Application Security Architect | W2/1099 | Applicant Must Be Current VA Resident

V.L.S. Systems, Inc; Richmond (VA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

V.L.S. Systems, Inc. is seeking an experienced Application Security Architect in Richmond, VA, offering a hybrid work model.

The role focuses on defining security architecture across web, API, and cloud-native systems, leading threat modeling, and embedding security in the SDLC, with a strong emphasis on data protection and regulatory compliance. The ideal candidate brings 10+ years in related roles, deep knowledge of OWASP risks, IAM patterns, and experience with Azure, SQL Server, Power

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 10+ years in software engineering, application security, or related roles.
• 2+ years designing security architecture for systems.

Responsibilities

• Define application-security architecture principles, standards, patterns, and guardrails for web, mobile, API, microservice, and cloud-native systems.
• Lead threat modeling for new applications, features, integrations, and high-risk changes.
• Establish repeatable security requirements for authentication, authorization, session management, encryption, and data protection.
• Partner with engineers to integrate security throughout the SDLC, including CI/CD and IaC.
• Evaluate security tools (SAST, DAST, SCA, container scanning, API security testing) and guide usage.
• Define vulnerability-management approach for applications and dependencies with SLAs.
• Assess third-party libraries, open-source components, and vendor-provided security risk.
• Design IAM patterns (MFA/SSO, RBAC/ABAC) and secure hosting environments (Kubernetes, serverless, containers).
• Advise incident-response on app-layer threats and contribute to post-incident improvements.

Skills

Software engineering

Application security

Security architecture

Threat modeling

API security

Cloud platforms

CI/CD pipelines

Containers

OAuth/OpenID Connect/SAML

RBAC/ABAC

Education

Bachelor's degree (CS/Cybersecurity/Engineering)

Tools

SAST

DAST

SCA

Container/image scanning

Runtime protection

Job description

NOTE: APPLICANT MUST BE ON OUR W2 OR 1099 AND CURRENT VA RESIDENT. C2C IS ALLOWED IF OWN CORPORATION ONLY. NOT ACCEPTING SUB-VENDORS.

Role: Application Security Architect

Location: Richmond, VA -- Hybrid

Duration: 9 Months

Interview: MS Teams + In-Person

Note:

• Local candidates only please

• Candidate must be able to work onsite 4 days/week during an initial 90-day probationary period; there is a possibility of reduced onsite commitment after successful probation, though some onsite presence will continue to be required weekly.

Description:

The Agency is seeking an Application Security Architect to define, embed, and oversee application security strategies across enterprise IT initiatives.

This role will be responsible for the solution of Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC) across a hybrid ecosystem, spanning complex web applications, Agentic AI solutions, cloud-native solutions, enterprise GIS platforms, low-code no-code and create patterns. Lead the data protection strategy, data governance frameworks, and privacy posture across our state-wide transportation ecosystem. Define how structured, unstructured, and spatial data (GIS) are classified, encrypted, stored, and accessed across cloud data platforms. Support architecture, development, and cybersecurity teams to perform threat modeling, secure architectural designs and ensure compliance with Commonwealth of Virginia (COV) and VITA security standards.

Bachelor's degree in computer science, cybersecurity, engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience) is required. Certifications such as CISSP, CSSLP, CCSP, GIAC, or relevant vendor credentials are highly desired.

Core responsibilities:

• Define application-security architecture principles, standards, patterns, reference implementations, and guardrails for web, mobile, API, microservice, and cloud-native systems.
• Perform architecture and design reviews, identify trust boundaries, attack paths, data flows, security gaps, and compensating controls.
• Lead or facilitate threat modeling for new applications, major features, integrations, and high-risk changes.
• Establish repeatable security requirements for authentication, authorization, session management, encryption, secrets management, logging, privacy, API protection, and data protection.
• Partner with software engineers to integrate security throughout the SDLC, including code review, CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure as code, testing, release approval, and production monitoring.
• Evaluate and guide use of security tools such as SAST, DAST, software composition analysis, container/image scanning, API security testing, secret scanning, and runtime protection.
• Define a vulnerability-management approach for applications and dependencies, including severity criteria, remediation SLAs, exception processes, and verification of fixes.
• Assess third-party libraries, open-source dependencies, SaaS integrations, and vendor-provided components for security risk.
• Design identity and access-control patterns, including least privilege, MFA/SSO integration, service-to-service authentication, RBAC/ABAC, and privileged-access controls.
• Work with cloud and platform teams to secure application hosting environments, including Kubernetes, serverless, containers, CI/CD, cloud IAM, network segmentation, and secrets storage.
• Advise incident-response teams on application-layer threats and contribute to root-cause analysis and security improvements after incidents.
• Maintain architecture documentation, security decision patterns, risk registers, and exception documentation.

