OPT Cybersecurity Jobs
Cybersecurity is one of the strongest fields for OPT work authorization, with consistent employer demand across finance, healthcare, defense contracting, and tech. Many cybersecurity roles qualify under STEM OPT extension eligibility, giving you up to three years of authorized work experience after graduation.
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About the Team
TikTok is seeking a GRC Cybersecurity Controls Analyst to join the TikTok USDS Joint Venture (JV) GRC Controls & Certifications team. This role will support the operation, testing, and continuous improvement of the controls framework and will help drive audit readiness across key security, compliance, privacy, and regulatory obligations. The candidate will work closely with control owners, product teams, security teams, privacy, legal, internal audit, external auditors, and GRC leadership to evaluate control design, implementation, and operating effectiveness.
About the Role
The role will support control testing, evidence review, audit response coordination, control narrative development, and issue identification across frameworks and obligations such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, NIST CSF, PCI, control validation, and other certification or assessment activities. The candidate will also help mature the team’s approach to GRC automation and engineering. This includes improving how controls are mapped, tested, monitored, and reported through tooling, dashboards, structured data, workflow automation, evidence recommendations, and scalable testing. The ideal candidate is comfortable working at the intersection of GRC, security controls, audit readiness, and process automation.
Key responsibilities include:
- Support the maintenance and continuous improvement of the controls framework, including control descriptions, mappings, owners, evidence expectations, testing procedures, and control narratives.
- Perform control testing and validation activities, including design, implementation, and operating effectiveness testing.
- Review evidence submitted by control owners and product teams to determine whether it sufficiently demonstrates control performance and meets audit or assessment expectations.
- Coordinate with control owners, evidence owners, product teams, and GRC stakeholders to resolve evidence gaps, clarify control intent, and improve testing quality.
- Support internal and external audits, certifications, and assessments, including ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI, NIST CSF, and other GRC obligations.
- Support GRC automation initiatives by helping define requirements for workflow automation, control monitoring, and scalable control testing processes.
- Work with technical and engineering teams to understand security tools, data sources, system-generated evidence, and opportunities to automate or improve control validation.
- Contribute to a culture of high-quality documentation, defensible controls testing, and continuous improvement across the Controls & Certifications function.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Information Security, Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Risk Management, Compliance, Engineering, Data Analytics, or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
- 3+ years of experience in GRC, IT risk, security controls, audit readiness, control testing, compliance, security assurance, or a related field. Experience performing or supporting control testing, including evaluating control design, implementation, and operating effectiveness.
- Experience gathering, reviewing, and assessing technical control evidence from stakeholders, systems, tools, dashboards, or documentation repositories. Working knowledge of security and compliance frameworks such as ISO 27001, NIST CSF, SOC 2, PCI-DSS, or similar control frameworks.
- Familiarity with security domains such as Identity and Access Management, Vulnerability Management, Incident Management, Asset Management, Logging and Monitoring, Data Security, SDLC, Third-Party Risk Management, Business Continuity / Disaster Recovery, or Privacy.
- Strong writing and documentation skills, with the ability to create clear control narratives, evidence and testing summaries, and status updates. Strong analytical skills and ability to assess whether evidence meets the intent of a control, requirement, or audit request.
- Experience working with control owners, technical teams, auditors, legal, privacy, compliance, or cross-functional stakeholders. Ability to manage multiple workstreams, follow up on open items, identify blockers, and communicate risks clearly. Demonstrated teamwork and collaboration skills, especially in fast-moving, cross-functional environments.
Preferred Qualifications
- Professional certification such as CISA, CISSP, CISM, CRISC, CDPSE, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor / Lead Implementer, or equivalent.
- Experience supporting external audits, security certifications, or regulatory assessments such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI, NIST CSF, or national security / data protection obligations.
- Experience with GRC automation, control monitoring, evidence automation, dashboarding, workflow design, or data-driven control testing. Experience working with engineering, security, infrastructure, product, or data teams to translate technical processes into control evidence and audit-ready narratives.
- Familiarity with automation, scripting, SQL, APIs, or data workflows used to improve GRC operations.
- Experience maintaining or improving a control library, control framework, control mapping, or integrated compliance framework. Experience identifying evidence quality issues, control design gaps, operating effectiveness concerns, or audit readiness risks.
About USDS
TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC is dedicated to the safety and security of millions of Americans who create, discover, and connect with what they love on the apps we operate. The Joint Venture has been established in compliance with the Executive Order signed by President Trump on September 25, 2025. Our foundation is a comprehensive data privacy and cybersecurity program we operate under defined safeguards to protect national security and secure U.S. user data, apps and the algorithm. We safeguard the U.S. content ecosystem, holding decision-making authority for trust and safety policies and moderation. USDS Joint Venture helps ensure Americans can continue to express their creativity, discover new hobbies and interests, and build thriving communities and businesses on a global scale.
On-site presence across teams allows the company to operate with greater speed, alignment, and agility — especially in areas like real-time decision-making, team development, and integrated execution. As such, the company is shifting from a hybrid work model to a fully in-person schedule up to 5 days a week.
Why Join Us
Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy – a mission we work towards every day.
We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.
Diversity & Inclusion
TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.
USDS Reasonable Accommodation
USDS is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at https://tinyurl.com/USDS-RA
Job Information
【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Annually)
The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $98,800 - $196,000 annually. Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.
Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Employees have day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) savings plan with company match, paid parental leave, short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, among others. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure).
The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.
For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
- Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
- Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
- Exercising sound judgment.
Responsibilities
About the Team
TikTok is seeking a GRC Cybersecurity Controls Analyst to join the TikTok USDS Joint Venture (JV) GRC Controls & Certifications team. This role will support the operation, testing, and continuous improvement of the controls framework and will help drive audit readiness across key security, compliance, privacy, and regulatory obligations. The candidate will work closely with control owners, product teams, security teams, privacy, legal, internal audit, external auditors, and GRC leadership to evaluate control design, implementation, and operating effectiveness.
About the Role
The role will support control testing, evidence review, audit response coordination, control narrative development, and issue identification across frameworks and obligations such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, NIST CSF, PCI, control validation, and other certification or assessment activities. The candidate will also help mature the team’s approach to GRC automation and engineering. This includes improving how controls are mapped, tested, monitored, and reported through tooling, dashboards, structured data, workflow automation, evidence recommendations, and scalable testing. The ideal candidate is comfortable working at the intersection of GRC, security controls, audit readiness, and process automation.
Key responsibilities include:
- Support the maintenance and continuous improvement of the controls framework, including control descriptions, mappings, owners, evidence expectations, testing procedures, and control narratives.
- Perform control testing and validation activities, including design, implementation, and operating effectiveness testing.
- Review evidence submitted by control owners and product teams to determine whether it sufficiently demonstrates control performance and meets audit or assessment expectations.
- Coordinate with control owners, evidence owners, product teams, and GRC stakeholders to resolve evidence gaps, clarify control intent, and improve testing quality.
- Support internal and external audits, certifications, and assessments, including ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI, NIST CSF, and other GRC obligations.
- Support GRC automation initiatives by helping define requirements for workflow automation, control monitoring, and scalable control testing processes.
- Work with technical and engineering teams to understand security tools, data sources, system-generated evidence, and opportunities to automate or improve control validation.
- Contribute to a culture of high-quality documentation, defensible controls testing, and continuous improvement across the Controls & Certifications function.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Information Security, Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Risk Management, Compliance, Engineering, Data Analytics, or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
- 3+ years of experience in GRC, IT risk, security controls, audit readiness, control testing, compliance, security assurance, or a related field. Experience performing or supporting control testing, including evaluating control design, implementation, and operating effectiveness.
- Experience gathering, reviewing, and assessing technical control evidence from stakeholders, systems, tools, dashboards, or documentation repositories. Working knowledge of security and compliance frameworks such as ISO 27001, NIST CSF, SOC 2, PCI-DSS, or similar control frameworks.
- Familiarity with security domains such as Identity and Access Management, Vulnerability Management, Incident Management, Asset Management, Logging and Monitoring, Data Security, SDLC, Third-Party Risk Management, Business Continuity / Disaster Recovery, or Privacy.
- Strong writing and documentation skills, with the ability to create clear control narratives, evidence and testing summaries, and status updates. Strong analytical skills and ability to assess whether evidence meets the intent of a control, requirement, or audit request.
- Experience working with control owners, technical teams, auditors, legal, privacy, compliance, or cross-functional stakeholders. Ability to manage multiple workstreams, follow up on open items, identify blockers, and communicate risks clearly. Demonstrated teamwork and collaboration skills, especially in fast-moving, cross-functional environments.
Preferred Qualifications
- Professional certification such as CISA, CISSP, CISM, CRISC, CDPSE, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor / Lead Implementer, or equivalent.
- Experience supporting external audits, security certifications, or regulatory assessments such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI, NIST CSF, or national security / data protection obligations.
- Experience with GRC automation, control monitoring, evidence automation, dashboarding, workflow design, or data-driven control testing. Experience working with engineering, security, infrastructure, product, or data teams to translate technical processes into control evidence and audit-ready narratives.
- Familiarity with automation, scripting, SQL, APIs, or data workflows used to improve GRC operations.
