Principal Cyber Security Engineer and Architect

Verizon • Ashburn, VA

2d • $132,500 - $231,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Verizon’s Corporate Security team is seeking an experienced, self-motivated System Architecture Engineer to join the National Security Program Office (NSPO). The role assesses, defines, and establishes cybersecurity guidelines, guardrails, and technical standards for sensitive and mission-critical programs. As a core NSPO member, the engineer connects organizational security requirements with technical execution and leads hands-on implementation and enforcement across critical enterprise infrastructures. Program environments must conform to guidance published by CISA, CIS, NIST, and SANS.

This worksite-based role is performed onsite at a defined location in Ashburn, Virginia. The position is scheduled for 40 hours per week and requires the ability to have or obtain a Top Secret Security Clearance.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or four or more years of work experience.
• Six or more years of relevant experience in system security engineering or network security architecture, demonstrated through work and/or military experience or specialized training.
• At least one advanced architecture or security certification, such as CISSP, CISSP-ISSAP, CCSP, CISM, CCNP Security, or PCNSE.
• Must be able to have or obtain Top Secret Security Clearance.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Windows Server operating environments and UNIX/Linux systems engineering across a variety of variants.
• Expertise in TCP/IP networking, 4G/5G call flows (SBI, Diameter, SIP), and virtualization technologies such as OpenStack and OpenShift/Kubernetes.
• Foundational knowledge of incident response lifecycles based on NIST or SANS, with experience designing, testing, and maintaining SOAR automation playbooks.
• Hands-on experience translating cybersecurity frameworks and guidance—including NIST 800-53, NIST 800-171, NIST CSF, CIS Benchmarks, CISA directives, and SANS baselines—into enforceable engineering controls and technical guardrails.
• Experience assessing security against baseline standards, identifying architectural gaps, drift, or vulnerabilities, and driving remediation plans.
• Hands-on experience with virtualization, containerization, and cloud infrastructure security, including Kubernetes, OpenShift, OpenStack, or AWS/Azure government environments.
• Expertise in cryptographic controls and data-in-transit and data-at-rest encryption standards, such as IPsec, TLS 1.3, MACsec, and PKI.
• Advanced architecture and security certifications such as CISSP, CISSP-ISSAP, CCSP, CISM, CCNP Security, or PCNSE.
• Understanding of Identity and Access Management (IAM), least-privilege access frameworks, and Network Access Control (NAC) integration.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail, with a proven track record of managing and delivering results.
• Ability to work independently while keeping project teams informed about strategic technical challenges.
• Experience working within or supporting sensitive or restricted program environments.

Responsibilities

• Assess program requirements and create technical security guidelines, policy baselines, and architectural guardrails for sensitive and mission-critical environments using CISA, CIS Benchmarks, NIST, and SANS guidance.
• Translate security guidelines into engineering controls and lead implementation of hardened network architectures, microsegmentation, zero-trust patterns, and secure configurations across classified infrastructures.
• Assess program systems against CISA, CIS, and NIST baselines to identify architectural gaps, configuration drift, and vulnerabilities, and drive remediation to enforce compliance.
• Partner with Corporate Security, Cybersecurity teams, the Network and Security Operations Center (NSOC), infrastructure groups, and program leadership to align guardrails with enterprise security strategy.
• Report on compliance posture, mitigate architectural risks, and embed mandatory controls into build patterns, deployment pipelines, and operational workflows.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• Basic and supplemental life insurance
• AD&D insurance
• Identity theft protection
• Pet insurance
• Group home and auto insurance
• Matched 401(k) savings plan
• Up to 8 company-paid holidays per year
• Up to 6 personal days per year
• Paid parental leave
• Adoption assistance
• Tuition assistance
• Incentives and potential premium pay, including overtime, shift differential, holiday pay, or allowances depending on the role
• Up to 15 vacation days per year for newly hired employees, increasing with additional service

What This Job Offers

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