Senior Information System Security Officer (ISSO)

AIS (Applied Information Sciences); Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 101,000 - 152,000; Full time

Job summary

Applied Information Sciences is seeking a Senior Security Engineer to support security and authorization across information systems throughout their lifecycle. The role is contingent on contract award and includes leading incident response, threat analysis, audits, and RMF artifacts management.

The successful candidate will have 7+ years as an ISSO/ISSE in a cleared environment, 9+ years in cybersecurity, and certifications like CISSP or CISM.

Qualifications

• 7+ years as an ISSO or Information System Security Engineer in a cleared facility.
• 9+ years in a computer science or cybersecurity-related field.
• Familiarity with security tools such as Nessus, Splunk, Guardium, WebInspect, NMAP or similar applications.
• Must possess at least one of the following certifications: CISM, CISSO, CISSP, CISSP-ISSMP, FITSP-M, GCIA, GCIH, GCSA, GICSP, GSLC.
• Bachelor's and/or advanced degree in Computer Science, Business Management, IT, or a related discipline preferred.

Responsibilities

• Support documentation, testing, and ongoing review of information system security controls.
• Ensure systems are fully scoped and all components and technology stacks are accurately inventoried.
• Clearly document and articulate implementation of assigned security controls.
• Support preparation, review, and maintenance of Security Assessment and Authorization documentation and risk assessments.
• Support timely achievement and maintenance of system ATOs.
• Maintain current RMF artifacts, POA&Ms, system boundary documentation, data flow diagrams, network diagrams, and hardware/software inventories.
• Support continuous monitoring and vulnerability and patch management activities.
• Ensure systems that are no longer required are appropriately retired, canceled, or decommissioned.
• Coordinate with system owners, technical teams, and security stakeholders to resolve security and authorization issues.
• Serve as a Task Lead and provide ISSO support for additional systems as needed.

Skills

ISSO/ISSE experience

Incident response leadership

Vulnerability analysis

Audits & RMF knowledge

Team mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in CS/Cybersecurity

Tools

Nessus

Splunk

Guardium

WebInspect

NMAP

Job description

Why AIS?

When you join AIS, you’re joining a mission-driven team that’s passionate about making a difference. You’ll work on projects that matter, alongside industry-leading experts, in an environment that fosters innovation, driving client success, and empowering our team to make a lasting impact. As an employee-owned company, we value collaboration, inclusivity, continuous growth, and shared success.

• Employee Ownership: Your contributions directly impact the company’s success, and you share in its achievements.
• Continuous Learning: Access to resources, training, and mentorship to support your professional growth.
• Inclusive Culture: A workplace where diversity is celebrated, and everyone’s voice is valued.
• Mission-Driven Work: Engage in projects that make a meaningful difference for our clients and communities.

Why AIS?

When you join AIS, you’re joining a mission-driven team that’s passionate about making a difference. You’ll work on projects that matter, alongside industry-leading experts, in an environment that fosters innovation, driving client success, and empowering our team to make a lasting impact. As an employee-owned company, we value collaboration, inclusivity, continuous growth, and shared success.

• Employee Ownership: Your contributions directly impact the company’s success, and you share in its achievements.
• Continuous Learning: Access to resources, training, and mentorship to support your professional growth.
• Inclusive Culture: A workplace where diversity is celebrated, and everyone’s voice is valued.
• Mission-Driven Work: Engage in projects that make a meaningful difference for our clients and communities.

What are we looking for?

At AIS, we're looking for more than just skills - we're looking for driven individuals who are passionate about making a difference, eager to grow, and aligned with our core principles.

What you will be doing?

This position is contingent upon contract award. We are currently pursuing a proposal and are seeking qualified candidates to include in our submission and identify candidates for future hiring needs on the program once awarded.

At AIS, we are dedicated to providing our employees with diverse opportunities to grow their careers while supporting a variety of impactful projects. For this position, we are seeking a talented individual to join AIS as a Senior Security Engineer.

• Core Knowledge & Skills: Designs secure architectures, leverages advanced threat detection, leads incident response, and implements security automation.
• Work & Complexity: Manages complex incidents, conducts threat analysis, leads audits, and implements process improvements.
• Quality & Independence: Delivers high-quality reports, aligns practices with industry standards, and operates with high autonomy.
• Teamwork & Communication: Leads team projects, collaborates cross-functionally, mentors juniors, and resolves conflicts.
• Consulting & Engagement: Provides strategic consulting, leads improvement initiatives, recommends advanced technologies, and manages vendor relationships.

As your initial project assignment, you will support the unique needs of our client as a Senior Information System Security Officer (ISSO).

Position Summary

The Senior Information System Security Officer supports the security and authorization of information systems throughout their lifecycle. The position works closely with system owners and technical personnel to ensure systems meet applicable security requirements, maintain an accurate security posture, and achieve and maintain Authorization to Operate (ATO). The Senior ISSO may also serve as a Task Lead and provide ISSO coverage for additional systems as needed. We have 5 total positions: 2 in Washington, DC; 2 in Huntsville, AL; 1 in Quantico, VA.

Please note that this position is for a proposal and is contingent upon contract award.

Key Responsibilities

• Support documentation, testing, and ongoing review of information system security controls.
• Ensure systems are fully scoped and all components and technology stacks are accurately inventoried.
• Clearly document and articulate implementation of assigned security controls.
• Support preparation, review, and maintenance of Security Assessment and Authorization documentation and risk assessments.
• Support timely achievement and maintenance of system ATOs.
• Maintain current RMF artifacts, POA&Ms, system boundary documentation, data flow diagrams, network diagrams, and hardware/software inventories.
• Support continuous monitoring and vulnerability and patch management activities.
• Ensure systems that are no longer required are appropriately retired, canceled, or decommissioned.
• Coordinate with system owners, technical teams, and security stakeholders to resolve security and authorization issues.
• Serve as a Task Lead and provide ISSO support for additional systems as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years of experience serving as an ISSO or Information System Security Engineer in a cleared facility.
• Minimum 9 years of work experience in a computer science or cybersecurity-related field.
• Familiarity with security tools such as Tenable Nessus/Security Center, Splunk, IBM Guardium, HP WebInspect, NMAP, or similar applications.
• Must possess at least one of the following certifications:
• CISM
• CISSO
• CISSP
• CISSP-ISSMP
• FITSP-M
• GCIA
• GCIH
• GCSA
• GICSP
• GSLC
• Bachelor's and/or advanced degree in Computer Science, Business Management, IT, or a related discipline preferred.

Clearance

Top Secret; specific assignments may require TS/SCI eligibility and a polygraph.

At AIS, we are committed to offering competitive and fair compensation that reflects the skills, experience, and contributions of each team member. The targeted base salary range for this role is $101,000-$152,000 per year. Please note that this range is provided as a guideline and the final offer will be based on several factors, including but not limited to, skillset and competencies, level of experience, education, certifications, and location. We value transparency in our hiring process and are happy to discuss how your unique qualifications align with our compensation structure during the interview process.

Applied Information Sciences does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis. Employment decisions are based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs.