Information Systems Security Engineer (ISSE)

Position Summary

The Information Systems Security Engineer (ISSE) Lead serves as the senior technical authority for information systems security engineering across a complex enterprise supporting Headquarters and multiple Field Intelligence Elements (FIEs). The ISSE Lead is responsible for leading the design, implementation, integration, and sustainment of secure enterprise architectures that meet applicable cybersecurity requirements.

The ISSE Lead partners with system owners, network engineers, enterprise architects, cybersecurity professionals, and government stakeholders to ensure security is integrated throughout the system development lifecycle while supporting Risk Management Framework (RMF) authorization activities, enterprise hardening initiatives, and continuous monitoring efforts.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of secure enterprise security architectures.
• Develop and enforce enterprise security architecture standards that establish trusted relationships between internal, external, and cross-domain systems while ensuring compliance with applicable security policies.
• Design and implement secure multi-organizational architectures supporting complex mission systems and interconnected enterprise environments.
• Lead enterprise Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG) compliance efforts across an enterprise environment.
• Develop enterprise hardening baselines, security configuration standards, and implementation guidance for operating systems, applications, databases, network devices, and cloud technologies.
• Conduct or oversee technical security assessments, architecture reviews, vulnerability analyses, and security engineering evaluations to identify security risks and recommend appropriate mitigations.
• Perform security engineering reviews throughout the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) to ensure security requirements are incorporated from design through deployment.
• Support Assessment and Authorization (A&A) activities under the Risk Management Framework (RMF), including security control implementation, assessment support, Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) management, and authorization package development.
• Review Assessment and Authorization documentation, System Security Plans (SSPs), Security Assessment Reports (SARs), Security Control Traceability Matrices (SCTMs), and related artifacts for technical accuracy and compliance.
• Collaborate with enterprise architects, network engineers, systems administrators, software developers, and cybersecurity teams to ensure security requirements are integrated into infrastructure modernization initiatives.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend secure implementation strategies that align with enterprise architecture objectives.
• Support continuous monitoring, vulnerability management, configuration management, and enterprise compliance initiatives.
• Develop security engineering documentation, technical standards, implementation procedures, and architecture diagrams supporting enterprise cybersecurity operations.
• Mentor junior ISSEs and cybersecurity engineers while providing technical leadership across multiple project teams.
• Interface directly with Government Information System Security Managers (ISSMs), Information System Security Officers (ISSOs), Authorizing Officials (AOs), Security Control Assessors (SCAs), and other Government stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• Minimum 12 years of experience in cybersecurity, information assurance, systems security engineering, or enterprise security architecture.  Minimum of 10 years with MS/MA.
• Demonstrated experience designing secure enterprise architectures supporting geographically dispersed organizations.
• Experience implementing enterprise Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) across large-scale Windows, Linux, and network infrastructure environments.
• Experience conducting architecture security assessments, vulnerability analysis, and security engineering reviews.
• Strong understanding of Zero Trust Architecture principles and secure enterprise design.
• Experience supporting enterprise vulnerability management and continuous monitoring programs.
• Ability to interpret and implement ODNI, CNSS, NIST, DoW, and agency-specific cybersecurity requirements.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with demonstrated experience briefing technical and executive leadership.
• Ability to obtain a Public Trust and US Citizen. 

Desired Qualifications

• Experience securing hybrid cloud, virtualized, and containerized environments.
• Experience with Microsoft Active Directory, Azure Government, VMware, enterprise networking, and identity management technologies.
• Experience with SIEM, vulnerability management, endpoint detection and response (EDR), and security orchestration technologies.