Senior Information System Security Officer (ISSO)

Peraton; Laurel (MD); On-site; USD 135,000 - 216,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Discretionary bonus

Job summary

A leading national security company is looking for a Senior Information System Security Officer with a focus on managing security operations in a complex HPC environment. This role requires active TS/SCI clearance and extensive experience in cybersecurity, particularly with DOD systems. Responsibilities include ATO leadership, mentorship of junior ISSOs, and ensuring compliance with rigorous security standards. The ideal candidate possesses deep knowledge of risk management frameworks and continuous monitoring practices. Full-time on-site work is mandatory in Laurel or nearby College Park, MD.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in cybersecurity and information security.
• 8+ years supporting DOD/IC or government systems.
• Proven ability to manage RMF deliverables and ATO events.

Responsibilities

• Lead ATO/reauthorization efforts for complex systems.
• Maintain security authorization artifacts.
• Drive security engineering outcomes by collaborating with internal teams.

Skills

Leadership

Risk analysis

Continuous monitoring

Mentorship

Communication

Education

BS in Computer Science or Cybersecurity

MS and 10+ years of experience

PhD and 8+ years of experience

Tools

NIST SP 800-53

eMASS

Linux

Job description

Senior Information System Security Officer (ISSO)

Job Locations: US-MD-College Park | US-MD-Laurel

• Requisition ID: 2025-162149
• Position Category: Information Technology
• Clearance: Top Secret/SCI w/Poly

Responsibilities

Peraton Labs is seeking a poly cleared Senior Information System Security Officer for a mission‑critical, highly complex HPC environment enabling research across multiple security domains. You will own day‑to‑day security operations aligned to RMF, drive continuous monitoring, maintain ATO posture, and partner closely with subcontractor and customer personnel.

This position requires full‑time on‑site work in Laurel, or a customer site near College Park, MD.

Key responsibilities may include:

• Lead or co‑lead ATO/reauthorization efforts for complex boundary systems
• Mentor junior ISSOs and shape security operations playbooks
• Perform risk analysis and author formal recommendations to leadership
• Drive security engineering outcomes by partnering with internal teams on scalable compliance patterns
• Brief senior internal and customer stakeholders on security posture, systemic risk trends, remediation burn‑down, and authorization readiness
• Act as the Senior ISSO supporting the system security lifecycle across development, operations, and modernization
• Execute and maintain RMF activities (e.g., control implementation oversight, evidence collection, assessment support, POA&M management, continuous monitoring)
• Maintain security authorization artifacts (e.g., SSP, control narratives, diagrams, inheritance/leverage controls, CM plan, incident handling plan, contingency artifacts, user/admin procedures)
• Operate continuous monitoring: vulnerability management, config compliance, patching coordination, scan result triage, risk acceptance, and remediation verification.
• Review and approve security‑relevant changes through configuration/change control and validate security configurations after major upgrades
• Support incident response and reporting: participate in investigations, coordinate containment actions, preserve evidence, and contribute to post‑incident lessons learned
• Ensure least privilege/access governance: account management oversight, privileged access workflows, periodic access reviews, and audit compliance requirements
• Translate security requirements into implementation guidance that engineering teams can operationalize (clear, testable, and automatable where possible)

Qualifications

Required qualifications

• 12+ years of experience and a BS in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or related technical discipline, MS and 10+ years of experience, or a PhD and 8+ years of experience. Four years of additional experience is required in lieu of a Bachelors' degree for a total of 16 years of experience
• 8+ years of experience in information security/compliance supporting DOD/IC or government systems, including ownership of major RMF deliverables and ATO events for complex systems
• Demonstrated leadership experience coordinating across security, engineering, and customer stakeholders
• Ability to provide mentorship and direction to team members
• Proven ability to write risk decisions and packages that stand up to assessor/AO scrutiny
• Deep understanding of continuous monitoring at scale (recurring evidence, metrics, audit readiness, remediation governance)
• Hands‑on experience executing RMF tasks and maintaining authorization artifacts (SSP, POA&M, continuous monitoring evidence)
• Strong working knowledge of NIST SP 800‑53 controls and how they map to technical implementations and procedures
• Experience with vulnerability and configuration compliance workflows
• Familiarity with Linux‑based enterprise environments and common hardening concepts
• Ability to communicate risk clearly to both technical engineers and non‑technical leadership
• One or more active/current certifications such as: CISSP, CISM, CAP, GSLC, Security+, CCSP, INCOSE, CCNA, RHCE, MCSE, VCP, ITIL, PMP, Agile, and etc.
• This position requires an active/current TS/SCI w/ Polygraph.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience securing or assessing containerized workflows (e.g., container runtime hardening, image governance, supply chain considerations)
• Experience with eMASS (or comparable GRC tooling), security control inheritance models, and assessor engagement.
• Familiarity with vulnerability tooling and security monitoring concepts
• Experience with data protection requirements relevant to sensitive environments

Peraton Overview

Peraton is a next‑generation national security company that drives missions of consequence spanning the globe and extending to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. As the world's leading mission capability integrator and transformative enterprise IT provider, we deliver trusted, highly differentiated solutions and technologies to protect our nation and allies. Peraton operates at the critical nexus between traditional and nontraditional threats across all domains: land, sea, space, air, and cyberspace. The company serves as a valued partner to essential government agencies and supports every branch of the U.S. armed forces. Each day, our employees do the can't be done by solving the most daunting challenges facing our customers. Visit peraton.com to learn how we're keeping people around the world safe and secure.

Target Salary Range

$135,000 - $216,000. This represents the typical salary range for this position. Salary is determined by various factors, including but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the individual's experience, education, knowledge, skills, and competencies, as well as geographic location and business and contract considerations. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay.

EEO

EEO: Equal opportunity employer, including disability and protected veterans, or other characteristics protected by law.