Senior Incident Response Analyst

Leidos; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 131,000 - 237,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos in Arlington, VA seeks a Senior Incident Response Analyst to join the DHS CISA SOC program, driving incident detection, response, and threat analysis to protect government networks.

You will coordinate investigations, analyze indicators, and develop playbooks while tuning EDR/IDS/SIEM tools to enhance detection and response capabilities. Strong communication and independent work style are essential for success in this role.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, Cyber Security, or related field with 12-15 years of related experience.
• In-depth knowledge of each phase of the Incident Response lifecycle.
• Expertise with Operating Systems (Windows/Linux) and artifacts.
• Experience with Cyber Kill Chain and ATT&CK Framework.
• Scripting experience with Python, PowerShell, and/or Bash.
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks with little supervision.
• Strong communication skills for all audience levels.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate investigation and response efforts throughout the Incident Response lifecycle.
• Correlate and analyze events and data to determine the scope of cyber incidents.
• Acquire and analyze endpoint and network artifacts, memory, malware and scripts.
• Develop and maintain Incident Response processes, playbooks, and workflows.
• Tune security tools to reduce false positives and improve SOC detection capabilities.
• Document actions in Case Management Systems and prepare Incident Reports.
• Create metrics and KPIs to drive SOC maturity and content like scripts and alerts.

Skills

Incident response

Python scripting

PowerShell

ATT&CK Framework

Cyber Kill Chain

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

EDR

IDS

SIEM

Job description

Description

At Leidos, we deliver innovative solutions through the efforts of our diverse and talented people who are dedicated to our customers’ success. We empower our teams, contribute to our communities, and operate sustainable. Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community. Our Mission, Vision, and Values guide the way we do business.

If this sounds like the kind of environment where you can thrive, keep reading!

The Digital Modernization Sector brings together our digital transformation and IT programs, allowing us to better serve our customers through scale and repeatability. Leidos has a critical need for a Senior Incident Response Analyst to support the DHS CISA Program.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Security Operations Center (SOC) Support Services is a US Government program responsible to monitor, detect, analyze, mitigate, and respond to cyber threats and adversarial activity on the DHS Enterprise. The DHS SOC has primary responsibility for monitoring and responding to security events and incidents detected at the Trusted Internet Connection (TIC) and Policy Enforcement Point (PEP) and is responsible for directing and coordinating detection and response activities performed by each Component SOC. Direction and coordination are achieved through a new shared DHS incident tracking system and other means of coordination and communication. Leidos is seeking a Senior Incident Response Analyst to join our team on this highly visible DHS CISA SOC Program.

Incident Responder will perform the following:

• Coordinate investigation and response efforts throughout the Incident Response lifecycle
• Correlate and analyze events and data to determine scope of Cyber Incidents
• Acquire and analyze endpoint and network artifacts, volatile memory, malicious files/binaries and scripts
• Recognize attacker tactics, techniques, and procedures as potential indicators of compromise (IOCs) that can be used to improve monitoring, analysis and Incident Response.
• Develop, document, and maintain Incident Response process, procedures, workflows, and playbooks
• Tune and maintain security tools (EDR, IDS, SIEM, etc) to reduce false positives and improve SOC detection capabilities
• Document Investigation and Incident Response actions taken in Case Management Systems and prepare formal Incident Reports
• Create metrics and determine Key Performance Indicators to drive maturity of SOC operations
• Develop security content such as scripts, signatures, and alerts

Basic Qualifications

Bachelors’ degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, Cyber Security, or related field and 12-15 years of related experience. Additional years of experience and/or cyber certifications may be considered in lieu of degree.

In-depth knowledge of each phase of the Incident Response life cycle

• Expertise of Operating Systems (Windows/Linux) operations and artifacts
• Expertise of Enterprise Network Architectures to include routing/switching, common protocols (DHCP, DNS, HTTP, etc), and devices (Firewalls, Proxies, Load Balancers, VPN, etc)
• Ability to recognize suspicious activity/events, common attacker TTPs, and perform logical analysis and research to determine root cause and scope of Incidents
• Expertise with Cyber Kill Chain and have utilized the ATT&CK Framework
• Have scripting experience with Python, PowerShell, and/or Bash
• Ability to independently prioritize and complete multiple tasks with little to no supervision
• Flexible and adaptable self-starter with strong relationship-building skills
• Strong problem-solving abilities with an analytic and qualitative eye for reasoning
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to communicate with all levels of audiences (subordinates, peers & leadership)
• Candidate must have technical hands on experience in the areas of incident detection and response, malware analysis, or computer forensics.

All Department of Homeland Security SOC employees are required to favorably pass a 5-year (BI) Background Investigation.

Candidates will have at least one of the following certifications:

• SANS GIAC: GCIH, GCIA, GCFA, GPEN GCFE, GREM
• CISSP OSCP, OSCE, OSWP

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in cyber government, and/or federal law enforcement FISMA systems.

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.

Original Posting

September 20, 2026

For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

Pay Range

Pay Range $131,300.00 - $237,350.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline onlyand not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

About Leidos

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.

Pay and Benefits

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.

Securing Your Data

Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos’ name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system – never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at [e-mail].

If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.

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