Cybersecurity Specialist #1768467

Network Designs Inc.•Washington, DC

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a Cybersecurity Specialist with expertise in Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) to support VA cybersecurity initiatives under T4NG2. This role focuses on securing enterprise systems, ensuring compliance, and implementing modern cybersecurity frameworks. This position plays a critical role in protecting sensitive Veteran data and supporting federal cybersecurity mandates. The ideal candidate will support continuous monitoring, ATO acceleration (cATO), and integration of security controls into DevSecOps pipelines to protect sensitive Veteran data while enabling secure system modernization.

Requirements

U.S. Citizenship is required
Must be able to obtain a Public Trust clearance.
Bachelor degree in Computer Science or related
Minimum of ten (10) years of relevant experience
Experience with cybersecurity frameworks (NIST, FISMA, FedRAMP)
Experience with SIEM and monitoring tools (Splunk, Datadog, ELK)
Experience with vulnerability management, risk assessment, and threat modeling
Familiarity with cloud security in AWS (GovCloud preferred)
Understanding of DevSecOps and security integration into CI/CD pipelines
Knowledge of container and Kubernetes security fundamentals
Understanding of Zero Trust principles

Nice To Haves

Certifications, such as CISSP, CISM, Security+, CEH, or Zero Trust are preferred
Experience supporting VA, DoD Platform One, or similar federal DevSecOps environments
Familiarity with VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC), BIP, or Platform One architectures
Experience implementing Zero Trust in cloud-native or Kubernetes environments
Knowledge of TIC 3.0 and federal Zero Trust maturity model
Experience with continuous ATO (cATO) or ATO acceleration practices
Familiarity with API security and VA Lighthouse ecosystem
Experience with policy-as-code or automated compliance tools (e.g., OPA, Conftest)

Responsibilities

Design and implement Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) aligned with NIST SP 800-207 and federal ZTA strategy
Implement controls across ZTA pillars: identity, device, network, application, and data
Support microsegmentation, least privilege access, and continuous verification models
Integrate security controls into CI/CD pipelines and cloud-native environments (AWS GovCloud, Kubernetes)
Collaborate with DevSecOps and platform teams to embed security as code practices
Evaluate and secure containerized workloads and APIs (e.g., VA Lighthouse APIs)
Support Authority to Operate (ATO) and continuous ATO (cATO) processes
Map and implement controls aligned with NIST 800-53, FISMA, FedRAMP High
Automate compliance validation and evidence collection (e.g., audit logs, scan results)
Monitor and analyze security events using SIEM platforms (e.g., Splunk, Datadog)
Support incident detection, response, and remediation activities
Conduct vulnerability scanning, risk assessments, and threat modeling
Implement and manage identity and access management (IAM/ICAM) solutions
Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA), privileged access controls, and least privilege policies
Support data protection strategies (encryption, DLP, data classification)
Collaborate with engineering, platform, and compliance teams to ensure secure architectures
Develop and maintain security documentation, policies, and system security plans (SSPs)