Senior Cybersecurity Engineer - IT Defense & Vulnerability

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); Fort Collins (CO); On-site; USD 126,000 - 164,000; Full time

Job summary

The incumbent at USDA APHIS participates in administering a program that integrates cybersecurity throughout the IT solution development lifecycle and provides full lifecycle vulnerability assessment for all MRP IT systems as a senior engineer in the Cybersecurity Services Directorate.

Position focuses on designing and implementing defensive capabilities, conducting threat analysis, and aligning with federal IT security guidelines to safeguard information systems.

Qualifications

• Attention to Detail – Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
• Customer Service – Works with clients and customers to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services.
• Oral Communication – Expresses information to individuals or groups effectively, considers audience and information nature; makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others.
• Problem Solving – Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Serves as a technical authority responsible for designing, engineering, and recommending implementation of advanced defensive capabilities and integrating cutting-edge security technologies.
• Conducts complex analysis, correlates threat intelligence with telemetry, and develops detection logic that shapes enterprise-level defensive posture.
• Applies authoritative knowledge of federal and industry IT security guidelines.
• Provides leadership to and coordinates with IT system owners, investment managers and project managers to provide full lifecycle vulnerability assessment for all MRP IT systems using a variety of techniques.
• Optimizes the effectiveness and efficiency of the IT security engineering and architecture programs based on meaningful operational and performance metrics.
• Develops policies, procedures, and processes to ensure information systems reliability and accessibility and to prevent and defend against unauthorized access to systems, networks, and data.
• Conducts risk and vulnerability assessments of planned and installed information systems to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities, risks, and protection needs.
• Remains abreast of all applicable laws, regulations, policies, standards, and guidelines affecting information technology security engineering within MRP, including any periodic changes and amendments to those documents.
• Publishes and maintains security engineering metrics on an MRP ITD assessable IT Security Executive Dashboard.

Skills

Attention to Detail

Customer Service

Oral Communication

Problem Solving

Job description

The incumbent at USDA APHIS participates in administering a program that integrates cybersecurity throughout the IT solution development lifecycle and provides full lifecycle vulnerability assessment for all MRP IT systems as a senior engineer in the Cybersecurity Services Directorate.

Position focuses on designing and implementing defensive capabilities, conducting threat analysis, and aligning with federal IT security guidelines to safeguard information systems.