Cyber Security Engineer

Technovative Applications

📍 Location: Brea, California | Fully Onsite | No Remote Work

🔒 U.S. Citizenship Required | Must Be Able to Obtain DoD Secret Clearance

About Us

Technovative Applications is a Southern California-based defense electronics company specializing in advanced radar and electronic systems for the U.S. Department of Defense. We're a small, high-performing team where your work has real impact — you won't be a cog in a large bureaucracy. You'll work directly alongside engineers, program managers, and leadership on systems that matter. We move fast, value technical depth, and take pride in doing things right. If you're looking for a place where you can own your domain and grow with a company on the rise, we'd love to talk.

Senior Cybersecurity / IT Systems Engineer

💰 Salary Range: $85,000 – $130,000 annually, depending on experience and certifications

What You’ll Do

You’ll be responsible for building and maintaining secure IT infrastructure for a growing defense electronics company. You’ll handle day-to-day server and network administration, keep systems running reliably, and help the company meet DoD security requirements. This is a hands-on role — you’ll be the primary person who owns our IT environment end to end.

Experience

• 3 years of hands-on IT/systems engineering experience in a small or mid-size company environment
• Comfortable wearing multiple hats — from helpdesk escalations to infrastructure architecture

Main Responsibilities

Windows & Linux Administration

• Harden and administer Windows Server (2016–2022) and RHEL (7/8/9)
• Manage Active Directory, Group Policy, and privileged access controls
• Handle patching, audit logging, and secure authentication across both platforms

Networking

• Design, configure, and maintain secure network infrastructure including routers, managed switches, and firewalls (Cisco, Palo Alto, or equivalent)
• Implement and manage VLANs, ACLs, and network segmentation
• Configure and maintain VPNs, IPsec tunnels, and secure remote access solutions
• Monitor network traffic using IDS/IPS and SIEM tools; investigate and respond to anomalies
• Manage DNS, DHCP, and network authentication services (RADIUS/802.1X)
• Maintain network diagrams, IP address management, and change documentation

Server Maintenance & Infrastructure

• Perform routine and emergency maintenance on physical and virtual servers (VMware / Hyper-V)
• Manage server lifecycle including provisioning, configuration, patching, and decommissioning
• Monitor server health, performance, and capacity
• Administer backup and disaster recovery systems; test and validate recovery procedures regularly
• Manage storage systems including SAN/NAS configuration and maintenance
• Support on-premises infrastructure including UPS, rack systems, and out-of-band management (iDRAC, iLO)
• Maintain hardware and software inventories
• Coordinate with vendors for hardware repairs, firmware updates, and warranty support

Secure Environments

• Design and manage networks that strictly separate classified, CUI, and unclassified data
• Support air-gapped environments and enforce data transfer controls per DoD policy
• Apply DISA STIGs and enforce Zero Trust and least-privilege principles throughout

Certifications (Required or Strongly Preferred)

• CompTIA Security (DoD 8570 baseline — required)
• Microsoft Certified: Windows Server / Azure Administrator (AZ-800 or AZ-104)
• Cisco CCNA or equivalent networking certification
• Active Directory / Microsoft 365 administration experience (certification a plus)
• Linux or RHCSA (Red Hat Certified System Administrator)

Nice to Have

• Familiarity with CMMC Level 2/3 requirements and NIST SP 800-171
• Experience writing or maintaining SSPs and POA&Ms
• Exposure to C3PAO assessments or government accreditation processes
• Experience with data diodes, cross-domain solutions, or SCIF environments
• Active DoD Secret clearance

Clearance Requirement

Must be a U.S. citizen and eligible to obtain a DoD Secret security clearance. An active clearance is a plus but not required to apply.

Benefits

• 401(k) with 8% company match
• Overtime eligible — California overtime rules apply
• Health / dental / vision (add if applicable)
• PTO / holiday schedule (add if applicable)

• ⚠️ This position requires full-time onsite presence in Brea, CA. Remote and hybrid arrangements are not available for this role. Only candidates local to the greater Los Angeles / Orange County area or willing to relocate will be considered.