Canadian Solar

Cybersecurity Lead

Canadian Solar$100K — $145K *
Energy & Utilities
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's or Master's in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, or IT.
  • 7+ years in cybersecurity for industrial control systems or energy systems.
  • Deep understanding of IEC 62443 and NERC CIP cybersecurity standards.
  • Experience with utility-scale energy systems like EMS and SCADA.
  • Hands-on with industrial communication protocols such as Modbus TCP/IP and DNP3.
  • Proficiency in scripting (e.g., Python) and familiarity with various programming languages.
  • Strong analytical and communication skills for diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

  • Conduct cybersecurity risk assessments for energy management and SCADA systems.
  • Define cybersecurity roadmap aligning security initiatives with business objectives.
  • Establish secure development practices across product lifecycles.
  • Perform threat modeling and vulnerability assessments to mitigate risks.
  • Collaborate with teams to define and implement cybersecurity requirements for products.
  • Act as the cybersecurity expert for internal and external stakeholders.
  • Develop incident response plans and improve security monitoring capabilities.

Benefits

  • Onsite work location fostering collaboration.
  • Opportunity to work on cutting-edge technology in sustainable energy.
  • Dynamic startup-like environment encouraging innovation.
  • Engagement with industry standards and customer partnerships.
  • Involvement in shaping the cybersecurity strategy of a growing company.
Full Job Description

Position Title: Cybersecurity Lead
Department: EQS
Compensation: $100,000 - $145,000 + annual bonus (paid in local currency; range varies by location)
Location: Kitchener, ON (Onsite)


About the Role:

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Cyber SecurityLead to join our team and contribute to the development of on-premises Energy Management System (EMS) for utility grade systems. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in cybersecurity for industrial control systems, a passion for sustainable energy, and the ability to work collaboratively in a dynamic startup-like environment.

As  Cybersecurity Lead for EQ-S, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the security and compliance of our leading-edge EMS platforms, which drives energy solution digitalization, system performance analytics, and grid energy management systems. You will lead the integration of security features into the software lifecycle, perform risk assessments, and ensure compliance with industry standards such as NERC-CIP, IEC 62443, and other regional regulations. Your expertise will be critical in securing the energy management and data analytics software against evolving threats while aligning with industry standards.  

 

The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in cybersecurity for software-based energy management systems, distributed networking, and IoT devices. You will be responsible for analyzing regulatory requirements, programming security features, and ensuring the successful delivery of secure and compliant solutions. 

We are looking for a hands-on cybersecurity engineer who is passionate about securing energy systems, stays current with evolving cyber threats and technologies, challenges conventional approaches, and drives continuous improvement across products, projects, and processes. 


Responsibilities:

Cybersecurity Strategy & Risk Management 

  • Apply Cyber-Informed Engineering (CIE) principles to conduct cybersecurity risk assessments for EQ-EMS, SCADA systems, BESS installations, and related energy infrastructure. 

  • Define and drive the cybersecurity roadmap for EQ-S, aligning security initiatives with business objectives, customer requirements, and industry best practices. 

  • Establish and maintain secure-by-design development practices, ensuring cybersecurity controls are integrated throughout the product lifecycle. 

  • Perform threat modeling, vulnerability assessments, and security reviews to identify and mitigate cybersecurity risks. 

Product & Customer Engagement 

  • Collaborate with Product Management and Engineering teams to define cybersecurity requirements and acceptance criteria for product features and releases. 

  • Act as the primary cybersecurity subject matter expert for customers, EPCs, utilities, consultants, and internal stakeholders. 

  • Support sales, proposal, and project deployment activities by developing compliant cybersecurity solutions for customer requirements. 

  • Review customer specifications and provide technical guidance on cybersecurity architectures and implementation approaches for utility-scale projects. 

Security Architecture & Engineering 

  • Design, develop, and validate cybersecurity solutions and tooling for energy management systems, including:  

  • Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS) 

  • Network monitoring and visibility solutions 

  • Security dashboards and reporting 

  • Vulnerability management and scanning tools 

  • Security automation and continuous monitoring capabilities 

  • Log collection, analysis, and SIEM integrations 

  • Develop cybersecurity requirements, specifications, test plans, and validation procedures for new products and features. 

