What are the responsibilities and job description for the Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) Program Intern (Unpaid Intern) position at County of Orange?
OCIT
The County of Orange (CoO) Information Technology (OCIT) Privacy and Cybersecurity division provides cybersecurity, privacy, IT disaster recovery, and business continuity services to facilitate preparedness, prevention, detection, response, and recovery for risks/threats that may disrupt County business operations and the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data. Our mission is to reduce the likelihood and impacts of a broad spectrum of threats through the integration of best practices regarding cybersecurity, business resiliency/recovery, privacy frameworks/controls, and technologies.
Training, cutting-edge technology, and continual improvement are the foundation of a secure and resilient posture, and our people are the first line of defense towards mitigating risks that may negatively impact the County. We strive to ensure all County departments and business partners can continue secure and consistent operations through effective training, planning, documentation, policies, procedures, and testing.
The Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) program is a subset of the OCIT Cybersecurity and Privacy division. This program focuses on industry best practices (NIST 800-34, NIST 800-53, DRII, FFIEC, ISO 22301) to establish a standard framework for County departments to plan, implement, execute, monitor, review, maintain, test, and continually improve BCDR plans to protect against, reduce the likelihood of, and ensure recovery from disruptive events. Key phases of the program include:
- Championing the latest trends regarding resiliency and recovery solutions
- Resilient IT Technologies
- Project Management
- Risk Evaluations, Recommendations, and Controls
- Business Impact Analysis (Function Identification, Criticality Rating, Recovery Time Objectives (RTO), Recovery Point Objectives (RPO), Interdependencies, etc.)
- Customized Plan Development (Roles and Responsibilities, Identification, Prevention and Preparation, Resiliency/Redundancy Strategies (Operational and IT), Notification, Escalation, Emergency Response, Crisis Management, Crisis Communications, Damage/Impact Assessments, Plan Activation, Response and Recovery Planning, Execution, Resuming Normal Operations, After Action Reporting, etc.)
- Disaster/Incident Response and Recovery Policies and Procedures
- Training
- Testing (Functional and Tabletop)
- Primary and Alternate (DR) Data Center Support and Failover Testing
- Plan Maintenance/Updates
The Opportunity
Intern duties and responsibilities will focus on the development and maintenance of County department BCDR plans. This role will primarily focus on assisting the County Service Continuity Manager managing multiple programs and plans, including:
- Updating/editing existing BCDR plans, policies, and procedures to keep pace with organizational and technology changes
- Researching into viable BCDR platforms to automate project deliverables and updates
- Tracking status and supporting management regarding numerous simultaneous BCDR projects and efforts
- Professional communications and capabilities with customers regarding scheduling, training, interviews, meetings, documentation, and deliverables
- The ability to identify an organization’s operational and technical details (research and interviews) and clearly document them (including policies, procedures, systems, architecture, and applications)
- Excellent presentation, written, and verbal communication skills are required
Qualifications
Applicants must be currently enrolled in an accredited college, university, undergraduate program and have an emphasis in emergency management, business continuity/disaster recovery, technical writing, or a related field and a GPA of at least 3.0; or be a recent (within 6 months) graduate who has completed their undergraduate degree in one of the above fields of study and a GPA of at least 3.0.
Skills, Training & Qualifications:
This role requires a strong commitment to accuracy, willingness to learn the intricacies of BCDR project management and development, and a high level of writing proficiency. This individual must be competent with MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and be able to break down complex ideas and information into understandable summaries. A strong command of the English language (spelling/grammar/syntax) is essential. Must be a self-starter and able to manage time and deadlines effectively. This is a demanding position that will require excellent organizational skills, technical familiarity, effective writing capabilities, and the ability to manage multiple efforts simultaneously.
Applicants should understand that the BCDR plans are highly detailed, customized to each department, and require constant tracking and updates. This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, Incident Response, Crisis/Emergency Management, best practices frameworks, and technical writing.
Training & Supervision that will be Provided by the Agency/Department & Division
During the intern’s tenure, training will be provided for all aspects of BCDR program/plan development (project planning, implementation, documentation, testing, and maintenance). This will include familiarity with international BCDR best practices, Risk Assessments, Business Impact Analysis (BIA), technology, and resiliency narrative development (which will provide insights into the latest and greatest technologies), presenting (training the customer’s team), and technical writing. The County Service Continuity Manager will work closely with the intern and provide training and mentoring.
Time Commitment
This internship is offered as part time (10 to 20 hours a week) and may include remote work depending on the needs/wishes of the intern and the manager. In-office time is required for at least 8 hours a week for weekly briefing/debriefing and maintaining expectations (can be split between 2 days).
Benefits Available to the Intern
Although this is an unpaid internship that does not lead to paid employment or include employee benefits, students and recent graduates are offered an excellent opportunity to:
- Build resumes/work history and explore career options
- Apply skills and knowledge acquired in an academic setting to the professional workplace
- Obtain valuable experience and knowledge working within the OCIT Privacy and Cybersecurity division
- Intern with one of the premier employers in the region
- Fulfill college/university internship requirements
- Network with professionals in their field of interest
- Enhance technical and professional writing skills
- Interface with a diverse group of subject matter experts, managers, directors, and executives
- Work with a great team of BCDR, Compliance, Risk, Cybersecurity, IT, and Privacy professionals
- Begin the journey towards understanding core BCDR best practices frameworks
Applicants must attach a cover letter, resume, and unofficial transcripts to their application. Please include your current GPA, career and academic goals, personal and academic accomplishments, and what you hope to gain from the internship experience in the cover letter. Writing samples (reports, papers, thesis, etc.) are appreciated.
Required Background Screening
Prior to placement, applicants may be asked to submit contact information for reference checks, and a background screening will be conducted that requires a state-issued driver's license or ID card and a U.S. Social Security number and Live Scan report.
Please see below for important information regarding COVID-19 related requirements.
Effective April 3, 2023, it is strongly recommended that County employees working in health care settings and correctional facilities follow vaccination and booster guidelines provided by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Please click here to see the latest guidance for more details.
EMAIL NOTIFICATION:
Email is the primary form of notification during the recruitment process. Please ensure your correct email address is included in our application and use only one email account.
NOTE: User accounts are established for one person only and should not be shared with another person. Multiple applications with multiple users may jeopardize your status in the recruitment process for any positions for which you apply.
Candidates will be notified regarding their status as the recruitment proceeds via email through the GovernmentJobs.com site. Please check your email folders, including spam/junk folders, and/or accept emails ending with "governmentjobs.com" and "ocgov.com." If your email address should change, please update your profile at www.governmentjobs.com.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
For additional internship postings, please check our Web site at the following link: https://hrs.ocgov.com/careers/volunteer-intern/internships/internship-opportunities
Click here for additional Frequently Asked Questions.
encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.
