Assessment Lead

Avint • Washington, DC

1d

About The Position

Avint is seeking a highly motivated Assessment Lead to support a critical government contract. The Assessment Lead is a Security Controls Assessor (SCA) who oversees cybersecurity professionals assessing, testing, and validating the effectiveness of information security controls across organizational systems. The role combines security assessment framework expertise with leadership responsibilities to help ensure IT systems, applications, and infrastructure comply with applicable regulatory requirements, organizational policies, and industry best practices.

The Assessment Lead guides Security Assessment and Authorization (A&A) processes, manages workload distribution, and serves as a primary liaison between the assessment team and system stakeholders. The role also serves as an Avint career manager, supporting the professional advancement of junior team members.

This position leads assessment planning, execution, quality assurance, documentation, and risk-management activities in coordination with the Government and system stakeholders. Assessments are conducted under applicable NIST, FISMA, Department, and Government cybersecurity assessment requirements. The position supports Government risk-based authorization decisions and provides recommendations to improve security posture, assessment consistency, and Risk Management Framework (RMF) execution.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen without dual citizenship; green cards and visas are not accepted.
• Secret clearance required.
• Bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, cybersecurity, or a related field.
• CISSP, CISA, or equivalent or higher-level certification.
• CEH or equivalent or higher penetration testing certification.
• At least eight years of experience conducting security control assessments.
• Strong analytical, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills, with a high level of technical professional skepticism.
• Excellent technical writing skills, including the ability to document complex technical findings clearly and defend assessment results to stakeholders.
• Exceptional interpersonal and diplomatic skills for productive collaboration with system administrators, developers, and management.

Nice To Haves

• TS/SCI clearance preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary contractor lead and subject matter expert for Security Control Assessment activities.
• Provide technical direction and oversight to Security Control Assessors and other contractor personnel supporting assessment activities.
• Ensure assessment procedures are appropriately applied and conclusions are supported by sufficient, appropriate objective evidence.
• Maintain assessment independence and ensure personnel do not assess controls they directly implemented, except when specifically authorized by the Government.
• Support the professional and educational development of junior Avint teammates.
• Plan, coordinate, and oversee Security Control Assessments across assigned information systems and environments.
• Develop and maintain assessment schedules, milestones, resource assignments, and priorities in coordination with the Government.
• Lead assessment entrance meetings, status meetings, technical discussions, findings reviews, and exit briefings.
• Coordinate assessment activities with System Owners, ISSOs, ISSMs, system administrators, security engineers, technical teams, and other Government-designated stakeholders.
• Provide assessment status, metrics, risks, accomplishments, and issues to the COR and other Government-designated personnel as required.
• Lead the development, review, and execution of Security Assessment Plans (SAPs), including scope, control selection, procedures, evidence requirements, testing methodology, and Rules of Engagement, as applicable.
• Review security documentation, policies, procedures, technical configurations, architecture documentation, vulnerability and penetration testing results, prior findings, POA&Ms, and other supporting evidence.
• Evaluate security and privacy control implementation and effectiveness, identifying deficiencies, vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and associated cybersecurity risks.
• Ensure findings document the identified condition, supporting evidence, applicable control or requirement, risk, and assessment determination.
• Support validation and retesting to determine whether identified deficiencies have been remediated.
• Perform quality assurance reviews of assessment work products for technical accuracy, consistency, adequate support, and compliance with Government standards.
• Review and approve contractor-developed assessment documentation before submission to the Government.
• Lead preparation and delivery of Security Assessment Reports (SARs), findings, risk summaries, executive briefings, and other required deliverables.
• Track findings and deliverables through closure and maintain assessment records and evidence in Government-designated repositories and cybersecurity tools.
• Ensure assessments follow applicable NIST SP 800-37, NIST SP 800-53, NIST SP 800-53A, FISMA, Department policies, and Government-established assessment procedures.
• Monitor assessment progress and proactively identify schedule risks, evidence deficiencies, technical issues, and other potential impediments.
• Support Government evaluation of residual risk by providing technical assessment information for authorization and risk-based decisions by the AO and other designated officials.
• Identify recurring control deficiencies, systemic weaknesses, and assessment trends, and recommend improvements to security posture, assessment consistency, and RMF execution.
• Handle assessment activities and sensitive security information in accordance with applicable Federal and Department security, privacy, records management, and information-handling requirements.

Benefits

• Competitive salaries.
• Full health insurance.
• Generous time off.
• Observation of federal holidays.
• Reimbursement for courses, exams, and tuition.
• Support and investment in professional development, including classes, conferences, programs, and degrees.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior