Cybersecurity Watch Operations Subject Matter Expert IV

Invictus International; Colorado Springs (CO); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Invictus International is seeking a Cybersecurity Watch Operations Subject Matter Expert IV to lead and hands-on guide SOC watch operations at a DoD-sized environment in Colorado Springs. You will direct complex investigations, validate playbooks, and mentor analysts through challenging incidents, while coordinating with government stakeholders.

Your experience includes advanced network forensics, incident response, and threat hunting, with TS/SCI clearance and CI polygraph eligibility, enabling

Qualifications

• Senior hands-on authority for SOC watch operations.
• Experience leading complex investigations in enterprise environments.
• Able to mentor analysts and establish SOPs/ playbooks.
• Strong knowledge of enterprise networking and security monitoring.

Responsibilities

• Serve as senior technical authority for SOC watch operations.
• Lead complex cyber defense investigations and incident response.
• Perform advanced forensic and security analysis of telemetry and artifacts.
• Establish and improve investigative methodology, escalation criteria, and workflows.
• Provide senior guidance to SOC management on readiness and risk.
• Coordinate incidents with government stakeholders and other agencies.
• Translate requirements into telemetry, SIEM/SOAR, and tooling capabilities.
• Develop and validate SOPs, runbooks, and training scenarios.
• Conduct proactive threat hunting and validate defensive effectiveness.
• Analyze trends and advise on defensive priorities.

Skills

SOC operations

Cyber defense analysis

Incident investigation

Incident response

Forensic analysis

Leadership

Threat hunting

DoD/IC experience

DoD 8570 IAT II/IAM II

Education

Bachelor's degree

4 years substitution for education

Job description

Title: Cybersecurity Watch Operations Subject Matter Expert IV

Location: Colorado Springs, CO

Clearance: TS/SCI with the ability to obtain and maintain a CI polygraph

Job Details

• Serve as the senior hands-on technical authority for SOC watch operations and a founding operational SME for the establishment and maturation of a new DoD SOC
• Lead the most complex cyber defense investigations and incident-response activities and provide technical direction when scope, impact, evidence, or response options are uncertain
• Perform advanced forensic and security analysis of digital information, host and network telemetry, firewall and IDS/IPS data, authentication activity, intrusion artifacts, and other relevant evidence
• Establish and continuously improve investigative methodology, triage standards, severity and escalation criteria, evidence requirements, incident workflows, case-quality standards, and shift-turnover practices
• Provide senior technical guidance to SOC management on watch readiness, investigative quality, operational risk, staffing proficiency, capability gaps, and response considerations
• Serve as the highest-level operational escalation point for Cybersecurity Operations Analysts and mentor senior and developing personnel through complex investigations and exercises
• Coordinate complex incidents with government stakeholders, incident response organizations, system owners, administrators, network/security engineers, and other agencies as required
• Partner with cybersecurity engineering personnel to translate watch-operations requirements into actionable telemetry, SIEM/SOAR, network monitoring, firewall, endpoint, enrichment, and automation capabilities
• Identify systemic visibility, detection, workflow, tooling, and analyst-proficiency gaps and develop recommendations to improve SOC effectiveness and enterprise security posture
• Lead development and validation of SOPs, runbooks, incident-response playbooks, analyst qualification standards, training scenarios, exercises, and lessons-learned actions.
• Conduct or direct proactive threat hunting and advanced analysis to identify malicious activity not detected by automated controls and to validate the effectiveness of existing defenses
• Analyze trends across incidents and investigations and provide technical input to operational metrics, significant-activity reporting, leadership briefings, and defensive priorities
• Apply network forensics, host analysis, malware-analysis concepts, vulnerability context, and threat-informed defense techniques as appropriate to complex investigations; advanced malware reverse engineering or penetration-testing experience is beneficial but not required

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institute in a technical discipline applicable to the position; an additional 4 years of may be substituted in lieu of a degree
• Minimum of eight (8) years of relevant experience in addition to education level
• Expert-level hands-on experience in SOC operations, cyber defense analysis, incident investigation, and incident response in complex enterprise environments
• Demonstrated experience leading complex investigations while remaining technically hands-on.
• Demonstrated ability to establish or materially improve SOC operating procedures, investigative standards, incident workflows, or analyst qualification/training programs
• Strong knowledge of enterprise networking, network security monitoring, host/endpoint analysis, identity/authentication activity, incident response, and adversary TTPs
• Experience collaborating with SIEM/SOAR, detection, network-security, endpoint, vulnerability, and other cybersecurity engineering teams
• Experience helping establish, transform, or mature a SOC, CSIRT, or cyber defense capability is highly desired
• Must possess current DoD 8570 IAT II or IAM II certification
• Experience working in a DoD or IC environment
• Current active TS/SCI clearance, with the ability to obtain and maintain a CI polygraph

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veteran/Disabled