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, cybersecurity, engineering, or a related field or equivalent practical experience.
• 10+ years in software engineering, application security, security engineering, or related technical roles, including 2+ years designing security architecture for systems.
• Strong understanding of secure software-development principles and common application risks, including the OWASP Top 10, insecure authorization, injection, deserialization and API abuse.
• Design and implement end-to-end security architectures for data-at-rest, in-transit, and in-use across Azure, SQL Server, Dynamics 365, Power Platform, and ArcGIS platforms, utilizing automated classification (e.g., Microsoft Purview), robust encryption, DLP rules, and privacy risk assessments (DPIAs) to protect sensitive state transportation and infrastructure assets.
• Enforce granular data access controls (including RBAC, Row-Level Security, Column-Level Encryption, and dynamic masking) and establish centralized database audit logging and activity monitoring pipelines to ensure strict alignment with VITA SEC 530 security standards.
• Demonstrated experience with threat modeling and security architecture reviews.
• Experience securing APIs, web applications, distributed systems, cloud platforms, CI/CD pipelines, and containerized workloads.
• Working knowledge of secure coding in one or more common ecosystems, such as Java, .NET, JavaScript/TypeScript, Python platforms.
• Experience with identity, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, SAML, JWTs, authorization design, PKI/TLS, encryption, and secrets-management practices.
• Ability to explain technical risks and tradeoffs clearly to engineers, product managers, executives, and nontechnical stakeholders.
• Strong written communication skills, including the ability to create architecture diagrams, standards, risk assessments, and actionable remediation plans.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience in a regulated environment such as financial services, healthcare, government, or payments.
• Experience implementing DevSecOps programs and security automation at scale.
• Familiarity with privacy engineering, data classification, and compliance frameworks relevant to the organization.
• Certifications such as CISSP, CSSLP, CCSP, GIAC, cloud-security certifications, or relevant vendor credentials.
• Experience conducting or coordinating penetration testing and translating results into durable architectural improvements.

Skill Required / Desired Amount of Experience

• Software engineering, application security, security engineering, or related technical roles -- Required -- 10 Years
• Experience in designing and implementing security architecture for IT systems -- Required -- 6 Years
• Secure software-development principles and common risks, including the OWASP Top 10, insecure authorization, injection, deserialization and API abuse -- Required -- 6 Years
• Design and implement end-to-end security architectures for data-at-rest, in-transit, and in-use for full MS stack (Azure, O365, Power Platform, D365) -- Required -- 6 Years
• Demonstrated experience with threat modeling and security architecture reviews -- Required -- 6 Years
• Experience securing APIs, web applications, distributed systems, cloud platforms, CI/CD pipelines, and containerized workloads -- Required -- 6 Years
• Experience with identity, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, SAML, JWTs, authorization design, PKI/TLS, encryption, and secrets-management practices -- Required -- 6 Years
• Strong written communication skills, including ability to create architecture diagrams, standards, risk assessments, and actionable remediation plans -- Required -- 10 Years
• Experience in a regulated environment such as financial services, healthcare, government, or payments - Highly desired -- 6 Years
• Experience conducting or coordinating penetration testing and translating results into durable architectural improvements - Highly desired -- 6 Years
• Experience implementing DevSecOps programs and security automation at scale - Highly desired -- 4 Years
• Familiarity with privacy engineering, data classification, and compliance frameworks - Highly desired -- 4 Years
• Experience with security architectures in Esri's ArcGIS platform - Highly desired -- 2 Years