IT Project Lead, SME

Agile Defense; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive benefits package

Supportive work culture

Job summary

A defense technology company based in Washington, DC is hiring an IT Project Lead, SME to oversee cybersecurity operations and execution of the ISaaS program. The successful candidate will have senior-level experience, a strong knowledge of NIST RMF, and demonstrated leadership in managing large, multi-team programs. This role requires the ability to effectively communicate with senior Government representatives and ensure compliance with security protocols. A competitive benefits package and focus on employee culture are included.

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing enterprise-scale cybersecurity initiatives.
• Expertise in NIST RMF, FISMA, and federal authorization processes is required.
• Experience as a primary technical liaison with senior Government stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for ISaaS teams and ensure compliance with DOJ policies.
• Manage program performance, including oversight of budgets and staffing.
• Assess cybersecurity risks and ensure audit readiness across the system.

Skills

Leadership

Cybersecurity

Risk Management Framework (RMF)

Team Management

Communication

Education

Senior-level experience in cybersecurity

Experience with NIST RMF

Job description

At Agile Defense we know that action defines the outcome and new challenges require new solutions. That’s why we always look to the future and embrace change with an unmovable spirit and the courage to build for what comes next.

Our vision is to bring adaptive innovation to support our nation's most important missions through the seamless integration of advanced technologies, elite minds, and unparalleled agility—leveraging a foundation of speed, flexibility, and ingenuity to strengthen and protect our nation’s vital interests.

Requisition #: 1410

Job Tittle: IT Project Lead, SME

Location: Washington, DC

Clearance: TS/SCI

Required Certification: CISSP

The IT Project Lead – SME serves as the ISaaS Technical Director and Team Lead, with overall responsibility for the successful technical, operational, and financial execution of the Information Security as a Service (ISaaS) program. This individual is accountable for ATO continuity, ISSO/ISSE service delivery, risk management, quality assurance, and performance outcomes across a large, complex DOJ enterprise environment.

The Technical Director acts as the primary technical point of contact for DOJ Government representatives and provides senior leadership across all ISaaS teams, ensuring compliance with DOJ policies, NIST RMF requirements, and call order objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Program & Technical Leadership

• Provide overall leadership and direction for all ISaaS teams, including ISSOs, ISSEs, ISSRs, and supporting staff.
• Lead the technical execution of enterprise-scale ISSO/ISSE services across systems at varying authorization maturity levels.
• Serve as the official technical interface with DOJ, OCIO, ISRMU, Authorizing Officials, and other Government stakeholders.

Program Management & Oversight

• Manage one or more programs or projects, including oversight of subordinate project and program managers.
• Ensure adherence to schedule, cost, scope, and performance objectives in accordance with call order requirements.
• Monitor call order performance, subcontractor execution, and funding levels; develop forecasts of program financial performance.
• Lead preparation and delivery of all required call order, programmatic, and financial reports.

Risk Management & Security Operations

• Assess cybersecurity risks, identify threats, and evaluate system and network security programs to inform ISaaS strategy.
• Apply the NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF) to manage authorization activities, continuous monitoring, and incident response.
• Ensure timely ATOs, proactive remediation of findings, and sustained audit readiness across the system portfolio.

Quality Assurance & Process Improvement

• Develop, implement, and maintain Quality Assurance (QA) programs for all ISaaS products and services.
• Establish and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) in collaboration with Government personnel to improve consistency, efficiency, and compliance.
• Drive continuous improvement through metrics, performance monitoring, and lessons learned.

Staffing & Workforce Management

• Lead recruiting, interviewing, hiring onboarding, training, and supervision of ISaaS personnel.
• Assign staff to systems and portfolios based on risk, complexity, and workload.
• Provide technical direction, mentorship, and performance feedback to professional and technical staff.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain strong collaborative relationships with DOJ, OCIO, ISRMU, and other Government organizations.
• Coordinate cybersecurity operations and best practices across multiple organizational components and mission areas.
• Support cybersecurity assessments and ensure deployment of best practices resulting from those assessments.

Qualifications & Experience

Required

• Senior-level experience leading enterprise-scale cybersecurity, RMF, ISSO/ISSE, or information assurance programs.
• Demonstrated expertise with NIST RMF, FISMA, and federal authorization processes.
• Proven experience managing large, multi-team programs with budget, staffing, and performance accountability.
• Experience serving as a primary technical liaison with senior Government stakeholders.

Preferred / Highly Desired

• Prior experience supporting DOJ, or IC customers.
• Experience operating under performance-based or firm-fixed-price contracts.
• Familiarity with portfolio-based ISSO/ISSE delivery models and scalable authorization approaches.
• Experience introducing automation or tooling to improve RMF efficiency and consistency (without compromising compliance).

Employees of Agile Defense are our number one priority, and the importance we place on our culture here is fundamental. Our culture is alive and evolving, but it always stays true to its roots. Here, you are valued as a family member, and we believe that we can accomplish great things together. Agile Defense has been highly successful in the past few years due to our employees and the culture we create together.

What makes us Agile? We call it the 6Hs, the values that define our culture and guide everything we do. Together, these values infuse vibrancy, integrity, and a tireless work ethic into advancing the most important national security and critical civilian missions. It's how we show up every day. It's who we are.

We also believe in supporting our employees by offering a competitive and comprehensive benefits package. To explore the benefits we offer, please visit our website under the Careers section.

Happy - Be Infectious.

Happiness multiplies and creates a positive and connected environment where motivation and satisfaction have an outsized effect on everything we do.

Helpful - Be Supportive.

Being helpful is the foundation of teamwork, resulting in a supportive atmosphere where collaboration flourishes, and collective success is celebrated.

Honest - Be Trustworthy.

Honesty serves as our compass, ensuring transparent communication and ethical conduct, essential to who we are and the complex domains we support.

Humble - Be Grounded.

Success is not achieved alone, humility ensures a culture of mutual respect, encouraging open communication, and a willingness to learn from one another and take on any task.

Hungry - Be Eager.

Our hunger for excellence drives an insatiable appetite for innovation and continuous improvement, propelling us forward in the face of new and unprecedented challenges.

Hustle - Be Driven.

Hustle is reflected in our relentless work ethic, where we are each committed to going above and beyond to advance the mission and achieve success.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities