Security Operations Lead

Applied Information Sciences, Inc.; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 138,000 - 209,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Ownership

Continuous Learning

Inclusive Culture

Mission-Driven Work

Job summary

Applied Information Sciences (AIS) seeks a Security Architect / Security Operations Lead to design and oversee enterprise security across on‑premises and cloud environments. You will guide penetration testing, CDM implementation, and security governance while mentoring analysts and coordinating with IT, compliance, and executives on risk management.

The role requires a BS in IT/CS, 10+ years in security operations, 5+ years leading teams, CISSP-ISSMP/ISSAP, SIEM/SOAR experience, and an active

Qualifications

• BS in IT/CS or related field.
• 10+ years of security operations experience.
• 5+ years of leading security operations teams.
• Expertise with CDM execution, data protection, and lifecycle security.
• Strong leadership, communication, and strategic planning skills.
• Secret clearance or ability to obtain one.

Responsibilities

• Lead security operations functions including monitoring, detection, and response.
• Coordinate penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, and red team activities.
• Architect and deploy security products across hybrid environments.
• Develop governance runbooks and baselines for tools.
• Provide executive reporting on threat posture and risk.
• Mentor analysts and engineers; partner with IT, compliance, and leadership.

Skills

Security Operations

Security Leadership

Penetration Testing

CDM (Continuous Diagnostics and Mitig.

Security Architecture

Threat Analysis

Team Mentoring

Executive Communication

Education

Bachelor of Science in Information Technology or Computer Science

CISSP-ISSMP

CISSP-ISSAP

Tools

SIEM/SOAR

Endpoint protection

Security architecture tools

Job description

Why AIS?

When you join AIS, you’re joining a mission-driven team that’s passionate about making a difference. You’ll work on projects that matter, alongside industry-leading experts, in an environment that fosters innovation, driving client success, and empowering our team to make a lasting impact. As an employee-owned company, we value collaboration, inclusivity, continuous growth, and shared success.

• Employee Ownership: Your contributions directly impact the company’s success, and you share in its achievements.

• Continuous Learning: Access to resources, training, and mentorship to support your professional growth.

• Inclusive Culture: A workplace where diversity is celebrated, and everyone’s voice is valued.

• Mission-Driven Work: Engage in projects that make a meaningful difference for our clients and communities.

What are we looking for?

At AIS, we’re looking for more than just skills - we’re looking for driven individuals who are passionate about making a difference, eager to grow, and aligned with our core principles.

What you will be doing?

This position is contingent upon contract award. We are currently pursuing a proposal and are seeking qualified candidates to include in our submission and identify candidates for future hiring needs on the program once awarded.

At AIS, we are dedicated to providing our employees with diverse opportunities to grow their careers while supporting a variety of impactful projects. For this position, we are seeking a talented individual to join AIS as a Security Architect.

• Core Knowledge & Skills: Develops enterprise security architectures, frameworks, and standards; utilizes advanced forensics and integrates solutions with IT systems.

• Work & Complexity: Designs secure architectures, manages integration projects, leads strategic initiatives, and enforces policies and standards.

• Quality & Independence: Ensures integrity and scalability, develops comprehensive strategies, and optimizes solutions for performance and efficiency.

• Teamwork & Communication: Leads architectural teams, builds partnerships, manages knowledge, and communicates strategies and executive reports.

• Consulting & Engagement: Provides architectural consulting, leads innovation initiatives, evaluates enterprise technologies, and builds strategic partnerships.

As your initial project assignment, you will support the unique needs of our client as a Security Operations Lead.

Project Overview

The Security Operations Lead is responsible for managing, directing, and executing enterprise security operations, including penetration testing, continuous monitoring, and advanced cyber defense activities. This role will architect, implement, and maintain security technologies, ensure data protection throughout the information lifecycle, and lead a high-performing security operations team. The ideal candidate has deep technical expertise, strong leadership skills, and extensive experience with Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) practices.

This is a proposal-based position; employment is contingent upon contract award and funding availability.

Key Responsibilities

Security Operations Leadership

• Manage and direct all security operations functions, including threat monitoring, detection, response, and remediation.

• Lead and mentor security analysts, penetration testers, and operations engineers to ensure effective cyber defense operations.

• Establish operational frameworks, runbooks, and governance processes that align with organizational security objectives.

Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM)

• Implement and oversee all phases of CDM, including asset management, vulnerability management, identity and access control, and security posture monitoring.

• Define and maintain baselines for security tools to ensure proper configuration, tuning, and deployment.

• Continuously refine CDM capabilities to align with evolving threats and compliance standards.

Security Architecture & Technology Enablement

• Architect, deploy, and maintain enterprise security products and services across on-premises and cloud environments.

• Ensure security technologies are effectively integrated, optimized, and aligned with enterprise architecture.

• Recommend and implement innovative solutions to protect data throughout its lifecycle-creation, storage, processing, transmission, and destruction.

Penetration Testing & Threat Analysis

• Oversee and coordinate penetration testing activities, vulnerability assessments, and red team engagements.

• Evaluate emerging threats and security trends to inform strategy and defense enhancements.

• Ensure timely remediation and risk mitigation across environments.

Collaboration & Reporting

• Partner with IT, engineering, compliance, and executive leadership to align security operations with business priorities.

• Provide executive-level reporting on threat posture, operational performance, and risk management outcomes.

• Serve as an escalation point for major incidents and complex security challenges.

Required For This Opportunity

• Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field.

• Minimum 10 years of experience delivering security operations and penetration testing support.

• Minimum 5 years of experience managing and directing security operations teams.

• Extensive experience with:

  • Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) execution

  • Enterprise security tool deployment, configuration, and baseline management

  • Data protection and lifecycle security strategies

  • Security architecture and engineering across hybrid environments

• Strong leadership, communication, and decision-making skills.

• Clearance: Secret

Certifications (Mandatory)

• CISSP-ISSMP (Information Systems Security Management Professional)

• CISSP-ISSAP (Information Systems Security Architecture Professional)

Preferred Certification

• CNSE (Certified Network Security Engineer)

Nice to Have Skills

• Experience in highly regulated, federal, or mission-critical environments.

• Expertise with SIEM/SOAR platforms, endpoint protection tools, and advanced threat analytics.

• Knowledge of NIST frameworks, zero-trust architecture, and modern cyber defense methodologies.

At AIS, we are committed to offering competitive and fair compensation that reflects the skills, experience, and contributions of each team member.The targeted base salary range for this role is $138,000-$209,000 per year. Please note that this range is provided as a guideline and the final offer will be based on several factors, including but not limited to, skillset and competencies, level of experience, education, certifications, and location.We value transparency in our hiring process and are happy to discuss how your unique qualifications align with our compensation structure during the interview process.

Applied Information Sciences does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis. Employment decisions are based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs.