Zero Trust Architect — TS/SCI w/ Poly, IC/DoD Impact

Cornerstone Defense LLC; Bethesda (MD); On-site; USD 190,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Cornerstone Defense LLC in Bethesda, MD, seeks a highly experienced Zero Trust Architecture Specialist to design, coordinate, and implement zero trust across mission-critical IC/DoD environments. The role requires deep architectural expertise, secure cloud integration, and leadership in a sensitive, classified setting.

Ideal candidates bring 15+ years of systems engineering/architecture experience, strong knowledge of IC directives and NIST/DoD standards, and the ability to brief senior IC and

Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI with Poly is REQUIRED.
• 15+ years of experience in systems engineering and architecture, especially IC/DoD environments.
• Extensive knowledge of zero trust architecture, NSS, and DoD reference architectures.
• Familiarity with IC directives, policies, and standards (EO 14028, NSM-8, ICD 503, NIST 800-53, CNSSI 1253).
• Proven ability to integrate IT stack technologies across global enterprise cyber systems.

Responsibilities

• Architectural Design and Strategy: Document rules and criteria for zero trust compliance; diagram interim and future state architectures.
• Design Patterns and Standards Development: Create patterns to guide enterprise and non-enterprise systems for zero trust compliance; align with IC directives.
• IT Roadmap and Implementation Planning: Develop roadmaps for zero trust across global enterprises, including multi-cloud environments.
• Zero Trust Expertise and Governance: Apply expertise in identity, authentication, and authorization to advance zero trust.
• Stakeholder Communication and Leadership: Brief senior IC/DoD forums on architectural decisions, risks, and strategic guidance.

Skills

Zero Trust

Systems engineering

Architecture

IC/DoD environments

Stakeholder communication

Cloud architectures

Identity management

Tools

NIST 800-53

CNSSI 1253

IC directives

Job description

Cornerstone Defense LLC in Bethesda, MD, seeks a highly experienced Zero Trust Architecture Specialist to design, coordinate, and implement zero trust across mission-critical IC/DoD environments. The role requires deep architectural expertise, secure cloud integration, and leadership in a sensitive, classified setting.

Ideal candidates bring 15+ years of systems engineering/architecture experience, strong knowledge of IC directives and NIST/DoD standards, and the ability to brief senior IC and