Designated Systems Security Official (DSSO)

MITRE; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 129,000 - 194,000; Full time

Job summary

MITRE is seeking a DSSO professional to strengthen security posture across the organization and enable sponsor missions. You will partner with system owners, engineers, and stakeholders to communicate requirements, assess controls, and support audits throughout the system lifecycle.

The role requires deep knowledge of cybersecurity architecture, NIST guidance, and continuous monitoring. A Secret clearance (or ability to obtain) is required and on-site work of at least three days per week is

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 5+ years of related experience or 3+ years with a Master’s or PhD
• Knowledge of enterprise IT organizations, systems, software, and data sources
• Experience identifying, assessing, and managing security risks in an operational environment
• Experience with NIST guidance, especially SP 800-171, CMMC, and related requirements
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to perform under pressure
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance (U.S. citizen)
• Position requires a minimum of 3 days on-site per week

Responsibilities

• Own and oversee security controls for network and system infrastructure
• Provide security oversight for CDI/CUI systems and related architecture and access controls
• Conduct or oversee security audits, vulnerability assessments, and remediation activities
• Develop and track Plans of Action & Milestones (POA&Ms) and mitigate risks
• Review changes for security impact and ensure proper authorization and auditing
• Guide technical staff to ensure compliance with security responsibilities
• Maintain knowledge of cybersecurity architecture, policies, and lifecycle requirements
• Support secure network maintenance including third-party access controls and data protection

Skills

Security risk mgmt

Enterprise IT knowledge

NIST guidance

Continuous monitoring

Problem solving

Communication skills

Security clearance eligibility

On-site readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree + 5 years related experience

Master's degree or PhD with relevant experience

Job description

At MITRE, your passion fuels work that impacts our nation and improves lives. This is where your skills strengthen national security, cybersecurity, health, transportation, and citizen services. We’re a nonprofit engineering, applied research, and advanced technology organization working in the public interest. With objectivity and integrity at our core, we lead federally funded research and development centers for U.S. government agencies – collaborating with industry and academia to deliver integrated, high-impact solutions that advance our nation’s health, security, and prosperity. Our people tackle the toughest technical challenges, supported by competitive benefits, meaningful career development, and a culture of innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence. Choose MITRE for a career with purpose — and help shape the future.

The MITRE Information Security Designated System Security Official (DSSO) team is dedicated to strengthening MITRE’s security posture while enabling our internal customers to successfully execute MITRE’s diverse sponsor missions. The team provides compliance oversight to ensure security controls are appropriately documented, implemented, assessed, and maintained in accordance with applicable cybersecurity policies, standards, and regulatory requirements.

As part of the DSSO team, you will partner with system owners, engineers, and stakeholders to communicate security requirements, assess security controls and compliance risks, support audits and continuous monitoring, and help ensure vulnerabilities and identified risks are appropriately mitigated throughout the system lifecycle.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Own and oversee security controls for network / System infrastructure, ensuring controls are appropriately documented, implemented, assessed, and maintained.
• Provide security oversight for CDI/CUI systems, including system scoping, architecture, design, access controls, configuration management, maintenance, and lifecycle management.
• Conduct or oversee network security audits, vulnerability assessments, compliance scanning, risk assessments, and remediation activities.
• Develop and track Plans of Action & Milestones (POA&Ms) and ensure identified security risks and vulnerabilities are appropriately mitigated.
• Ensure adherence to security principles including least privilege, separation of duties, multifactor authentication, and physical/logical access controls.
• Ensure baseline configurations and inventories of hardware, software, firmware, and supporting documentation are established and maintained.
• Review system and network changes for security impact and ensure changes are properly tracked, reviewed, approved, and audited.
• Provide oversight and guidance to technical staff to ensure they understand and execute their security responsibilities.
• Maintain knowledge of cybersecurity architecture, policies, strategies, organizational systems, processes, and security requirements throughout the system development lifecycle.
• Support secure network maintenance activities, including appropriate controls for third-party maintenance and protection of sensitive information.

Basic Qualifications

• Typically requires a minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 3 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with relevant experience who can immediately contribute at this job step; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience
• Knowledge of enterprise IT organizations, systems, software, and data sources.
• Demonstrated experience identifying, assessing, and managing security risks in an operational environment.
• Experience working across an enterprise security program.
• Experience with NIST guidance, particularly NIST SP 800-171, CMMC, and applicable security laws, regulations, directives, and requirements.
• Understanding of information security concepts and the operational challenges associated with emerging technologies.
• Experience with or familiarity with continuous security monitoring.
• Strong problem-solving skills, initiative, and ability to perform effectively under pressure.
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Secret U.S Government issued Security Clearance. Per the U.S. Government’s eligibility requirements, you must be a U.S Citizen to be considered for a security clearance.
• This position requires a minimum of 3 days a week on-site.

Preferred Qualifications

• Deeper NIST 800-171 expertise, enterprise network and system security experience, or experience serving in a system-security-owner role
• Strong problem-solving skills, initiative, and ability to perform effectively under pressure.
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to develop effective working relationships across organizations and technical disciplines.

This requisition requires the candidate to have a minimum of the following clearance(s)

None

This requisition requires the hired candidate to have or obtain, within one year from the date of hire, the following clearance(s)

Secret

Salary compensation range and midpoint

$129,200 - $161,500 - $193,800 Annual

Work Location Type

Onsite

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local or international law.

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