Chief Engineer

Booz Allen Hamilton•McLean, VA

7d•$142,900 - $266,000

About The Position

The Chief Engineer serves as the senior technical authority and platform modernization lead for a large-scale, mission-critical defensive security engineering program. The role owns the end-to-end technical vision, enforces architectural discipline across integrated security platforms, and drives improvements in zero trust posture, operational resilience, and compliance. The position oversees more than 20 projects for designing, procuring, testing, implementing, deploying, and sustaining next-generation cyber tools across complex network fabrics with varying security classifications. The Chief Engineer orchestrates cross-functional teams organized around DoW-approved Zero Trust capabilities, including Identity, Device, Network/Environment, Application/Workload, and Data, and integrates advanced cybersecurity architecture with Agile IT Service Management. The role leads technical governance and architecture, security-tool delivery and sustainment, vendor and procurement strategy, testing and validation, and the operationalization of tools through Agile ITSM. It partners with the Program Manager, delivery leads, acquisition teams, government representatives, and other stakeholders to align technical scope with contract structure and customer requirements. The Chief Engineer also leads and develops senior engineers and architects, represents the program in executive and customer engagements, and promotes engineering rigor, documentation discipline, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

10 or more years of experience in cybersecurity engineering or architecture.
5 or more years of experience serving as a Chief Engineer, Principal Architect, or senior technical leader on a large-scale enterprise program.
Experience delivering enterprise security solutions in highly regulated federal environments, including DoW, IC, or civilian agencies.
Experience delivering in at least three of these domains: network security architecture, SIEM/SOAR, EDR/XDR, cloud security such as AWS or Azure GovCloud, virtualization security such as VMware, or zero trust network access (ZTNA).
Knowledge of federal contract structures such as T&M, FFP, or CPFF and their technical implications for scope, risk, and architectural decisions.
Active TS/SCI clearance and willingness to take a polygraph exam.
Associate’s degree and 10 or more years of experience supporting IT projects and activities; or Bachelor’s degree and 8 or more years; or Master’s degree and 6 or more years.
Ability to obtain a DoD 8570 CSSP-IS certification, such as CEH, CySA+, GICSP, SSCP, CHFI, CFR, Cloud+, or CND, within 30 days of the start date.
Ability to obtain a DoD 8570/8140 IAT Level III certification, such as SecX, CCNP, CISA, CISSP, GCED, GCIH, or CCSP, within 45 days of the start date.

Nice To Haves

Experience with enterprise SOC architecture, SIEM content engineering, and detection engineering programs.
Experience supporting program capture, contributing to technical volumes, preparing for orals, or developing architecture demos for competitive pursuits.
Experience with security architecture frameworks such as SABSA, TOGAF, or equivalent, and their application to defense or IC programs.
Knowledge of network security design, including segmentation, NAC, secure DNS, and evolution of perimeter-to-interior trust models.
Knowledge of CMMC, ICD 503, STIGs, and applicable IA policy frameworks.
Knowledge of AI/ML applications in cyber operations and their implications for platform architecture and data pipeline design.
Cloud security certifications such as AWS Security Specialty or Azure Security Engineer.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary technical authority for more than 20 interconnected cyber engineering projects.
Define the technical roadmap, engineering standards, and system architecture across multiple isolated and interconnected network fabrics.
Lead the design, procurement, testing, implementation, deployment, and sustainment of next-generation cyber tools.
Manage engineering teams organized around Zero Trust pillars to deliver a cohesive security posture.
Operationalize cyber tools using Agile ITSM frameworks and align engineering workflows with continuous service improvement, incident, change, and release management.
Partner with acquisition teams to evaluate, select, and procure hardware and software, ensuring security and interoperability compliance.
Lead staging, testing, vulnerability assessment, and interoperability validation before production deployment.
Establish practices for maintenance, patching, upgrades, and optimization of deployed cyber tools.
Partner with the Program Manager and delivery leads to align technical scope with contract structure, including T&M level-of-effort implications, FFP deliverable risk, and scope-change documentation.
Ensure technical work products meet quality standards and are traceable to customer requirements, contract deliverables, and applicable control frameworks.
Lead or contribute to technical baseline reviews, CDRLs, and architecture working groups with government and other stakeholders.
Ensure technical solutions meet ATO requirements from design through delivery.
Lead, mentor, and develop senior engineers and architects; translate complex technical challenges into clear direction and resolve ambiguity that slows execution.
Represent the program’s technical capability in executive briefings, customer engagements, and competitive positioning activities.
Champion engineering rigor, documentation discipline, and continuous improvement across the program.