SME Systems Engineer

GDH; Alexandria (VA); Hybrid; USD 83,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Job summary

GDH in Alexandria, VA seeks a highly experienced SME Systems Engineer specializing in Identity Management, with a primary focus on Microsoft Entra, to support ICAM modernization for government agencies. You will design secure access frameworks, manage identity lifecycles, and ensure Zero Trust alignment across diverse infrastructure.

The role is hybrid, based in Alexandria with on-site and remote work. Strong government experience, DoD 8570 IAT II+ certification, and eligibility for U.S.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of relevant experience or equivalent technical expertise.
• DoD 8570 IAT Level II or higher certifications.
• Knowledge of federated identity protocols such as SAML, OAuth, OIDC, and AD/LDAP.
• Hands-on experience with Smart Card / CAC authentication and PKI validation.
• Ability to design federal Zero Trust identity frameworks (NIST SP 800-207).
• U.S. citizenship with eligibility for a U.S. Government security clearance (Active Secret).
• Experience with ICAM programs for government agencies, ideally Coast Guard or DHS.
• Familiarity with identity tools: SailPoint, Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, Ping Identity, DigiCert, Power BI.
• RESTful API authorization, secure gateways, and data schema security.

Responsibilities

• Lead modernization of legacy access controls into secure ICAM solutions.
• Manage directories, federation, authentication, authorization, and SSO.
• Architect identity lifecycle workflows, user provisioning, and privilege management.
• Design and deploy Zero Trust identity principles per NIST SP 800-207.
• Configure and manage PKI systems, credentials and authenticators.
• Implement MFA, SSO, and PAM across environments.
• Develop federated identity services for partner interoperability.
• Conduct privilege audits and performance optimization.

Skills

Identity Management

Zero Trust

ICAM

Security Clearance

Education

High School Diploma

DoD 8570 IAT Level II+

Tools

SailPoint

Okta

Microsoft Entra ID

Ping Identity

DigiCert

Power BI

Job description

Role Summary

This position requires a highly experienced SME Systems Engineer specializing in Identity Management, with a primary focus on Microsoft Entra. The role involves supporting critical ICAM modernization initiatives for government agencies, designing and implementing secure access control frameworks across diverse infrastructure. The engineer will serve as a technical authority for enterprise identity management, ensuring alignment with federal Zero Trust principles and security standards. This is a hybrid role based in Alexandria, VA, combining on-site and remote work.

Role Summary

This position requires a highly experienced SME Systems Engineer specializing in Identity Management, with a primary focus on Microsoft Entra. The role involves supporting critical ICAM modernization initiatives for government agencies, designing and implementing secure access control frameworks across diverse infrastructure. The engineer will serve as a technical authority for enterprise identity management, ensuring alignment with federal Zero Trust principles and security standards. This is a hybrid role based in Alexandria, VA, combining on-site and remote work.

Responsibilities

• Lead the modernization of legacy access controls into robust, secure ICAM solutions.
• Manage enterprise directories, federation, authentication, authorization, and single sign-on (SSO) protocols.
• Architect identity lifecycle workflows, user provisioning, and privilege management controls.
• Design and deploy Zero Trust identity principles in accordance with NIST SP 800-207 across network architectures.
• Configure and manage enterprise PKI systems, credentials, and secure authenticators.
• Implement logical and physical access control systems, including multi-factor authentication (MFA), SSO, and Privileged Access Management (PAM).
• Develop federated identity services to facilitate interoperability with mission partners.
• Conduct root cause analysis, privilege audits, and system performance optimization.
• Develop technical interfaces, data flow architectures, and compliance documentation for ICAM systems.
• Serve as the technical owner for Microsoft Entra tenant, managing its security policies and integration strategies.

Qualifications

• High School diploma with 10+ years of relevant experience or equivalent technical expertise.
• Certifications: DoD 8570 IAT Level II or higher (e.g., Security+ CE, CySA+), or vendor-specific identity certifications.
• Extensive technical knowledge of federated identity protocols such as SAML, OAuth, OIDC, and Active Directory / LDAP.
• Hands-on experience with managing Smart Card / CAC authentication and PKI certificate validation.
• Proven ability to design and implement federal Zero Trust identity frameworks (NIST SP 800-207).
• This position requires eligibility for a U.S. Government security clearance. In accordance with federal law, U.S. citizenship is required. (Active Secret security clearance).
• Experience supporting government identity management programs, preferably within the U.S. Coast Guard or DHS.
• Familiarity with integrating data governance with ICAM solutions for data-level access control.
• Knowledge of enterprise identity tools such as SailPoint, Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, Ping Identity, DigiCert, or Power BI.
• Advanced understanding of RESTful API authorization, secure gateways, and data schema security standards.

Publishing Pay Range: $60.00 – $65.00 hourly

This position offers a hybrid schedule, with time split between the office and remote work.