Senior Architect – Zero Trust

Job Title: Senior Architect – Zero Trust

Location: Reston, VA (Hybrid – 3x/week)

Salary: DOE full benefits

Clearance: Public Trust

Job Overview

We are seeking an experienced and visionary Senior Architect specialized in Zero Trust technology to lead and architect innovative solutions for federal government initiatives. As a pivotal member of our team, you will be instrumental in designing and implementing Zero Trust frameworks to fortify the cybersecurity posture of government systems.

Job Responsibilities       

• Develop and implement cutting-edge Zero Trust architectural designs and strategies tailored to the unique needs and complexities of federal government environments.
• Lead the design and development of Zero Trust models encompassing identity and access management, network segmentation, encryption, and secure access controls across government systems. Produce as-is/future-state diagrams and technical documentation.
• Provide expert guidance and mentorship to cross-functional teams, collaborating with engineers, security analysts, and stakeholders to ensure seamless adoption and implementation of Zero Trust principles.
• Ensure Zero Trust architectures comply with federal cybersecurity standards, regulations, and frameworks, including NIST, FISMA, and other relevant mandates.
• Conduct comprehensive risk assessments, identify vulnerabilities, and devise proactive strategies to mitigate security risks within government networks and systems.
• Stay abreast of emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices in Zero Trust security, incorporating innovative solutions to enhance the government's security posture.
• Prepare detailed technical documentation, architecture diagrams, and presentations to effectively communicate complex Zero Trust concepts to stakeholders and decision-makers.

Required Skills/Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of hands-on experience as a Senior Architect, focusing on Zero Trust technology, particularly within federal government environments.
• Extensive expertise in designing and implementing Zero Trust architectures, access controls, identity management, encryption, and network segmentation in large-scale government systems.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive reference architectures outlining Zero Trust principles, components, and interactions within federal government systems.
• Design robust network architectures integrating Zero Trust principles, including secure zones, micro-segmentation, and software-defined perimeters to enforce granular access controls.
• Architect centralized and resilient identity and access management systems, leveraging federated identity, strong authentication, and adaptive access controls across government networks.
• Design end-to-end data protection solutions encompassing encryption, tokenization, data masking, and data loss prevention (DLP) strategies tailored to government data sensitivity and compliance requirements.
• Develop secure cloud architectures aligned with Zero Trust principles, emphasizing secure access, data protection, and continuous monitoring within government cloud deployments.
• Architect endpoint security solutions integrating device identity verification, zero-trust device posture assessments, and secure configurations across a diverse range of government endpoints.
• Design and implement PEPs for enforcing access controls, authentication, and authorization policies at critical junctures within government systems.
• Architect scalable and resilient security analytics infrastructures incorporating SIEM solutions, machine learning algorithms, and threat intelligence platforms to enable proactive threat detection and response.
• In-depth knowledge of federal cybersecurity regulations, policies, and frameworks, with a strong understanding of NIST, FISMA, and other applicable standards.
• Proficiency in network security, cloud security, encryption methodologies, and emerging technologies relevant to Zero Trust implementations.
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams, influence stakeholders, and drive consensus on architectural decisions.
• Relevant certifications in cybersecurity (e.g., CISSP, CISM) and architecture (e.g., TOGAF, CISSP-ISSAP) are highly desirable.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, mathematics, physics, or related discipline
• Employer will accept years of experience in lieu of a degree.