Subject Matter Expert I

Node.Digital•Arlington, VA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Node.Digital is supporting a U.S. Government customer with onsite incident response for civilian Government agencies and critical asset owners experiencing cyber-attacks. Contract personnel investigate breaches to characterize their severity, develop mitigation plans, and assist with restoration of services. The Subject Matter Expert will bridge artificial intelligence innovation and practical cyber defense operations, combining AI expertise, cybersecurity knowledge, and project management capabilities to support strategic adoption of AI technologies in security infrastructure. The role is located in Arlington, Virginia, and requires an active TS/SCI clearance. The role defines and advances AI-enhanced security capabilities, evaluates AI/ML applications and technologies for cyber defense, and coordinates teams and stakeholders to develop and implement AI security initiatives. It includes creating roadmaps, schedules, resource plans, budgets, risk mitigations, readiness assessments, change-management plans, success metrics, documentation, and training. AI implementations must meet security, privacy, and compliance requirements.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. citizen.
Must have an active TS/SCI clearance.
Must be able to obtain DHS Suitability.
10+ years of directly relevant experience.
5+ years of experience in cybersecurity or related technical roles.
3+ years working with AI/ML technologies or data-driven security solutions.
3+ years in project/program management or technical leadership roles.
Ability to envision long-term AI security capabilities and create actionable paths forward.
Understanding of machine learning fundamentals, neural networks, natural language processing, and the AI model lifecycle.
Adaptability and ability to navigate rapidly evolving AI and threat landscapes.
Ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct authority.
Strong knowledge of security operations, the threat landscape, defense frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK, SIEM/SOAR platforms, and security architecture.
Familiarity with behavioral analytics, threat hunting, malware analysis, phishing detection, and vulnerability management use cases.
Proven experience developing roadmaps and managing complex technical projects.
Proficiency with Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid project-management methodologies.
Strong resource-planning, schedule-development, and stakeholder-management skills.
Experience with project-management tools such as Jira, MS Project, Asana, or similar.
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Information Systems, or a related field.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Experience securing AI systems, using AI in defensive system operations (such as a SOC), and thwarting AI-enabled attacks.
Background in data engineering, security analytics, or threat intelligence.
Familiarity with AWS, Azure, or GCP cloud security platforms.
Knowledge of AI governance, ethics, and responsible AI principles.
Understanding of regulatory requirements such as GDPR, CCPA, and industry-specific frameworks.
Experience with automation and orchestration platforms.
CISSP, CISM, PMP, PMI-ACP, or AI/ML certifications.

Responsibilities

Define a strategic vision for AI-enhanced security capabilities aligned with the organization’s risk posture.
Identify and evaluate AI/ML use cases for cyber defense, threat detection, incident response, and security operations.
Assess emerging AI technologies for security applications, including anomaly detection, threat intelligence, and automated response.
Stay current on the AI threat landscape, including adversarial AI and AI-powered attacks.
Bridge communication among technical teams, security operators, and business stakeholders.
Evaluate complex security challenges and identify appropriate AI solutions.
Translate cybersecurity requirements into AI solution specifications.
Evaluate AI/ML platforms, tools, and vendors for security applications.
Define and advocate for AI prototyping or piloting initiatives as risk-reduction measures.
Collaborate with data science, security operations, and infrastructure teams on solution architecture.
Develop AI cybersecurity initiative roadmaps with milestones and dependencies, aligned with broader organizational strategies and roadmaps.
Create project schedules, resource plans, and budget estimates.
Manage cross-functional implementation teams, including security analysts, data scientists, and engineers.
Track project progress, identify risks, and implement mitigation strategies.
Facilitate stakeholder communications and executive reporting on AI security initiatives.
Coordinate with stakeholders and workstreams to address use cases and inform strategy.
Ensure AI implementations meet security, privacy, and compliance requirements.
Understand model training, validation, and deployment pipelines in security contexts.
Conduct readiness assessments for AI adoption within security operations.
Design change-management strategies for integrating AI tools into existing workflows.
Develop success metrics and KPIs for AI security implementations.
Create documentation, training materials, and knowledge-transfer programs.