Senior Systems Security Engineer

Job Description

ACTIVE SECURITY CLEARANCE AT THE TS/SCI POLYGRAPH LEVEL IS REQUIRED

We are seeking a proactive, highly skilled System Security Engineer to join our team in Annapolis Junction, MD, evaluating and strengthening the security posture of U.S. Government enterprise networks. In this role, you will take full ownership of system security engineering principles, driving the assessment and authorization (A&A) process across complex architectures. You won't just run compliance checklists—you will actively analyze overall system security postures, conduct COMSEC, INFOSEC, and Information Assurance (IA) activities, and calculate real-world residual risk based on evolving threat landscapes and control implementations.

Partnering directly with enterprise stakeholders in working groups and Technical Exchange Meetings (TEMs), you’ll bridge the gap between engineering teams and agency compliance bodies to keep mission systems hardened, operational, and secure. If you thrive on navigating NIST frameworks, assessing risk, and protecting enterprise architecture, you’ll fit right in with Team Nyla.

The annual base salary range for this role is $133,000-$157,000 (USD) , which does not include discretionary bonus compensation or our comprehensive benefits package. Actual compensation offered to the successful candidate may vary from posted hiring range based upon geographic location, work experience, education, and/or skill level, among other things.

• System Security Engineering:
  Deep working knowledge of system security engineering principles, architecture design, and enterprise network security assessments.
• 5+ Years IA/INFOSEC
  
  Experience:
  
  At least 5 years of hands‑on experience conducting and coordinating IA, INFOSEC, or COMSEC activities within enterprise government environments.
• NIST 800-53 & RMF Mastery:
  Expert knowledge of the Risk Management Framework (RMF) process and direct experience tailoring and applying NIST 800-53 security controls.
• Residual Risk & Threat Assessment:
  Proven ability to evaluate residual risk based on active threats, system vulnerabilities, and control mitigation strength.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Requirements:
  Experience leading working groups, technical exchange meetings (TEMs), and gathering/translating security requirements for technical teams.
• National Agency Systems Knowledge:
  Familiarity with national agency corporate systems and their specific security control implementations.
• Education:
  
  Bachelor’s Degree in Systems Engineering, Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Assurance, or a related technical discipline, PLUS 5+ years of professional system security engineering or IA experience OR Master’s Degree in a related field, PLUS 3+ years of specialized security engineering and NIST control application experience OR High School Diploma / GED, PLUS 9+ years of hands‑on experience in Information Assurance, systems security engineering, and RMF compliance in lieu of a degree.

Cybersecurity

Certifications:

Active industry certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CASP+, Security+, or Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).

Security Architecture Design: Direct experience authoring system security plans (SSPs), boundary architecture diagrams, and security control traceability matrices (SCTMs).

Automated Compliance Tools: Familiarity with automated vulnerability assessment tools, enterprise compliance tracking platforms (e.g., eMASS, XACTA), or continuous monitoring suites.

Dev Sec Ops  Integration: Understanding of how to integrate automated security controls and compliance gates into modern cloud and CI/CD development pipelines.

Nyla Technology Solutions delivers exceptional Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Science, and Software Engineering services for the U.S. Government. Nyla embraces a forward‑thinking and bold approach at every turn, earning us a solid reputation of technical trendsetters within the industry. We have a passion for developing solutions that have a quick and immediate impact on mission. Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, our customers love how we tackle their most challenging problems and get…