Senior Cybersecurity Engineer / Information System Security Engineer (ISSE) | San Diego, CA

CaVU Consulting • San Diego, CA

14d • $135,000 - $175,000

About The Position

Team CaVU is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Cybersecurity Engineer / Information System Security Engineer to support cybersecurity engineering, security operations, vulnerability management, and continuous monitoring for Department of Defense information systems. The role requires independent technical work identifying, assessing, mitigating, and remediating security vulnerabilities while maintaining compliance with DoD cybersecurity requirements, NIST standards, and organizational security policies.

The engineer will work with Information System Security Managers, Information System Security Officers, system administrators, network engineers, and other technical stakeholders to maintain the security and operational readiness of mission-critical information systems. The position supports RMF authorization and continuous-monitoring activities, vulnerability scanning and remediation, DISA STIG compliance and system hardening, endpoint security and HBSS administration, Windows and Linux systems administration, configuration management, and AWS cloud security.

The position requires at least 10 years of relevant professional experience, current CompTIA Security+ and AWS certifications, and qualification under applicable DoD 8140 requirements. A Top Secret clearance is required for full performance. Candidates with an active Secret clearance may be considered if eligible and willing to undergo a Top Secret investigation and adjudication; the employer may sponsor an upgrade subject to government and contractual approval. An active Top Secret clearance at application is preferred.

The expected annual salary range is $135,000–$175,000. CaVU states that salary offers may vary based on factors including location, education, training, certifications, skills, experience, contract affordability, organizational requirements, and market conditions.

Requirements

• At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in cybersecurity engineering, information assurance, vulnerability management, or enterprise security operations.
• Experience supporting DoD, federal government, or similarly regulated enterprise environments.
• Hands-on experience conducting vulnerability assessments, implementing security controls, and remediating technical security findings.
• Experience administering, configuring, and securing enterprise Windows and Linux systems.
• Experience supporting RMF compliance, continuous monitoring, and security authorization activities.
• Strong understanding of enterprise infrastructure, operating system security, endpoint protection, and vulnerability management.
• Practical experience with NIST RMF, NIST SP 800-53, and NIST SP 800-137.
• Practical experience with configuration management, security baseline enforcement, DISA STIGs and SRGs, eSTIG assessment tools, SCAP scanning, and STIG remediation and validation.
• Practical experience with Tenable Security Center and installing, configuring, and administering Tenable Nessus scanners.
• Practical experience identifying, prioritizing, mitigating, and remediating vulnerabilities.
• Practical experience administering and managing HBSS.
• Practical experience administering RHEL and Microsoft Windows Server, including operating system patching and security hardening.
• Practical experience with enterprise endpoint security management, AWS cloud security fundamentals, and technical security control documentation.
• Current CompTIA Security+ certification.
• Current AWS certification, such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect, AWS Certified SysOps Administrator, AWS Certified Security – Specialty, or another relevant AWS certification.
• Must meet applicable DoD 8140 qualification requirements for the designated cybersecurity work role and proficiency level.
• Top Secret clearance required for full performance. Candidates with an active Secret clearance may be considered if eligible and willing to undergo the Top Secret clearance investigation and adjudication process; required clearance must be maintained.
• Ability to troubleshoot and analyze complex technical problems, independently implement security controls, and remediate complex vulnerabilities.
• Ability to translate cybersecurity compliance requirements into practical technical solutions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to document technical matters and communicate cybersecurity risks to technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
• Ability to collaborate with cybersecurity teams, system administrators, network engineers, and organizational leadership; manage competing priorities in mission-critical environments; and maintain attention to detail.

Nice To Haves

• Active Top Secret clearance at the time of application.
• Previous experience as an ISSE in a DoD environment.
• Experience supporting RMF authorization packages and ATO activities.
• Familiarity with DoD cybersecurity policies, security control assessment procedures, and continuous monitoring requirements.
• Experience with Trellix/McAfee ePO and enterprise endpoint security management.
• Experience automating system configuration, compliance assessments, and remediation using Ansible, PowerShell, Bash, or similar technologies.
• Experience with AWS security services, cloud infrastructure security, and federal cloud compliance requirements.
• Experience developing vulnerability metrics, compliance dashboards, and technical security reports.
• Experience supporting complex, mission-critical enterprise information systems.
• Familiarity with enterprise networking, firewall configurations, and network security principles.
• Additional certifications such as CISSP, CompTIA SecurityX, CySA+, RHCSA, or AWS Certified Security – Specialty.

Responsibilities

• Implement and maintain technical security controls in accordance with the NIST RMF and NIST SP 800-53.
• Support Information Security Continuous Monitoring activities in accordance with NIST SP 800-137.
• Provide technical engineering support throughout the RMF authorization lifecycle.
• Assess security control effectiveness, identify compliance deficiencies, and develop corrective actions.
• Support development and maintenance of System Security Plans, control implementation statements, assessment evidence, and Plans of Action and Milestones.
• Evaluate proposed system changes for cybersecurity impacts and maintain approved security configuration baselines.
• Provide technical evidence and remediation support for Authority to Operate activities; collaborate with ISSOs and ISSMs on continuing compliance.
• Install, configure, administer, maintain, and troubleshoot Tenable Nessus vulnerability scanners and Tenable Security Center, including scanner integration, repositories, policies, credentials, and reporting.
• Conduct authenticated and unauthenticated vulnerability assessments; configure automated scanning schedules and assessment policies.
• Analyze vulnerability findings, assess risk, prioritize remediation, develop mitigation strategies, and coordinate remediation with system administrators, engineers, and system owners.
• Perform follow-up scans to validate remediation; maintain vulnerability tracking records and produce technical reports on findings, remediation status, and residual risk.
• Support vulnerability management across Windows Server, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and AWS environments.
• Implement applicable DISA STIGs and SRGs; perform automated and manual compliance assessments using eSTIG tools, SCAP utilities, and approved assessment tools.
• Analyze STIG findings, implement technical remediation, and develop and maintain secure configuration baselines for supported operating systems and enterprise applications.
• Investigate configuration deviations, implement corrective actions, and document findings, remediation, and approved deviations.
• Validate system hardening and remediation through automated scanning and manual verification; support inspections, audits, and continuous monitoring.
• Administer, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot HBSS infrastructure and applicable successor endpoint security technologies.
• Manage endpoint security policies, agent deployments, updates, and system health; administer endpoint management platforms, including Trellix/McAfee ePO as applicable.
• Investigate endpoint security alerts, coordinate corrective actions, and resolve agent communication, policy enforcement, and compliance issues.
• Support endpoint security infrastructure upgrades, configuration changes, and operational troubleshooting; ensure endpoint protection meets applicable DoD requirements.
• Administer, configure, secure, and troubleshoot RHEL and Microsoft Windows Server systems; perform installation, configuration, patching, hardening, and maintenance.
• Implement approved system configuration baselines and support enterprise configuration management and change control.
• Conduct security impact assessments for proposed system and infrastructure changes; identify and resolve operating system vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and security weaknesses.
• Maintain technical documentation, configuration records, and standard operating procedures; collaborate with infrastructure engineering teams on secure, reliable system deployment and operation.
• Support cybersecurity engineering and compliance in AWS environments; implement secure configurations and support vulnerability management, identity and access management, security monitoring, and configuration assessments.
• Identify and remediate cloud security misconfigurations, support security integration between on-premises and cloud-hosted systems, and apply AWS security best practices to protect cloud resources, workloads, and data.

Benefits

• 100% company-paid health, dental, and vision coverage, including individual, employee plus significant other, or family coverage.
• 401(k) match with immediate vesting on the date of hire.
• Employer-paid $100,000 life insurance policy.
• 11 paid holidays.
• 10 days of vacation, with accrual increasing every two years.
• 5 days of sick leave.
• Access to corporate discounts on retail, travel, and entertainment.
• Opportunities for bonuses.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed