Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Specialist

Location: Houston, TX (Hybrid: 3 days onsite, 2 remote) OR Chicago, IL (Remote)
Duration: 6-Month Contract (Strong Extension/Conversion Potential)
Start Date: Approximately 3 Weeks from Offer

Overview

We are seeking a Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Specialist to join a growing Information Security team supporting a large-scale critical infrastructure environment. This individual will play a key role in strengthening governance, risk management, compliance, and cybersecurity processes across corporate IT, cloud platforms, and operational technology (OT) environments.

This is a unique opportunity to help build and mature a cybersecurity governance program from the ground up while partnering closely with security, engineering, infrastructure, legal, procurement, and business stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Support and maintain the organization’s governance, risk, and compliance program across IT, cloud, and OT environments.
• Develop, review, and maintain security policies, standards, procedures, and control documentation.
• Coordinate audit evidence collection for internal audits, external audits, compliance reviews, and customer assessments.
• Track audit findings, remediation plans, control deficiencies, policy exceptions, and risk acceptance activities.
• Perform control testing and compliance validation to ensure security controls are operating effectively.
• Assist with risk assessments, gap assessments, compliance readiness activities, and control maturity reviews.
• Support vendor and third-party risk management activities, including security questionnaires and risk reviews.
• Collaborate with IT, Security Operations, Infrastructure, Engineering, Legal, Procurement, Compliance, and Operations teams.
• Map security controls to frameworks including NIST, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and CIS Controls.
• Maintain risk registers, compliance calendars, control inventories, and audit repositories.
• Prepare compliance reports, dashboards, scorecards, and presentations for leadership.
• Monitor remediation efforts and work with control owners to ensure timely issue resolution.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives across the information security governance program.
• Stay informed on cybersecurity regulations, compliance trends, and industry best practices.

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC), cybersecurity compliance, IT audit, information security, or related disciplines.
• Strong knowledge of:
  • NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF)
  • NIST 800-53
  • NIST 800-171
  • ISO 27001
  • SOC 2
  • CIS Controls
• Experience supporting audits, evidence collection, control testing, remediation tracking, and compliance reporting.
• Ability to develop and maintain security policies, standards, procedures, and control documentation.
• Experience conducting risk assessments, gap assessments, and control reviews.
• Familiarity with third-party and vendor risk management processes.
• Strong documentation and communication skills with the ability to translate technical concepts into business-friendly language.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams across technology and business organizations.
• Knowledge of enterprise security controls including identity and access management, vulnerability management, incident response, and change management.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience within energy, utilities, renewable energy, power generation, critical infrastructure, or industrial environments.
• Knowledge of NERC CIP, FERC, or similar industry regulations.
• Exposure to OT/SCADA environments, substations, generation assets, EMS, DERMS, or industrial control systems.
• Certifications such as:
  • CISA
  • CISSP
  • CISM
  • CRISC
  • Security+
  • ISO 27001 Lead Auditor/Implementer
• Experience with GRC platforms such as:
  • ServiceNow GRC
  • Archer
  • OneTrust
  • AuditBoard
  • LogicGate
  • Drata
  • Vanta
• Experience supporting SOC 2, ISO 27001, SOX ITGC, PCI, or customer security reviews.
• Experience creating executive dashboards, compliance scorecards, risk registers, and audit reporting.

Why Join?

• Opportunity to help build and define a new GRC function.
• High visibility within a growing Information Security organization.
• Exposure to both traditional enterprise IT and operational technology environments.
• Opportunity to contribute to the modernization of cybersecurity, risk, and compliance practices within a critical infrastructure environment.
• Strong potential for long-term conversion and career growth.