Cybersecurity Architect, SME

Cybersecurity Architect, SME

Job Location s: US-VA-Herndon

We are seeking a highly skilled and innovative Cybersecurity Architect to join our team in the greater DMV area, supporting the Army National Guard.

• Design and govern enterprise cybersecurity architectures embedding Zero Trust, defense in depth, and risk-based controls across on‑prem, cloud, and hybrid environments.
• Develop and maintain reference architectures, security patterns, technical standards, and architecture decision records aligned with NIST, DoD, and industry best practices.
• Evaluate system designs and perform architectural risk assessments, threat modeling, and control gap analyses to inform secure integration strategies.
• Advise on secure integration of networks, applications, cloud services, identity and access management, and cross‑domain solutions.
• Provide technical guidance for modernization strategies, emerging technology adoption, and long‑term security posture improvements.
• Coordinate with enterprise architects, system engineers, Dev Sec Ops , and cybersecurity teams to ensure compliance, interoperability, and operationalization of security architectures.
• Produce architecture artifacts, CONOPS, security baselines, and decision‑grade briefings for leadership and governance boards.
• Lead architecture review boards, enforce architecture governance, and mentor engineering teams on secure design practices.

• Minimum of 12 years with BS/BA;
  Minimum of 10 years with MS/MA;
  Minimum of 7 years with Ph.D.
• Clearance:
  Active TS/SCI clearance.
• Candidate must meet ONE of the following:
  • Master's degree or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Data Science, Information Systems, Information Technology, Software Engineering, or a related field; OR
  • Relevant DoD/military training (e.g., Security Architect (Advanced) Playlist); OR
  • Relevant professional certification or equivalent experience (e.g., CCNP Enterprise, CISM, CISSP, ISSAP, CISSPISSEP, GCIA, GDSA, GICSP).
• Required experience and skills:
  • Cybersecurity architecture, systems engineering, or enterprise security experience with at least 7 years in senior architecture or technical authority roles.
  • Demonstrated expertise in Zero Trust architecture, identity management, network segmentation, cloud security design, and secure application integration.
  • Strong knowledge of NIST SP 800 series, RMF/ATO processes, DISA STIGs/SRGs, and DoD/Army security policies.
  • Proven ability to produce DoDAF/architecture artifacts, security baselines, CONOPS, ROMs/COAs, and executive briefings.
  • Experience leading architecture review boards and driving cross‑functional adoption of architectural standards.
• Desired:
  • Prior DoD/Army/ARNG enterprise architecture or cybersecurity architecture experience.
  • Experience with cloud‑native security, service mesh, container security, and automated compliance tooling (IaC scanning, policy‑as‑code).
  • Track record advising senior leadership on modernization tradeoffs and delivering measurable improvements in security posture.

EEO:
Equal opportunity employer, including disability and protected veterans, or other characteristics protected by law.