Senior Cyber Security Engineer

Leidos, Inc.; United States; Hybrid; USD 94,000 - 127,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Private medical insurance

33 days annual leave

Flexible benefits & flexi-time

Job summary

Leidos, Inc. is seeking a Senior Cyber Security Engineer to lead security design, assurance, and incident response for a UK defence-focused programme.

The role emphasizes applying NIST/CIS benchmarks, implementing security as code in AWS, and delivering security governance across on-prem and cloud environments. You will shape secure designs, perform risk-based prioritisation, mentor junior staff, and engage with stakeholders to ensure compliance with government standards.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a senior cyber security engineering role delivering security outcomes across complex IT environments (on-prem and/or cloud).
• Practical experience implementing security as code and policy as code in AWS environments, leveraging tools such as AWS CloudFormation, Terraform, and AWS Organisations service control policies.
• Strong knowledge of secure configuration and hardening practices, and ability to apply benchmarks/standards (e.g., CIS, NIST, STIG) pragmatically.
• Hands-on experience with vulnerability management and risk-based prioritisation, including working with engineering teams to drive remediation.
• Experience supporting or leading incident response activities, including investigation, containment, and lessons learned.
• Ability to communicate technical security issues clearly to non-specialists and support governance/assurance decision-making.
• Experience producing high-quality security documentation and evidence suitable for audit/assurance.
• AWS security-related certifications (e.g., AWS Certified Security - Specialty) or equivalent cloud security experience.

Responsibilities

• Vulnerability Management, Reporting & Risk Prioritisation: perform regular vulnerability assessments and generate actionable reporting using approved toolsets; drive remediation to closure.
• Endpoint, Identity & Cloud Security Engineering (AWS): design and implement security controls across endpoints, IAM, and AWS cloud.
• Incident Response Leadership & Operational Security: lead containment, eradication, investigation, and recovery activities; manage security tickets.
• Secure Configuration, Hardening & Compliance Assurance: keep security toolsets updated; perform regular audits against CIS/NIST/STIG; manage exceptions.
• Security Design Review, Change Impact Assessment & ST&V: evaluate changes to security posture; plan and execute assurance activities.
• Stakeholder Engagement, Governance & Decision Support: engage with security forums; provide risk-based recommendations and evidence.
• Documentation, Mentoring & Continuous Improvement: create and maintain high-quality security documentation; mentor others.

Skills

Senior role

Security as code

AWS security

Vulnerability management

Incident response

Documentation

Security benchmarks

Security governance

Cloud security

Tools

CloudFormation

Terraform

AWS Organizations SCPs

Job description

To support current program delivery , we currently have a permanent vacancy for a Senior Cyber Security Engineer to support the development and transition into live of a MOD application and infrastructure solution providing support to a critical operational end user. Leidos is seeking an enthusiastic protective security specialist to lead the implementation and assurance of security within a key defence project. You will contribute across the delivery lifecycle-shaping secure designs, defining and assuring controls, and providing senior-level security engineering support across protective and information security. You will have demonstrable experience applying recognised security frameworks (e.g., Government Functional Standard 007, NIST, CIS benchmarks) to real-world systems and service. You will be joining a team of highly skilled and highly motivated individuals who are working on one of the UKs leading programmes.

• Vulnerability Management, Reporting & Risk Prioritisation
• Endpoint, Identity & Cloud Security Engineering (AWS)
• Incident Response Leadership & Operational Security
• Secure Configuration, Hardening & Compliance Assurance
• Security Design Review, Change Impact Assessment & ST&V
• Stakeholder Engagement, Governance & Decision Support
• Documentation, Mentoring & Continuous Improvement

Main Objectives

Vulnerability Management, Reporting & Risk Prioritisation Perform regular vulnerability assessments and generate actionable reporting using approved toolsets (or equivalent). The process should focus on ensuring scanners and signatures are current, coverage is agreed, and findings are prioritised based on risk, mission impact, and exploitability. You will support (and where required lead) triage with engineering teams to drive remediation to closure and provide clear risk narratives to senior stakeholders.