- Experience maintaining or improving a control library, control framework, control mapping, or integrated compliance framework. Experience identifying evidence quality issues, control design gaps, operating effectiveness concerns, or audit readiness risks.
About USDS
TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC is dedicated to the safety and security of millions of Americans who create, discover, and connect with what they love on the apps we operate. The Joint Venture has been established in compliance with the Executive Order signed by President Trump on September 25, 2025. Our foundation is a comprehensive data privacy and cybersecurity program we operate under defined safeguards to protect national security and secure U.S. user data, apps and the algorithm. We safeguard the U.S. content ecosystem, holding decision-making authority for trust and safety policies and moderation. USDS Joint Venture helps ensure Americans can continue to express their creativity, discover new hobbies and interests, and build thriving communities and businesses on a global scale.
On-site presence across teams allows the company to operate with greater speed, alignment, and agility — especially in areas like real-time decision-making, team development, and integrated execution. As such, the company is shifting from a hybrid work model to a fully in-person schedule up to 5 days a week.
Why Join Us
Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy – a mission we work towards every day.
We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.
Diversity & Inclusion
TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.
USDS Reasonable Accommodation
USDS is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at https://tinyurl.com/USDS-RA
Job Information
【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Annually)
The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $98,800 - $196,000 annually. Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.
Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Employees have day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) savings plan with company match, paid parental leave, short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, among others. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure).
The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.
For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
- Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
- Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
- Exercising sound judgment.
See all 276+ OPT Cybersecurity Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Cybersecurity Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Cybersecurity
Confirm your role qualifies for STEM OPT
Degrees in computer science, information security, or electrical engineering typically support the STEM OPT extension. Confirm your CIP code with your DSO before applying, so you can accurately represent your authorization timeline to employers during interviews.
Target employers with active security clearance programs
Federal contractors and agencies regularly hire cybersecurity professionals on OPT. Roles at defense contractors often lead to H-1B visa sponsorship because the work requires U.S.-based talent and employers are motivated to retain cleared staff long-term.
Get relevant certifications before you start applying
CompTIA Security+, CEH, and CISSP signal job-readiness to hiring managers who receive hundreds of applications. Certifications also strengthen your case for specialty occupation classification when your employer eventually files for H-1B sponsorship.
Apply to employers with demonstrated H-1B filing history
Employers who have sponsored cybersecurity roles in the past are far more likely to do it again. Prioritizing these companies early reduces the risk of being on OPT with a non-sponsoring employer when your authorization window closes.
Be transparent about your OPT timeline upfront
Tell recruiters your OPT start date, expiration date, and whether you qualify for the STEM extension. Employers unfamiliar with OPT often assume the process is complicated, so clarity reduces friction and builds trust early in the hiring process.
Specialize to stand out in a competitive field
Cloud security, penetration testing, and incident response are high-demand niches with fewer qualified candidates. Specializing makes you easier to justify to hiring managers and harder to replace, which directly improves your odds of receiving H-1B sponsorship.
Cybersecurity OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Do cybersecurity jobs qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Most cybersecurity roles do qualify, but it depends on your degree's CIP code, not just the job title. Degrees in computer science, information assurance, cybersecurity, or electrical engineering are typically STEM-eligible. Confirm your specific CIP code with your Designated School Official before assuming eligibility. Your employer must also be enrolled in E-Verify to participate in the STEM OPT extension program.
Can I work in cybersecurity for a federal agency on OPT?
Directly employed federal positions are generally restricted to U.S. citizens, but federal contractors are a different story. Companies like Booz Allen Hamilton, Leidos, and Perspecta regularly hire cybersecurity professionals on OPT for contract work supporting government agencies. These roles often come with sponsorship pathways because cleared talent is difficult to recruit and employers are strongly motivated to retain staff.
How do I find cybersecurity employers who sponsor OPT and H-1B?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for this. You can browse cybersecurity job listings filtered by employers with a verified history of sponsoring international candidates, so you're not guessing about sponsorship willingness. Targeting employers with prior H-1B filings in security roles is the most reliable way to protect your long-term work authorization.
Does a security clearance affect my OPT or future visa options?
OPT itself doesn't disqualify you from pursuing a security clearance, but obtaining one as a foreign national is difficult and often not possible for certain clearance levels. However, working in cleared environments as a contractor on OPT is common. Employers who invest in your clearance process are also highly motivated to sponsor your H-1B, since losing a cleared employee is costly.
What if my cybersecurity job offer comes while I'm still waiting for my EAD card?
You cannot begin working until your Employment Authorization Document is in hand, even if your OPT start date has passed. Communicate your expected EAD arrival date to your employer as soon as you have a USCIS receipt notice. Most employers in cybersecurity are familiar with this process and will accommodate a short delay, particularly for specialized roles that are hard to fill quickly.