Security Specialist

Socket.dev; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 203,000; Full time

Job summary

Accenture Federal Services is seeking an Application Security Lead responsible for end-to-end security readiness of applications and regulatory compliance across federal programs. You will drive security architecture, threat modeling, secure configurations, and risk management, coordinating with product, engineering, and cloud teams.

The role requires 7+ years of experience in security, hands-on cloud security and secure development practices, plus ability to obtain a government TS clearance.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional security experience.
• Experience leading application or cloud security initiatives in regulated environments with ATO.
• Hands-on with cloud security services (Azure/AWS), IAM, network segmentation, encryption, monitoring.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end security readiness of applications and ensure compliance with federal and enterprise security frameworks.
• Drive security architecture design, secure configurations, threat modeling, and alignment with standards.
• Coordinate security assessments, vulnerability analyses, penetration testing reviews, and remediation planning.
• Collaborate with product, engineering, cloud and compliance teams to implement secure-by-design solutions.
• Develop and maintain security documentation (SSPs, POA&Ms, diagrams, control evidence).
• Enforce best practices for application security, identity management, secure CI/CD pipelines, and hardening.

Skills

Security leadership

Security architecture

Cloud security

DevSecOps tooling

Threat modeling

Tools

SSPs

POA&Ms

Job description

At Accenture Federal Services, nothing matters more than helping the US federal government make the nation stronger and safer and life better for people.Our 13,000+ people are united in a shared purpose to pursue the limitless potential of technology and ingenuity for clients across defense, national security, public safety, civilian, and military health organizations.

Join Accenture Federal Services, a technology company within global Accenture. Recognized as a Glassdoor Top 100 Best Place to Work, we offer a collaborative and caring community where you feel like you belong and are empowered to grow, learn and thrive through hands-on experience, certifications, industry training and more.

Join us to drive positive, lasting change that moves missions and the government forward!

The work

The Application Security Lead is responsible for leading the end‑to‑end security readiness of applications, ensuring compliance with federal and enterprise security frameworks, ATO processes, and risk management requirements. The role drives security architecture design, secure configurations, threat modeling, and alignment with enterprise and regulatory standards. Additional responsibilities include coordinating and executing security assessments, vulnerability analyses, penetration testing reviews, and remediation planning. The Application Security Lead partners with product, engineering, cloud, and compliance teams to understand system requirements and implement secure‑by‑design solutions. This role develops and maintains security documentation, establishes best practices for application security and identity management, and provides guidance on secure development practices. The lead oversees the implementation and monitoring of security controls to ensure compliance, resiliency, and ATO sustainment, and drives continuous improvement in security processes, tooling, and engineering workflows.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the end‑to‑end security readiness of applications, including compliance with federal and enterprise security frameworks, ATO processes, and risk management requirements
• Drive security architecture design, ensuring secure configurations, threat modeling, and alignment with enterprise and regulatory standards
• Coordinate and execute security assessments, vulnerability analyses, penetration testing reviews, and remediation planning
• Partner with product, engineering, cloud, and compliance teams to understand system requirements and implement secure‑by‑design solutions
• Develop and maintain security documentation, including SSPs, POA&Ms, security diagrams, control evidence, and continuous monitoring artifacts
• Establish and enforce best practices for application security, identity and access management, secure CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure hardening
• Provide guidance and mentorship on secure development practices, helping teams adopt and mature security capabilities across the SDLC
• Oversee the implementation and monitoring of security controls to ensure ongoing compliance, operational resiliency, and ATO sustainment
• Drive continuous improvement in security processes, tooling, and engineering workflows to reduce risk and elevate overall security posture

Here’s what you need:

• 7+ years of professional experience
• Extensive experience leading application or cloud security initiatives, preferably within regulated environments requiring ATO or equivalent compliance frameworks
• Strong practical expertise in security architecture, secure application design, and implementation of technical security controls
• Hands‑on experience with cloud security services (Azure, AWS, or equivalent), IAM models, network segmentation, encryption, and monitoring solutions
• Familiarity with federal, enterprise, or industry security frameworks (NIST 800‑53, FedRAMP, Zero Trust, CIS benchmarks)
• Proficiency with DevSecOps tooling, automated security scanning, and secure pipeline orchestration
• Experience producing high‑quality security documentation, including SSPs, policies, diagrams, and technical control evidence
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across engineering, compliance, governance, and operational teams to deliver secure and scalable solutions
• Strong understanding of security governance principles, risk management, and continuous monitoring practices

Nice to have:

• Experience serving as a technical security lead on application development or modernization programs
• Knowledge of cloud‑native architectures, container security, and serverless security controls
• Familiarity with enterprise transformation programs and secure cloud adoption frameworks
• Experience with governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) platforms and enterprise security management practices
• Background in automation, security orchestration, and integration of security tooling within CI/CD workflows

Core skills & competencies:

• Security leadership and the ability to influence across diverse technical teams
• Strong analytical reasoning, risk assessment, and problem‑solving capabilities
• Exceptional communication skills for both technical and non‑technical audiences
• Ability to manage multiple security workstreams in fast‑paced and evolving environments
• Commitment to security excellence, compliance discipline, and continuous improvement

Eligibility Requirements:

• U.S. Citizenship required
• Ability to obtain a government TS clearance

As required by local law, Accenture Federal Services provides reasonable ranges of compensation for hired roles based on labor costs in the states of California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia, and the city of Cleveland. The base pay range for this position in these locations is shown below. Compensation for roles at Accenture Federal Services varies depending on a wide array of factors, including but not limited to office location, role, skill set, and level of experience. Accenture Federal Services offers a wide variety of benefits. You can find more information on benefits here. We accept applications on an on-going basis and there is no fixed deadline to apply.

The pay range for the states of California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia, and the city of Cleveland is:

$100,200—$203,400 USD

What We Believe

As a company wholly dedicated to serving the US federal government, we bring together the best talent to help reinvent how federal agencies operate and deliver greater value for their mission and the American people. We have an unwavering commitment to creating a culture in which all our people are respected, feel a sense of belonging, and have equal opportunity. As a business imperative, every person at Accenture Federal Services has the responsibility to create and sustain a culture where everyone feels welcomed and included. This is grounded in our core values and our experience that hiring and developing great people who reflect different perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds is key to driving innovation and delivering the results that our clients and the country count on.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

We believe that no one should be discriminated against because of their differences. All employment decisions shall be made without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status or any other basis as protected by federal, state, or local law. Our rich diversity makes us more innovative, more competitive, and more creative, which helps us better serve our clients and our communities. For details, view a copy of theAccenture Federal Services Equal Opportunity Policy Statement.

Accenture Federal Services is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Additionally, as an Affirmative Action Employer for Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities, Accenture Federal Services is committed to providing veteran employment opportunities to our service men and women.

Requesting An Accommodation

Accenture Federal Services is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities or religious observances, including reasonable accommodation when needed. If you are hired by Accenture Federal Services and require accommodation to perform the essential functions of your role, you will be asked to participate in our reasonable accommodation process. Accommodations made to facilitate the recruiting process are not a guarantee of future or continued accommodations once hired.

If youare being considered for employment opportunities with Accenture Federal Services andneed anaccommodation for a disability or religious observanceduring the interview process or for the job you are interviewing for, please speak with your recruiter.

Other Employment Statements

Applicants for employment in the US must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States.

Candidates who are currently employed by a client of Accenture Federal Services or an affiliated Accenture business may not be eligible for consideration.

Job candidates will not be obligated to disclose sealed or expunged records of conviction or arrest as part of the hiring process.

The Company will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. Additionally, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the Company's legal duty to furnish information.

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