  • Design and maintain secure reference architectures for utility-scale energy projects, including:  

  • Network segmentation strategies, DMZ architectures 

  • Firewall policy design and management; Secure remote access solutions  

  • Identity and access management; Encryption and key management solutions

  • Secure communications using TLS, MQTT, OPC UA, and related technologies 

Cybersecurity Standards & Industry Requirements 

  • Interpret and implement cybersecurity requirements from standards and frameworks including:  

  • IEC 62443, NERC CIP, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, ISO 27001

  • Utility and regional cybersecurity requirements 

  • Develop cybersecurity design guidelines, security hardening standards, and implementation best practices for product and project teams. 

  • Lead cybersecurity gap assessments and ensure security requirements are incorporated into product and project deliverables. 

  • Collaborate with internal teams to support customer cybersecurity questionnaires, audits, and security reviews. 

Incident Response & Operational Security 

  • Develop and maintain incident response plans, security monitoring processes, and cybersecurity operational procedures. 

  • Support investigation and remediation of cybersecurity vulnerabilities and incidents. 

  • Monitor emerging cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities, and industry trends, ensuring timely updates to products, architectures, and security practices. 

  • Drive continuous improvement of security monitoring, threat detection, and response capabilities across the EQ-S platform. 

Training & Security Culture 

  • Develop cybersecurity awareness programs and technical training materials for engineering, deployment, and operations teams. 

  • Promote cybersecurity best practices across the organization and foster a security-first culture. 

  • Mentor engineers and technical teams on cybersecurity principles, secure development practices, and industry standards.

Required Qualifications and Skills: 

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or a related discipline. 

  • 7+ years of experience in cybersecurity roles supporting industrial control systems (ICS), operational technology (OT), critical infrastructure, or energy systems. 

  • Strong knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks and standards including: IEC 62443 (including 2-1, 3-2, 4-1, and 4-2), NERC CIP, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, ISO 27001

  • Experience working with utility-scale energy systems, including EMS, SCADA, BMS, BESS, PCS/Inverters, Solar PV, and hybrid energy systems. 

  • Strong understanding of OT networking architectures and cybersecurity controls. 

  • Hands-on experience with industrial communication protocols including:  ​Modbus TCP/IP, DNP3, IEC 61850, MQTT, OPC UA  

  • Experience implementing cybersecurity controls such as:  Network segmentation, DMZ architectures, Firewalls, Jump servers and proxy servers, IDS/IPS solutions, Secure remote access technologies 

  • Experience with vulnerability management, penetration testing, threat modeling, encryption technologies, PKI, secure communications, and key management. 

  • Proficiency with scripting and automation using Python and familiarity with TypeScript, JavaScript, Go, Java, C++, or similar languages. 

  • Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and troubleshooting abilities. 

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex cybersecurity concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences. 

  • Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across global, cross-functional teams. 

 

 Preferred Experience:  

  • Experience designing and securing utility-scale EMS, SCADA, and distributed energy resource management systems. 

  • Experience with hybrid on-premises and cloud-based architectures in regulated critical infrastructure environments. 

  • Hands-on experience with cybersecurity monitoring platforms, endpoint security tools, SIEM technologies, and security analytics. 

  • Familiarity with utility interconnection requirements, grid operator cybersecurity requirements, and customer security standards for energy projects. 

  • Cybersecurity certifications such as IC32M, CISSP, GICSP, IEC 62443 Cybersecurity Expert, GRID, CISA, Security+, or equivalent. 

  • Experience leading cybersecurity initiatives, architecture reviews, and cross-functional security programs in complex industrial environments. 

  • Experience supporting third-party cybersecurity assessments, customer security evaluations, and certification initiatives. 

About Canadian Solar

Canadian Solar Inc. is a publicly traded company that manufactures solar PV modules and provides solar energy solutions. It was founded in 2001 in Canada and has since expanded to over 20 countries. Canadian Solar has delivered over 38 GW of solar modules to customers in over 150 countries. In 2018, Canadian Solar was ranked #6 on the list of top solar panel manufacturers by PV Tech. The company is listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
Learn more about Canadian Solar
Size
13,535 employees
Market Cap
$1.9 billion
Industry
Net Income
$299.3 million
Founded
2001
5 Year Trend
+13.1%
Revenue
$3.5 billion
NASDAQ

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