Security Operations Lead

Leidos•Washington, DC

About The Position

At Leidos, innovation is at the heart of everything we do. Powered by a team as diverse as it is talented, we're driven by a shared passion for delivering bold solutions that fuel our customers' success. We empower our teams, contribute to our communities, and operate sustainably. Every action we take is grounded in integrity and a steadfast commitment to doing what’s right—for our customers, our teams, and the world around us. Our Mission, Vision, and Values aren't just words—they're the compass guiding our journey toward a brighter future. The Leidos Digital Modernization Sector is seeking a highly experienced Security Operations Lead to work on a key program supporting the U.S. Department of State as the Manager over a team responsible for implementation of all Security controls in coordination with the ISSO and other teams for the systems under our purview and maintain an active Authorization to Operate (ATO) to include, primarily, the Consular Consolidated Database (CCD) and databases, applications as well as the SOA stack and any applications this team develops . This role serves as the primary interface for the Security Operations function and frequently interfaces with the other functional teams and the Program Management Office working in coordination with the government, overseeing all aspects of scope status. The Security Operations Lead will be responsible for the overall execution and success of the primary team responsible for management of ATO including continuous ATO, ATO package management, audit support and controlling implementations and all other security requirements on program, as well as providing leadership, strategic direction, and day-to-day oversight for all team personnel. This includes ensuring technical excellence, operational efficiency, and ensuring Service Level Agreement metrics are exceeded. The ideal candidate will be proactive, responsive, and collaborative, with the ability to build and lead high-performing teams, maintain strong customer relationships, and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

Requirements

Active Top Secret security clearance.
Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Information Assurance, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related technical field.
10+ years of experience leading programs or technical efforts of similar scope, scale, and complexity, including support for multiple simultaneous projects in a mission-critical environment.
10+ years of hands-on technical experience in at least three of the following areas: Oracle, SQL Server, .NET, Java, engineered systems, cloud technologies, data integration, automated testing and deployments, or DevSecOps.
6+ years of experience supervising technical teams
Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP)
Demonstrated experience leading security operations, information assurance, or cyber compliance activities for complex enterprise IT environments.
Experience managing and implementing security controls for production and non-production systems in a federal or similarly regulated environment.
Experience supporting the Authority to Operate (ATO) lifecycle, including authorization packages, control implementation, annual assessments, and ongoing compliance activities.
Working knowledge of the Risk Management Framework (RMF), NIST SP 800-53, vulnerability management, POA&M development and remediation, and audit support.
Experience reviewing system, application, database, and script-level changes for security compliance and identifying security weaknesses or control violations.
Experience administering or overseeing least-privilege access, roles, privileges, and account approval workflows.
Experience developing and maintaining core security documentation, such as System Security Plans (SSPs), Information System Contingency Plans (ISCPs), Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs), Interconnection Security Agreements (ISAs), and related artifacts.
Experience supporting security incident response, corrective action planning, and remediation of cyber findings in coordination with technical and Government stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to lead technical personnel, coordinate across engineering and operations teams, and communicate clearly with program leadership and Government customers.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Cybersecurity, Information Assurance, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field.
Relevant industry certification(s), such as CISM, GSLC, Security+, CAP, or other cybersecurity, audit, or cloud security credentials.
Experience supporting Department of State, consular, or other high-availability federal mission systems.
Experience securing large-scale database-centric environments, including Oracle-based platforms, enterprise applications, and service-oriented architectures.
Experience with database security reviews, application security reviews, secure configuration baselines, and remediation scripting for testing and deployment.
Experience coordinating with ISSOs, security control assessors, independent verification and validation teams, and Government cybersecurity reviewers.
Experience preparing systems for recurring vulnerability scanning, annual security architecture reviews, and formal risk assessments.
Experience supporting disaster recovery, continuity of operations, and security-related contingency planning and testing.
Experience operating in environments with strict uptime, incident response, and service-level requirements for critical or high-impact systems.
Proven ability to identify security risks early, drive remediation to closure, and maintain strong compliance posture with minimal high or moderate findings

Responsibilities

Serve as the lead for security operations across CCD, database applications, the SOA stack, and other systems under the team’s purview.
Serve as the primary point of contact to the Government and program leadership for security operations status, risks, findings, remediation progress, and deliverables.
Lead, manage, and direct contractor personnel assigned to the security operations function.
Implement, monitor, and maintain required security controls in coordination with the ISSO and other CST teams.
Maintain active Authority to Operate (ATO) status for supported systems and lead preparation, update, and support of authorization packages and annual security assessment activities.
Manage information assurance and security compliance for production and non-production environments, ensuring alignment with development, engineering, and architectural standards.
Ensure data security, data quality, and access controls are enforced across supported systems and environments.
Review application and database scripts, database configurations, and related technical artifacts for security violations and compliance gaps.
Review and approve roles, privileges, and access requests in accordance with least-privilege principles.
Lead POA&M management, remediation planning, and creation of remediation scripts for IV&V testing and deployment.
Resolve database-level security issues and support response to cyber incidents, urgent security findings, and operational security events.
Ensure supported systems can withstand recurring vulnerability scans every 72 hours and support annual DHS security architecture reviews, risk assessments, and mitigation activities.
Proactively identify and eliminate vulnerabilities to maintain no high or moderate security findings.
Develop, maintain, and update all required security documentation, including SSPs, ISCPs, PIAs, ISAs, and related artifacts.
Document security controls using Department of State processes and templates, support control validation testing, and cooperate fully with audits, reviews, evaluations, and assessments.
Ensure compliance with NIST SP 800-53, Department of State technical security foundations, approved configuration guides, and release baselines; develop security/configuration guides where no Department guidance exists.
Coordinate with the ISSO on planned software changes to support A&A requirements before production deployment and maintain current security boundaries in the SSP.
Support contingency planning, disaster recovery, COOP planning, and annual recovery/security testing in coordination with other CA/CST teams.
Provide Tier III security-related support for critical and high-priority incidents, including root-cause analysis, pattern identification, and continuous improvement of SOPs and knowledge articles.
Ensure security operations are integrated with broader CA/CST modernization, release, and operational support activities without degrading service availability or mission performance.