Cybersecurity Engineer SME

GovCIO is currently seeking a Cybersecurity Engineer SME to provide expert-level cybersecurity engineering, secure solution architecture, and technical integration support for complex, multi-vendor IT environments supporting U.S. Government and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) missions. This position translates mission, stakeholder, and security requirements into implementable, secure, scalable, and interoperable engineering solutions across enterprise networks, data centers, NOCs, SOCs/CSOCs, cloud and hybrid infrastructure, and internationally deployed systems. The position is based in Tampa, Florida, with hybrid work arrangements and international travel as required by the mission.

Responsibilities

The Cybersecurity Engineer SME serves as a senior technical subject matter expert for cybersecurity design, engineering, integration, and technical assurance within a multidisciplinary team. In coordination with the Chief Enterprise Architect or designated technical authority, program leadership, and engineering and cybersecurity leads, the SME develops and evaluates cybersecurity solutions across network, systems, cloud, virtualization, identity, security monitoring, and cyber-defense domains. The position translates validated requirements and applicable security controls into implementable engineering specifications; supports technical reviews, Risk Management Framework (RMF) assessments, security authorization, and testing; identifies design and interoperability risks; and maintains accurate security architecture documentation and technical baselines. The SME provides hands-on technical guidance during implementation, troubleshooting, validation, deployment, and sustainment; briefs stakeholders; and mentors engineers supporting U.S. Government, NATO, and partner-nation missions. The position provides technical recommendations within established program governance and does not independently establish program-wide architecture policy or alter contractual scope, cost, or schedule.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Serve as the senior cybersecurity engineering SME for solution architecture, technical integration, troubleshooting, and independent technical reviews of complex enterprise, data center, NOC, SOC/CSOC, cloud, and hybrid systems.
• Translate mission, customer, contractual, and derived requirements into actionable cybersecurity engineering specifications, interface requirements, security controls, and verifiable design and test criteria.
• Apply secure-by-design principles, including Zero Trust, defense-in-depth, least privilege, network segmentation, identity and access management, encryption, logging, monitoring, resilience, and high availability, when applicable to mission requirements.
• Engineer, integrate, and assess multi-vendor cybersecurity capabilities, including SIEM platforms, packet brokers, IDS/IPS, next-generation firewalls, endpoint protection, data loss prevention (DLP), vulnerability management, and security monitoring tools.
• Evaluate end-to-end traffic flows, firewall and access-control rules, packet capture and redirection, sensor placement, telemetry, logging, and security-tool data paths to ensure complete and effective defensive coverage.
• Support RMF, NIST, eMASS, ATO/ATC, FedRAMP, and other applicable security and compliance activities by translating control requirements into implementable engineering requirements and technical evidence.
• Develop and maintain architecture diagrams, System Design Plans (SDPs), Engineering Implementation Plans (EIPs), Requirements Traceability Matrices (RTMs), risk registers, interface documentation, Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), test artifacts, installation plans, and configuration-baseline documentation.
• Provide cybersecurity engineering expertise during Preliminary Design Reviews (PDRs), Critical Design Reviews (CDRs), proof-of-concept validation, system acceptance testing, deployment, accreditation, and sustainment activities.
• Assess proposed technologies, OEM recommendations, and design changes for cybersecurity impact, interoperability, scalability, lifecycle supportability, licensing, obsolescence, cost, schedule, and technical risk.
• Integrate cybersecurity requirements across enterprise networking, Windows and Linux systems, virtualization, cloud services, databases, Cross Domain Solutions (CDS), and distributed mission environments.
• Serve as a senior technical liaison to U.S. Government, NATO, partner-nation, and internal program stakeholders; present architecture decisions, risks, alternatives, and recommendations in executive and engineering forums.
• Coach engineers and analysts, lead cybersecurity engineering problem-solving sessions, and recommend reusable design patterns, technical checklists, and corrective actions across concurrent projects.
• Contribute cybersecurity technical assessments to technology evaluations, modernization planning, vendor discussions, technical proposals, and solution development as requested.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• High School diploma with 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in cybersecurity engineering, secure systems integration, network security, or related technical disciplines; equivalent combinations of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• Demonstrated ability to independently resolve complex cybersecurity engineering issues and provide subject matter expertise for mission-critical, multi-vendor enterprise environments.

Security Requirements

• Active SECRET clearance required at time of application.
• Ability to maintain required U.S. Government access and comply with applicable security, information-assurance, and handling requirements. Active TS/SCI is preferred when mission requirements warrant.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Certifications

• Expert knowledge of cybersecurity engineering, secure solution design, systems integration, and the security implications of enterprise networks, systems, cloud services, and cyber-defense technologies.
• Proven experience supporting Department of Defense, U.S. Government, Intelligence Community, NATO, coalition, or Foreign Military Sales environments with complex security and interoperability requirements.
• Strong working knowledge of RMF, NIST security controls, vulnerability management, continuous monitoring, security-control assessment, and authorization-to-operate processes; experience with eMASS or equivalent governance tools.
• Hands-on architecture or engineering experience with SIEM, network security monitoring, packet brokers, IDS/IPS, firewalls, endpoint security, DLP, vulnerability-management platforms, and related cyber-defense technologies.
• Experience designing, integrating, or sustaining enterprise data centers, NOCs, SOCs/CSOCs, distributed mission networks, cloud or hybrid environments, and multi-vendor infrastructure.
• Experience with systems-engineering lifecycle practices, requirements traceability, security design documentation, configuration management, technical baselines, testing and validation, risk management, and formal technical reviews.
• Experience integrating cybersecurity with enterprise networking, identity, Windows/Linux systems, virtualization platforms, cloud services, databases, and secure communications environments.
• Ability to evaluate technical alternatives and communicate architecture decisions, assumptions, dependencies, risks, and trade-offs to both technical and executive audiences.
• Proficiency with architecture, network-drawing, and productivity tools such as Microsoft Visio, Lucidchart, AutoCAD, Microsoft Office, Jira, or comparable engineering and workflow platforms.
• Current cybersecurity certification satisfying the applicable DoD 8140 work-role and proficiency requirements, as determined by the position designation. Certifications such as CISSP, Security+, CySA+, SecurityX, or other approved credentials may be considered where applicable; eligibility must be verified against the designated work role.
• Valid U.S. Passport and ability to travel internationally up to 40% to support site surveys, technical exchanges, integration, testing, deployment, and customer engagements.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, with 6+ years of related field experience; or a relevant master's degree, with 4+ years of related field experience.
• Advanced professional certifications such as CISSP, PMP, CCNA/CCNP, GIAC, CEH, CHFI, CNDA, Microsoft, Fortinet, Palo Alto, VMware, AWS, Azure, Linux, or cloud security credentials, as relevant to assigned technology environments.
• Experience with Cross Domain Solutions (CDS), secure coalition or intelligence environments, high-availability architectures, and global or OCONUS mission systems.
• Experience supporting CMMC, FedRAMP, ICD 503, FISMA, or other government cybersecurity and accreditation frameworks in addition to RMF/NIST.
• Experience contributing to cybersecurity modernization roadmaps, engineering standards, reusable security architectures, technical briefings, white papers, or proposal solutions.
• Prior military or government experience in Cyber, Signal, Communications, Information Technology, Intelligence, or a closely related technical specialty.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary engineering teams, mentor technical personnel, and operate effectively across customer, program, engineering, cybersecurity, and vendor organizations.

Posted Salary Range

USD $143,230.00 - USD $145,000.00 /Yr. The Cybersecurity Engineer SME serves as a senior technical subject matter expert for cybersecurity design, engineering, integration, and technical assurance within a multidisciplinary team. In coordination with the Chief Enterprise Architect or designated technical authority, program leadership, and engineering and cybersecurity leads, the SME develops and evaluates cybersecurity solutions across network, systems, cloud, virtualization, identity, security monitoring, and cyber-defense domains. The position translates validated requirements and applicable security controls into implementable engineering specifications; supports technical reviews, Risk Management Framework (RMF) assessments, security authorization, and testing; identifies design and interoperability risks; and maintains accurate security architecture documentation and technical baselines. The SME provides hands-on technical guidance during implementation, troubleshooting, validation, deployment, and sustainment; briefs stakeholders; and mentors engineers supporting U.S. Government, NATO, and partner-nation missions. The position provides technical recommendations within established program governance and does not independently establish program-wide architecture policy or alter contractual scope, cost, or schedule.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Serve as the senior cybersecurity engineering SME for solution architecture, technical integration, troubleshooting, and independent technical reviews of complex enterprise, data center, NOC, SOC/CSOC, cloud, and hybrid systems.
• Translate mission, customer, contractual, and derived requirements into actionable cybersecurity engineering specifications, interface requirements, security controls, and verifiable design and test criteria.
• Apply secure-by-design principles, including Zero Trust, defense-in-depth, least privilege, network segmentation, identity and access management, encryption, logging, monitoring, resilience, and high availability, when applicable to mission requirements.
• Engineer, integrate, and assess multi-vendor cybersecurity capabilities, including SIEM platforms, packet brokers, IDS/IPS, next-generation firewalls, endpoint protection, data loss prevention (DLP), vulnerability management, and security monitoring tools.
• Evaluate end-to-end traffic flows, firewall and access-control rules, packet capture and redirection, sensor placement, telemetry, logging, and security-tool data paths to ensure complete and effective defensive coverage.
• Support RMF, NIST, eMASS, ATO/ATC, FedRAMP, and other applicable security and compliance activities by translating control requirements into implementable engineering requirements and technical evidence.
• Develop and maintain architecture diagrams, System Design Plans (SDPs), Engineering Implementation Plans (EIPs), Requirements Traceability Matrices (RTMs), risk registers, interface documentation, Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), test artifacts, installation plans, and configuration-baseline documentation.
• Provide cybersecurity engineering expertise during Preliminary Design Reviews (PDRs), Critical Design Reviews (CDRs), proof-of-concept validation, system acceptance testing, deployment, accreditation, and sustainment activities.
• Assess proposed technologies, OEM recommendations, and design changes for cybersecurity impact, interoperability, scalability, lifecycle supportability, licensing, obsolescence, cost, schedule, and technical risk.
• Integrate cybersecurity requirements across enterprise networking, Windows and Linux systems, virtualization, cloud services, databases, Cross Domain Solutions (CDS), and distributed mission environments.
• Serve as a senior technical liaison to U.S. Government, NATO, partner-nation, and internal program stakeholders; present architecture decisions, risks, alternatives, and recommendations in executive and engineering forums.
• Coach engineers and analysts, lead cybersecurity engineering problem-solving sessions, and recommend reusable design patterns, technical checklists, and corrective actions across concurrent projects.
• Contribute cybersecurity technical assessments to technology evaluations, modernization planning, vendor discussions, technical proposals, and solution development as requested.

