Qualys System Administrator

Ashburn Consulting•Rockville, MD

About The Position

The Qualys System Administrator is responsible for the administration, configuration, and operational management of the Qualys Cloud Platform to support the organization’s enterprise vulnerability management, compliance, and risk management programs. This role partners closely with Information Security, GRC, Infrastructure, and Application teams to ensure accurate asset discovery, vulnerability identification, risk prioritization, and remediation tracking in alignment with Client policies.

Requirements

Hands-on experience administering the Qualys Cloud Platform (VMDR required).
Strong understanding of vulnerability management concepts, CVEs, CVSS scoring, and remediation workflows.
Experience managing large-scale scanning environments (enterprise networks, cloud, endpoints).
Working knowledge of Windows, Linux, networking, and cloud platforms (AWS/Azure).
Experience with asset inventory, tagging, and data normalization.
Scripting or automation experience (Python, PowerShell, REST APIs).
Experience integrating Qualys with ServiceNow (ITSM or GRC).
Familiarity with NIST SP 800-53, NIST RMF, HIPAA Security Rule, or equivalent frameworks.
Ability to translate technical vulnerabilities into business and compliance risk.
Experience supporting audits, assessments, or risk exception processes.

Nice To Haves

Qualys certifications (VMDR, Policy Compliance, Asset Management)
Security certifications such as Security+, CEH, CISSP, or CISA

Responsibilities

Administer and maintain the Qualys Cloud Platform, including (as applicable): o Vulnerability Management (VMDR) o Asset Inventory / Global AssetView.
Configure and manage scanners (internal, passive, and cloud-based).
Maintain asset tagging strategies aligned with environments (Prod/Non-Prod), system owners, data classifications, and compliance scopes.
Manage user roles, permissions, and access controls within Qualys.
Execute scheduled and ad-hoc vulnerability scans across on-prem, cloud, and endpoint environments.
Validate scan results, reduce false positives, and ensure data accuracy.
Perform vulnerability triage and risk-based prioritization using CVSS, exploitability, threat intelligence, and business context.
Support remediation efforts by working with infrastructure, application, and cloud teams to validate fixes and re-scan assets.
Map Qualys findings to regulatory and control frameworks (e.g., NIST SP 800-53, HIPAA Security Rule, ISO 27001).
Provide vulnerability and exposure data to support: o Risk register entries o Policy exception requests o Audit and assessment activities
Generate compliance and executive-level reports for security leadership and governance committees.
Develop and maintain custom dashboards, reports, and scorecards for operational, management, and executive audiences.
Leverage Qualys APIs to automate data extraction, integrations, and reporting (e.g., ServiceNow GRC, ticketing, SIEM)
Support continuous monitoring initiatives by improving scan coverage, frequency, and data quality.
Maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) and technical documentation for vulnerability management processes.
Participate in incident response, risk review boards, and security working groups as a subject matter expert.
Support internal and external audits by providing evidence, scan results, and remediation validation.