Senior Cybersecurity Architect

Northern Technologies Group, Inc.•Colorado Springs, CO

About The Position

The Senior Cybersecurity Architect directly supports the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) on the Integrated Research and Development for Enterprise Solutions (IRES) contract. This leadership role is responsible for designing, developing, and implementing secure, resilient cybersecurity architectures that safeguard enterprise systems, data, and mission-critical assets. The Senior Cybersecurity Architect collaborates across multidisciplinary teams to ensure cybersecurity is embedded within all layers of IT infrastructure and aligned with mission objectives, current threat landscapes, and compliance requirements.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen.
Must possess an active Secret security clearance.
8+ years of general full time work experience (may be reduced with advanced education).
6+ years of direct experience in cybersecurity architecture.
2+ years in a leadership or management role.
Proven experience designing and implementing complex enterprise security architectures.
Deep understanding of security principles, technologies, and best practices.
Hands on experience with firewalls, IDS/IPS, Elastic Security SIEM, ACAS vulnerability scanners, and endpoint security platforms.
Experience with cloud security architecture (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS).
Experience implementing Zero Trust principles across IT environments.
Knowledge of NIST Cybersecurity Framework, ISO?27001, and related compliance frameworks.

Nice To Haves

Certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CCSP, or AWS Certified Security – Specialty.
Experience with threat modeling methodologies (e.g., STRIDE, DREAD).
Experience with penetration testing and vulnerability assessment.
Familiarity with DevSecOps, security automation, and orchestration.

Responsibilities

Cybersecurity Architecture Design & Development
Develop and maintain cybersecurity architecture frameworks, standards, and reference blueprints.
Design and implement security architectures for cloud, on premise, and hybrid infrastructures.
Evaluate, recommend, and validate security technologies, tools, and platforms.
Review architectural diagrams, models, and documentation with emphasis on security controls and data flows.
Lead proof of concept initiatives and prototypes for security design validation.
Architect secure solutions across data protection, network security, endpoint security, IAM, and application security.
Threat Modeling & Risk Assessment
Conduct threat modeling to identify vulnerabilities and design mitigations.
Evaluate security risks through comprehensive risk assessments.
Develop strategies to reduce likelihood and impact of identified threats.
Technical Leadership & Guidance
Provide technical leadership and mentorship to cybersecurity engineers, analysts, and development staff.
Serve as a subject matter expert on cybersecurity architecture, emerging technologies, and best practices.
Guide security integration across all phases of the SDLC.
Promote adoption of modern security technologies and architectural patterns.
Security Standards & Compliance
Ensure compliance with frameworks such as NIST CSF, ISO 27001, and STIG requirements.
Coordinate with compliance and audit teams to support security assessments.
Incident Response Support
Support incident response activities by providing architectural expertise.
Review root cause analysis and recommend technical or architectural corrective actions.
Collaboration & Communication
Work with IT operations, development, and business stakeholders to align cybersecurity goals.
Communicate complex architectural decisions to both technical and non technical audiences.
Participate in architecture review boards and governance processes.
Continuous Improvement
Stay current with emerging security technologies and industry trends.
Identify opportunities to strengthen enterprise cybersecurity maturity.