Job Title: Senior AODR / System Security Engineer (SSE)
Location: Hybrid (Washington, DC Metro Area preferred)
Travel: ~20–30%
Clearance: Active TS/SCI (required)
Overview
We are supporting a high-visibility federal program within the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO), focused on advancing data, analytics, and AI capabilities across the enterprise. This role sits at the intersection of cybersecurity, system engineering, and risk management, supporting mission-critical authorizations and security strategy.
The Senior AODR / SSE will act on behalf of the Authorizing Official (AO) to drive security authorization efforts and provide expert-level risk analysis across complex systems and cloud environments.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead System Security Engineering (SSE) efforts and develop full Body of Evidence (BOE) for ATO packages (SSP, CONOPS, IRP, etc.)
- Advise the Authorizing Official (AO) on risk posture, authorization decisions, and cybersecurity strategy
- Conduct risk assessments, threat/vulnerability analysis, and recommend mitigation strategies
- Support RMF, OVL, and agile authorization processes
- Evaluate system architectures, network diagrams, and cloud environments for security impact
- Collaborate with senior stakeholders across programs, ISSMs, and leadership
- Develop and present briefings to senior government and military leadership
- Track authorization metrics and support continuous monitoring efforts
Required Experience
- 10+ years of cybersecurity experience in a senior technical or advisory role
- Strong background inSystem Security Engineering (SSE) andRisk Management Framework (RMF)
- Experience supporting ATO processes within DoD or IC environments
- Deep knowledge ofNIST 800 series, DoDI 8500.01, RMF, ISO 27001, COBIT
- Hands-on experience withcloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP)
- Familiarity withDevSecOps, CI/CD pipelines, and vulnerability management
- Experience with GRC tools such aseMASS or Xacta
- Ability to assess system architecture, STIGs, and cloud compliance requirements
- Strong communication skills with experience briefing senior leadership (SES level)
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting OSD, CDAO, or similar high-level DoD organizations
- Background in cloud security architecture and cross-domain solutions
- Experience with FedRAMP and federal A&A processes
- Project or program management experience
Education & Certifications
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field (Master’s preferred)
- One or more certifications:CISSP, CCSP, CISM, CISA, CASP (or equivalent)
