Zero Trust Data Pillar SME

Ancore Inc is delivering Zero Trust implementation services to USCIS, aligned to the CISA Zero Trust Maturity Model (ZTMM) v2.0, NIST SP 800-207, OMB M-22-09 and EO 14028. The Data Pillar SME owns the data pillar end to end from defining what "Advanced" and "Optimal" mean for the agency, to proving it with evidence on the enterprise data lake, to turning DLP policy into enforced controls.

The role sits at the seam of four customer groups: the security policy branch, the enterprise data platform (Databricks) team, the Security Operations Center, and the Chief Data Officer's governance function. The right candidate can hold a technical conversation with each and still write the deliverable that ties them together.

The work today spans:

• Data pillar maturity: rebaselined requirements and KPIs across 8 functions (Inventory, Categorization, Availability, Access, Encryption, Visibility and Analytics, Automation and Orchestration, Governance) and 4 maturity tiers.
• Enterprise data lake assessment: evidence-based maturity scoring of a Databricks platform fed by 60 to 80 source systems.
• DLP modernization: a phased Zscaler data protection rollout (Endpoint, Email, Inline Web, GenAI) replacing a legacy DLP toolset, with SIEM integration.
• Data classification and tagging: maturing an agency data tagging taxonomy (PII/SPII, sensitivity, domain) into enforceable labels.

• Data pillar strategy and maturity (about 30%)
• Own the agency data pillar maturity baseline against CISA ZTMM v2.0; maintain requirements, KPIs and tier exit criteria for all 8 data functions.
• Run evidence-based maturity assessments: define scoring rules, collect dated artifacts, separate owned vs. shared vs. inherited controls, and defend scores with system owners.
• Translate the maturity roadmap into sequenced work packages, milestone gates and measurable targets.
• Lead a data-source census so coverage metrics have an authoritative denominator.
• Enterprise data platform governance:
  Databricks (about 25%)
• Assess and harden data protection on a Databricks lakehouse:
  Unity Catalog governance, fine-grained access (row/column), tagging, lineage, audit logs and secrets management.
• Work with the data platform team on encryption at rest and in transit, key management, and data availability / recovery evidence.
• Map source-system feeds to data categories and sensitivity; drive tag-based access policy (RBAC toward ABAC).
• Partner with the Chief Data Officer and data stewards on classification, ownership and a Data Governance Working Group.
• DLP engineering and operations:
  Zscaler (about 30%)
• Design and tune Zscaler data protection policy:
  Inline Web and Private App DLP, Endpoint DLP, outbound Email DLP, CASB / SaaS API scanning, GenAI DLP, and Device Control.
• Build DLP dictionaries and engines, including EDM / IDM / OCR fingerprinting for agency identifiers.
• Translate legacy DLP rules into Zscaler equivalents; run monitor-then-enforce pilots and parallel operation.
• Integrate DLP telemetry with the SIEM (Splunk via NSS / log streaming) and incident workflow (ICAP, incident receiver, workflow automation); co-author SOC playbooks.
• Support Exchange Online mail flow integration, TLS / SSL inspection decisions, and endpoint client prerequisites with the owning teams.
• Compliance, documentation and stakeholder delivery (about 15%)
• Map data controls to NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 (AC, AU, MP, SC, SI families), DHS 4300A and OMB M-21-31 logging requirements; support RMF / ATO artifacts.
• Contribute to post-quantum cryptography inventory and data-at-rest cryptographic posture as it relates to the data pillar.
• Write and brief deliverables to government leads: maturity reports, decision memos, runbooks, RACI and change requests.
• Run working sessions with security policy, cloud infrastructure, SOC, data platform and privacy stakeholders.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Cybersecurity or related field (4 additional years of relevant experience may substitute).
• 10+ years in IT or cybersecurity, including 5+ years focused on data security, data governance or DLP.
• Hands-on experience designing and tuning an enterprise DLP platform (Zscaler preferred; Symantec/Broadcom, Forcepoint, Microsoft Purview, Netskope or Palo Alto acceptable) across at least two channels (web, endpoint, email, SaaS).
• Working knowledge of Databricks (Unity Catalog, access controls, tagging, audit) or an equivalent lakehouse / data catalog platform (Snowflake, AWS Lake Formation, Microsoft Purview Data Map).
• Demonstrated experience with…