Senior Associate

SecureIT; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

SecureIT is seeking a Sr. Associate to perform advanced assessment and advisory work on client engagements under Manager supervision. You will own workstreams, deliver high-quality outputs, and guide Associates while managing delivery within scope, schedule, and budget.

The role emphasizes client-facing details, independence, and ongoing knowledge-sharing to improve playbooks and processes. Growth toward Manager-level responsibilities is encouraged.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of security and compliance experience in professional services.
• Familiarity with NIST 800-53 or related frameworks.
• Experience contributing to assessment or advisory engagements, including evidence review and documentation.

Responsibilities

• Perform hands-on execution of assigned assessment/advisory tasks with minimal oversight.
• Produce high-quality deliverables (e.g., control assessments, evidence reviews, findings, documentation) on schedule.
• Self-QA work product before submission and incorporate Manager feedback promptly.
• Track and report status and hours for assigned tasks to the Manager.
• Flag scope, timeline, or quality risks within their workstream to the Manager.
• Provide day-to-day guidance and technical direction to Associates on the engagement.
• Help onboard new or junior team members to project tools, processes, and expectations.

Skills

Security & compliance

Attention to detail

Written & verbal communication

Time management

Independent work

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field

Job description

About the Role

The Sr. Associate is an experienced individual contributor who performs advanced, hands-on assessment and advisory work on one or more client engagements under the direction of a Manager. Sr. Associates take ownership of assigned workstreams and deliverables, provide day-to-day guidance to Associates, and act as a trusted resource for client-facing detail work, while the Manager retains accountability for overall project execution, scope, schedule, and budget.

SecureIT staffs from a firm-wide talent pool rather than fixed teams. The engagements and colleagues a Sr. Associate works with will change as staffing needs evolve; Sr. Associates work with whoever is assigned based on capability and availability.

Workstream Ownership vs. Project Leadership

Consistent with SecureIT's model, the Sr. Associate owns high-quality execution of assigned workstreams but does not own overall project leadership or the formal employee lifecycle.

The Sr. Associate owns:

• Hands-on execution of assigned assessment/advisory workstreams and deliverables.
• Quality and completeness of their own work product, consistent with SecureIT methodology and standards.
• Day-to-day guidance and knowledge-sharing for Associates working alongside them.
• Client interaction at the workstream level (e.g., evidence requests, interviews, clarifying questions) under the Manager’s direction.
• Timely escalation of workstream issues, blockers, or quality concerns to the Manager.

The Sr. Associate does not own:

• Overall project scope, schedule, or budget.
• Performance reviews or the formal performance-management process.
• Career planning, promotions, compensation, or level decisions.
• Hiring, requisitions, or offers.
• Client relationship ownership at the engagement level.

Sr. Associates are expected to be a strong, timely input into these decisions. The Manager and People Operations own the process and follow-through.

Responsibilities and tasking include

Workstream Execution & Quality

• Perform hands-on execution of assigned assessment/advisory tasks with minimal oversight.
• Produce high-quality deliverables (e.g., control assessments, evidence reviews, findings, documentation) on schedule.
• Self-QA work product before submission and incorporate Manager feedback promptly.
• Track and report status and hours for assigned tasks to the Manager.
• Flag scope, timeline, or quality risks within their workstream to the Manager.

Client Support

• Support evidence/request collection, interview scheduling, and information gathering with the client(s).
• Respond to client questions within their workstream, escalating anything outside their scope to the Manager.
• Represent SecureIT professionally in all client interactions.

Mentorship & Team Support

• Provide day-to-day guidance and technical direction to Associates on the engagement.
• Help onboard new or junior team members to project tools, processes, and expectations.
• Provide informal, timely feedback to the Manager on Associate performance based on observed project work.

Quality, Capability & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain current working knowledge of relevant service-line frameworks and standards.
• Contribute lessons learned, templates, and process improvements to the Manager and playbooks.
• Pursue growth toward Manager-level responsibilities (e.g., scoping, budgeting, client ownership).

What You’ll Bring to the Table

Knowledge & Experience

• 2+ years of experience in security and compliance within a professional services capacity.
• Working knowledge of NIST 800-53 or other relevant compliance frameworks.
• Experience contributing to assessment or advisory engagements, including evidence review and documentation.
• Ability to manage multiple assigned tasks and deadlines with limited supervision.

Soft Skills

• Strong attention to detail and consistent, high-quality work product.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, including with clients.
• Ability to take direction and incorporate feedback quickly.
• Comfortable working independently and as part of a larger team.
• Developing leadership skills - reliability, initiative, and willingness to guide others.
• Effective time management and adaptability in a fast-changing environment.

Certifications & Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field.
• Progress toward or completion of a relevant certification (e.g., CySA+, CCSK, CMMC RP, AWS Solutions Architect Associate or other cloud-relevant certifications) preferred.

How Success Is Defined

Success in this role is measured primarily through the quality and reliability of workstream execution. A successful Sr. Associate consistently delivers:

• High-quality, on-time deliverables within their assigned workstream(s).
• Minimal rework needed following Manager QA review.
• Strong, professional client interactions at the workstream level.
• Effective guidance and support to Associates on the engagement.
• Growing readiness to take on Manager-level responsibilities.