Technology Researcher with Security Clearance

Nightwing; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 99,000 - 206,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Vision & Dental Insurance

401k Plan

Paid Time Off (PTO)

Holidays

Additional insurances

Job summary

Nightwing seeks a Cyber Technology Researcher to support a U.S. Government mission on-site in Arlington, VA. You will conduct capability-based research, evaluate technology solutions, and document findings to guide capability delivery and feedback.

The role requires 5+ years in cyber operations, strong governance, DevOps experience, and excellent communication to coordinate with stakeholders and ensure incident response readiness.

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Active Secret Clearance; TS/SCI preferred.
• 5+ years in IT cyber operations, systems integration or related fields.
• Strong understanding of federal cybersecurity operations and mission environments.
• Experience managing technology pilots and production transitions.
• Knowledge of change management and configuration control processes.
• Experience with DevOps, CI/CD, and integration automation practices.
• Strong project coordination and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to assess and mitigate operational risks.
• Experience with incident response and mission-critical system operations.
• Excellent communication and documentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Conduct capability-based research into technology solutions addressing customer needs.
• Evaluate solutions against functional requirements; test licenses and open-source tools.
• Stay updated on emerging market technologies impacting operations and analysis.
• Collaborate to inventory customer-procured technologies, tools, and data holdings.
• Engage with customer submitters to clarify requirements and align solutions.

Skills

U.S. Citizenship

Active Secret Clearance

DHS EOD Suitability

5+ years cyber operations

Federal cybersecurity operations

DevOps CI/CD

Incident response

Project coordination

Risk assessment

Documentation skills

Education

BS Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Cyber Security, Computer Engineering, or related degree

Job description

Nightwing provides technically advanced full-spectrum cyber, data operations, systems integration and intelligence mission support services to meet our customers' most demanding challenges. Our capabilities include cyber space operations, cyber defense and resiliency, vulnerability research, ubiquitous technical surveillance, data intelligence, lifecycle mission enablement, and software modernization. Nightwing brings disruptive technologies, agility, and competitive offerings to customers in the intelligence community, defense, civil, and commercial markets. Nightwing is supporting a U.S. Government customer to provide support for onsite incident response to civilian Government agencies and critical asset owners who experience cyber-attacks, providing immediate investigation and resolution. Contract personnel perform investigations to characterize the severity of breaches, develop mitigation plans, and assist with the restoration of services. Nightwing is seeking a Cyber Technology Researcher to support this critical customer mission. The Cyber Technology Researcher will be responsible for concurrently tracking, advising, and managing individual cases through their lifecycle - from initial submission to capability delivery and feedback. The researcher will adhere to established procedures to document technical requirements, develop potential courses of action, and oversee the implementation of capabilities aligned to those requirements.

Responsibilities:

• Conducting capability-based research into commercial and non-commercial technology solutions that address customer identified technology needs.
• Evaluating technology solutions against identified functional and technical customer requirements. Evaluations may include hands-on capability testing of trial licenses and open-source capabilities.
• Remaining up-to-date on emerging market technologies and products that relate to capabilities that may impact customer operations and analysis.
• Collaborating with knowledge management personnel to maintain an inventory of customer-procured technologies, tools, and data holdings relevant to mission needs.
• Meeting with and engaging customer request submitters to clarify requirements, discuss potential solutions, and ensure alignment between technology recommendations and customer mission needs.

Required Skills:

• U.S. Citizenship
• Active Secret Clearance, TS/SCI preferred
• Ability to obtain Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Entry on Duty (EOD) Suitability
• 5+ years of direct relevant experience in IT cyber operations, systems integration or related fields
• Strong understanding of federal cybersecurity operations and mission environments
• Experience managing technology pilots and production transitions
• Knowledge of change management and configuration control processes
• Experience with DevOps, CI/CD, and integration automation practices
• Strong project coordination and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to assess and mitigate operational risks
• Experience with incident response and mission-critical system operations
• Excellent communication and documentation skills

Desired Skills:

• ITIL, PMP, or similar operations/project management certification
• Experience with CISA programs or similar federal cybersecurity operations
• Background in cybersecurity tool integration and automation
• Experience managing integrations in federated multi-stakeholder environments
• Knowledge of Zero Trust architecture implementation
• Experience with cloud operations and hybrid environment management
• Familiarity with malware analysis tools and cybersecurity platforms

Required Education:

• BS Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Cyber Security, Computer Engineering, or related degree; or HS Diploma & 7-9 years of directly relevant experience.

Desired Certifications:

• DoD 8140 IAT Level II Syndeo: ESS--3613, ESS-3614, ESS-3615

Salary & Benefits

The salary associated with this position ($99,000-$206,000) is commensurate with the selected candidate's qualifications, years of relevant experience, and demonstrated level of expertise. Compensation will be determined based on these factors to ensure alignment with skills, responsibilities, and market standards.

• Nightwing offers medical, vision and dental insurance coverage in addition to a 401k plan, PTO, Holidays, and additional insurances.

Nightwing is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class.