Endpoint, Identity & Cloud Security Engineering (AWS)

• Endpoint Protection: drive endpoint security posture through regular updates, policy tuning, and validation activities aligned to current threats and programme requirements.
• Antivirus and Anti-malware Protection: perform assurance checks to ensure controls are deployed successfully, monitored, and kept up to date; define exceptions and compensating controls where needed.
• Network Controls: perform compliance checks and targeted audits of network security controls (e.g., firewall rules, segmentation, proxying) to ensure unauthorised access and threats are blocked and logged appropriately.
• Access Control & IAM: design and ensure access controls are implemented correctly to enforce least privilege and need-to-know across systems and data; provide oversight of privileged access, account lifecycle, and authentication policy.
• AWS Cloud Security: design and assure cloud security controls across networking, identity, logging/monitoring, and configuration management; validate guardrails and support secure landing zone patterns where applicable.

Incident Response Leadership & Operational Security

• Incident Identification: help to recognise and confirm potential incidents through alerts, logs, and user reports; apply sound judgement to distinguish true threats from false positives.
• Incident Response: lead or provide senior support to containment, eradication, investigation, and recovery activities; coordinate with service owners and stakeholders to restore operations and capture lessons learned.
• Tickets & Requests: manage and resolve tickets raised to the Leidos Security group that require Cyber Security Engineering input; prioritise based on risk and impact, and mentor others through complex issues.

Secure Configuration, Hardening & Compliance Assurance

• Patch Updates to Security Products: ensure security toolsets are kept up to date with patches and software updates; assess impact and coordinate change implementation in line with governance.
• System Compliance: perform and oversee regular compliance audits to ensure systems meet agreed baselines and best practices (e.g., CIS, STIG, NIST); manage exceptions with evidence-based rationale and compensating controls.
• Security Enforcing Function Configuration: assist in the design, review, and improvement of security enforcing functions (e.g., GPOs, system policies, cloud guardrails) to ensure they are compliant, testable, and fit for purpose.
• Assurance Activities: conduct periodic technical assessments (configuration reviews, control testing, threat-driven checks) to identify weaknesses and drive measurable improvements.

Security Design Review, Change Impact Assessment & ST&V

• Security Impact Triage Tool (SITT): lead or support evaluation and impact assessment of proposed changes to security posture; provide clear recommendations, conditions, and required evidence for approval.
• Security Evaluation, Testing and Assurance (ST&V): plan and execute security evaluation and assurance activities for changes delivered through PI Planning; define test scope, coordinate evidence capture, and ensure outcomes are documented and traceable.

Stakeholder Engagement, Governance & Decision Support

Senior Cyber Security Engineers are expected to lead and contribute to governance forums and working groups, providing clear security advice, risk-based recommendations, and decision support. This may include the following depending on work activity. You will interface with customer security representatives, accreditation/assurance stakeholders, delivery teams, and third‑party/supplier engineers to agree security requirements, provide evidence, manage risks and exceptions, and support timely decisions.

• Security Working Group (SWG)
• Customer/Supplier Security Forums
• Vulnerability Triage
• Security Workshop
• PI Planning
• Daily Standups (Blue/Green Team)

Documentation, Mentoring & Continuous Improvement

Senior Cyber Security Engineers are responsible for creating, maintaining, and reviewing high‑quality documentation and security evidence. This includes High-Level & Low-Level Designs (HLD/LLD), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), risk assessments, and compliance/assurance reports. You will also support capability uplift through mentoring, knowledge sharing, and identifying opportunities to automate and improve security processes.

About the Role

The Senior Cyber Security Engineer (T4) plays a critical role in protecting and enabling mission IT by combining deep technical expertise with pragmatic risk management. You will be able to work with minimal direction on a specific programme, taking responsibility for planning, implementing, and assuring security controls across infrastructure, platforms, and applications (including cloud services). You will provide clear security advice and assurance to stakeholders, typically aligned to HMG/MOD expectations and recognised standards (e.g., NIST, CIS benchmarks), and you will support teams by sharing knowledge and guiding good practice.

Requirements

• Proven experience in a senior cyber security engineering role, delivering security outcomes across complex IT environments (on-prem and/or cloud).
• Practical experience implementing security as code and policy as code in AWS environments, leveraging tools such as AWS CloudFormation, Terraform, and AWS Organisations service control policies.
• Strong knowledge of secure configuration and hardening practices, and ability to apply benchmarks/standards (e.g., CIS, NIST, STIG) pragmatically.
• Hands‑on experience with vulnerability management and risk‑based prioritisation, including working with engineering teams to drive remediation.
• Experience supporting or leading incident response activities, including investigation, containment, and lessons learned.
• Ability to communicate technical security issues clearly to non‑specialists and support governance/assurance decision‑making.
• Experience producing high‑quality security documentation and evidence suitable for audit/assurance.
• AWS security‑related certifications (e.g., AWS Certified Security - Specialty) or equivalent cloud security experience.

Desirable Certifications

• CISSP, CISM, or equivalent senior‑level security certification.
• Degree or postgraduate qualification in cyber security, such as a master's or PhD in Information Security, Cyber Security, or a related discipline.

Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people and our community. Our mission and our values guide the way we do business. The foundation of our Leidos culture is our Values, Beliefs and Expectations by which we select, recognise and reward employees. They create the environment that drives us toward our mission. Inspired to make a difference, we are committed to solving the world's toughest problems. Passionate about customer success, we work closely with our stakeholders to understand, shape, and deliver secure solutions that enable critical outcomes. United as a team, we are bound together by our conviction that ethics and integrity are core to how we operate. In this role, you will be a trusted security practitioner, working with minimal direction on a critical programme and helping to raise the security bar across engineering and operations. Because of a key strategic development and a new exciting business opportunity, we have a requirement for a security‑cleared Senior Cyber Security Engineer (T4) based in the UK working at our Farnborough site and remotely.

Leidos has more than 30 years' experience of developing and running some of the largest government systems in the world. We are currently hiring to expand our UK based technical team who support our delivery for the UK Govt. Come join our team and further develop your skills as we deliver and support systems key to the defence of the UK and partner nations. Being part of the Leidos team is a commitment to push yourself and those around you to do better, constantly adapt and learn new technologies. We're a passionate team and are committed to developing and growing our staff. Leidos is a global science and technology solutions leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defence, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and health markets. The company's 33,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers.

Leidos UK & EUROPE – we work to make the world safer, healthier, and more efficient through technology, engineering and science. Leidos is a growing company delivering innovative technology and solutions focused on safeguarding critical capabilities and transformation in frontline services, our work in the United Kingdom includes addressing some of the most complex problems in defence, healthcare, government, safety and security, and transportation.

What Makes Us Different: Purpose: you can use your passion and abilities at Leidos to keep the people you care about safe. We are at the forefront of machine learning, AI, cyber security and solutions. Using your skills in the technology frontline by helping to build a safer world. You can inspire change. Collaboration: having flexibility to do your job is one of our core benefits, enabling you to become part of our extraordinary team. We have been empowering our people to work flexibly for years. Whether you work from home, the office or on customer sites, we will give you the digital tools and the flexibility to work smarter and align your needs and ours. People: Leidos empowers people from every background to be themselves and gives you the tools to learn new skills by enabling growth whilst developing. We believe that extraordinary people need opportunities to grow, to be inspired and to inspire others. At Leidos, we invest in technical academies, career rotations and a career development plans that enhance your future. If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 – and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com .

Benefits

• Contributory Pension Scheme
• Private Medical Insurance
• 33 days Annual Leave (including public and privilege holidays)
• Access to Flexible benefits (including life assurance, health schemes, gym memberships, annual buy and sell holidays and a cycle to work scheme)
• Flexi-Time
• Commitment to Diversity, Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision.
• That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement.
• More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits .