements senior-level best practices, across network security related platforms and architectures to ensure our company and our customers' security requirements are met.
• Manages the evaluation and selection of security applications and systems. 
• Makes recommendations and assists in the implementation of changes to process and procedures to make them more effective and align with best practices. 
• Leads the planning and implementation of security platforms for Information Technology (IT) projects.

During this time of uncertainty, we are committed to ensuring the safety and health of our communities and co-workers.  We are using new and innovative ways to interview and onboard new employees remotely at this time. This role will be work-from-home for the indefinite future. 

Job Responsibilities

• Works with multidisciplinary IT project teams to deliver the appropriate network security solutions based on the needs of a project and the customer.
• Works on department funded projects to keep the network security Infrastructure current and ensures best practices and policies are being followed.
• Works with Operations teams to provide guidance on technical network security solutions to complex problems and provides technical mentoring to Operations team members.
• Develops and maintains 5-year roadmaps for network security domains and is responsible for collaborating with Enterprise Architects and Information Security teams.
• Assists with budgeting tasks associated with network security domains and is responsible for forecasting budget and by finding cost reductions.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in an Information Technology (IT) field or equivalent experience
• Typically, 8 or more years of network security experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field (e.g., Engineering).

Essential Functions

• Works closely with department managers and users to define and analyze business and operational problems, process improvement opportunities and requirements; analyzes operational and business mandates and legal requirements; identifies and analyzes complex, ambiguous and/or conflicting business process issues; advises department managers on applications development, enhancement and maintenance issues; explains technology and process options and assists managers in analysis and decision making; analyzes management information needs and recommends data and reporting processes; coordinates the development of department priorities and works within IT to align initiatives to these priorities; facilitates user meetings and joint development sessions.
• Develops and refines business models and relationship diagrams; evaluates methods of improving efficiency and cost-effectiveness of business, technical and operational processes; works with users to reengineer work processes; analyzes functional business requirements and translates user expectations into detailed business requirements, specifications and success criteria; works with Information Systems to develop conceptual proposals for business process automation initiatives; recommends work process and/or operational changes to complement system functionalities; serves as an advocate for department needs with IT; stays abreast of developments in departmental processes to anticipate emerging technology needs.
• Participates in the development of statements of work for RFPs/RFIs; participates in evaluating vendor applications and solutions; coordinates department review of vendor deliverables for accuracy and completeness, ensuring that department’s needs, and requirements have been met.
• Develops significant application/hardware solutions to problems and addresses change request issues that require assignment of resources.
• Analyzes and troubleshoots complex and sometimes urgent applications problems and errors; takes action or communicates solutions to problems; answers technical questions and provides guidance to users on system functionalities and methods for correcting problems.
• Develops training materials and handouts; conducts user applications training classes and one-on-one training sessions; develops and maintains user and system documentation.
• Designs and generates custom reports to meet user needs; uses reporting tools to extract user-required data.
• Plans and coordinates the deployment of new technologies for client solutions; coordinates user acceptance testing and the resolution of problems identified.
• Regular attendance is expected.
• Individual possesses the skills to design Information Security Solutions and oversee the work of junior employees and contractors.
• Individual works well in a team environment consisting of a variety of employees, contractors from engineering, operations and IT Policy areas and vendors.
• Individual should exemplify safe work practices and be familiar with practicing the company’s ethics and compliance standards.
• Individual must provide Information Security designs that take into account growth, risk, compliance, cost, and uptime requirements.
• Individual works with others within and outside the department to come up with optimal designs for the Company.
• Individual works to update and document existing department standards and develop new ones as necessary.
• Utilize effective oral and written communication skills to communicate technical expertise to internal and external teams.
• Attend team meetings and project meetings.

Hours and Travel

• This position requires the individual to work a minimum of 40 hours per week (45-55 typical) with 5% of the time spent away from the primary office location.
• Travel is occasionally required to the Company’s Data Centers (.5 to 1 hour).
• Overnight trips are necessary approximately 1-2 times per year.
• Individual needs to be able to work occasional (2-5 times per year) long days or late evening/  early morning hours in support of maintenance activities.
• Individual needs to be willing to work a flexible schedule, which may include evenings, weekends, holidays, and overtime as necessary to meet deadlines.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, and use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects.
• The employee frequently is required to talk or hear.  
• The employee must lift and move up to twenty pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job:

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

For consideration for this position, please apply directly on CMS Energy careers at www.consumersenergy.com/careers OR https://career4.successfactors.com/sfcareer/jobreqcareer?jobId=26862&company=CMS

Company Overview

Join a diverse and dynamic team that makes and delivers the most valuable services in the world: electricity and natural gas.  At Consumers Energy, our customers are at the heart of everything we do.  Our employees work around the clock to provide service to our customers in honor of our history and to fulfill our promise to Michigan - Count on Us!  Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy and headquartered in Jackson, Michigan, provides natural gas and electricity to nearly 6.8 million of the Michigan's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

All qualified applicants will not be discriminated against and will receive consideration for employment without regard to protected veteran status, disability, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.

Position will be filled at the appropriate salary grade based upon the skills, knowledge, and experience of the selected candidate.

All qualified applicants will not be discriminated against and will receive consideration for employment without regard to protected veteran status, disability, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.