Education & Experience

• High School diploma with 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in cybersecurity engineering, secure systems integration, network security, or related technical disciplines; equivalent combinations of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• Demonstrated ability to independently resolve complex cybersecurity engineering issues and provide subject matter expertise for mission-critical, multi-vendor enterprise environments.

Security Requirements

• Active SECRET clearance required at time of application.
• Ability to maintain required U.S. Government access and comply with applicable security, information-assurance, and handling requirements. Active TS/SCI is preferred when mission requirements warrant.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Certifications

• Expert knowledge of cybersecurity engineering, secure solution design, systems integration, and the security implications of enterprise networks, systems, cloud services, and cyber-defense technologies.
• Proven experience supporting Department of Defense, U.S. Government, Intelligence Community, NATO, coalition, or Foreign Military Sales environments with complex security and interoperability requirements.
• Strong working knowledge of RMF, NIST security controls, vulnerability management, continuous monitoring, security-control assessment, and authorization-to-operate processes; experience with eMASS or equivalent governance tools.
• Hands-on architecture or engineering experience with SIEM, network security monitoring, packet brokers, IDS/IPS, firewalls, endpoint security, DLP, vulnerability-management platforms, and related cyber-defense technologies.
• Experience designing, integrating, or sustaining enterprise data centers, NOCs, SOCs/CSOCs, distributed mission networks, cloud or hybrid environments, and multi-vendor infrastructure.
• Experience with systems-engineering lifecycle practices, requirements traceability, security design documentation, configuration management, technical baselines, testing and validation, risk management, and formal technical reviews.
• Experience integrating cybersecurity with enterprise networking, identity, Windows/Linux systems, virtualization platforms, cloud services, databases, and secure communications environments.
• Ability to evaluate technical alternatives and communicate architecture decisions, assumptions, dependencies, risks, and trade-offs to both technical and executive audiences.
• Proficiency with architecture, network-drawing, and productivity tools such as Microsoft Visio, Lucidchart, AutoCAD, Microsoft Office, Jira, or comparable engineering and workflow platforms.
• Current cybersecurity certification satisfying the applicable DoD 8140 work-role and proficiency requirements, as determined by the position designation. Certifications such as CISSP, Security+, CySA+, SecurityX, or other approved credentials may be considered where applicable; eligibility must be verified against the designated work role.
• Valid U.S. Passport and ability to travel internationally up to 40% to support site surveys, technical exchanges, integration, testing, deployment, and customer engagements.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, with 6+ years of related field experience; or a relevant master's degree, with 4+ years of related field experience.
• Advanced professional certifications such as CISSP, PMP, CCNA/CCNP, GIAC, CEH, CHFI, CNDA, Microsoft, Fortinet, Palo Alto, VMware, AWS, Azure, Linux, or cloud security credentials, as relevant to assigned technology environments.
• Experience with Cross Domain Solutions (CDS), secure coalition or intelligence environments, high-availability architectures, and global or OCONUS mission systems.
• Experience supporting CMMC, FedRAMP, ICD 503, FISMA, or other government cybersecurity and accreditation frameworks in addition to RMF/NIST.
• Experience contributing to cybersecurity modernization roadmaps, engineering standards, reusable security architectures, technical briefings, white papers, or proposal solutions.
• Prior military or government experience in Cyber, Signal, Communications, Information Technology, Intelligence, or a closely related technical specialty.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary engineering teams, mentor technical personnel, and operate effectively across customer, program, engineering, cybersecurity, and vendor organizations.