Logo
United States Senate

United States Senate is hiring: Cybersecurity Architect in Washington

United States Senate, Washington, DC, United States, 20022


Cybersecurity Architect #5360

Target Hiring Range: $139,009 to $180,000

Department: Chief Information Officer
Posting Date Range: 12/23/2024-12/30/2024
Pay Grade Range: $139009-$189558
WorkHours: 8:00am- 4:30pm
FLSA Status: Exempt
Remote Work Status: Hybrid
Hybrid Schedule: 2-3 days a week.
All remote or hybrid work arrangements must be performed from within the continental United States, subject to Sergeant at Arms approval.

This vacancy announcement closes at 7pm EST. Late applications will not be accepted.

JOB OVERVIEW

Job Description

The Target Salary Range for this position is: $139,009 to $180,000.

The Sergeant at Arms plays a crucial role in upholding the operational integrity of the Senate community. Our vision is to foster an environment of innovation, collaboration, and adaptability, ensuring uninterrupted legislative proceedings irrespective of time, place, or circumstance. The Cybersecurity department is responsible for protecting the systems and information used to create the legislation that underwrites our democracy. We create a resilient cybersecurity operation by pro-actively identifying, protecting, detecting, reacting, and recovering (IPDRR) the US Senate enterprise. We combine people, processes, and technology into a state of the art, continuous risk-reduction practice that is flexible, innovative, and effective.

Role Overview:As a Cybersecurity Architect, you will be a subject matter expert in the technologies that support the Cybersecurity Department, responsible for ensuring the functionality, security, and optimization of Senate information systems and networks. Your role involves providing expert guidance on cybersecurity architecture, engaging with emerging technologies, and supporting the Senate's cybersecurity mission through strategic oversight, technical expertise, and complex problem-solving. You will be a key contributor to enhancing the Senate's cybersecurity systems, collaborating with internal and external teams, and supporting a customer-focused, high-impact cybersecurity program.

Key Responsibilities:

As a Cybersecurity Architect, your role is crucial in protecting our organization's digital assets and supporting our cybersecurity initiatives. Your key responsibilities include:

Technical Consultation: Provide expert advice on system/information security architecture to align with Senate cybersecurity strategy, ensuring compliance with relevant laws, regulations, policies, and standards.
Cross-functional Collaboration: Collaborate with internal cybersecurity and external technology teams to drive the development and implementation of best-in-class security practices across the Senate's infrastructure.
Risk Assessment and Mitigation: Evaluate risks in technical solution designs, support mitigation efforts, and develop strategies for risk reduction across people, processes, and technology.
Security Standards Development: Contribute to the creation and maintenance of security
standards, policies, and guidelines for network and system architecture within the organization.
Systems Support and Configuration Management: Oversee configuration management, ensuring systems adhere to secure configuration management standards and guidelines, with periodic review and updates.
Solution Development: Translate functional requirements into robust technical solutions,
focusing on continuous improvement of performance, resilience, and risk mitigation.
Advanced Vulnerability Assessment: Perform in-depth vulnerability assessments, identify system vulnerabilities, and oversee the implementation of remediation activities across platforms.
Cyber Defense and Infrastructure Protection: Provide guidance for specialized cyber defense applications, conduct system administration, and identify, prioritize, and protect critical infrastructure.
Hardware and System Testing: Coordinate the building, installation, configuration, and testing of cyber defense hardware and assess impacts on dedicated infrastructure.
Operational Architecture Analysis: Improve system performance through analysis of architecture, tools, and procedures, and contribute to maintaining a stable, scalable, and interoperable system architecture.
Emerging Threat Analysis: Actively monitor and analyze emerging cybersecurity threats and trends to ensure the organization remains proactive in defense measures and prepared for potential security challenges.
Network Access Management: Manage access rules for network devices on specialized cyber defense systems, ensuring appropriate levels of access and minimizing potential vulnerabilities.
Incident Response Support: Support incident response activities by providing technical analysis, root cause identification, and remediation solutions in coordination with security operations and response teams.
Technical Documentation and Lifecycle Support: Ensure comprehensive technical documentation throughout the system and security lifecycle, including system architecture, configurations, and operational procedures.
Procurement and Lifecycle Documentation: Provide input on security requirements in statements of work, acquisition documents, and other lifecycle materials, ensuring consistency with cybersecurity guidelines.
Support for the Risk Management Framework: Contribute to activities within the Risk Management Framework process, advising on project costs, design concepts, and necessary changes to meet security objectives.
Continuous Improvement Initiatives: Engage in process optimization and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of cybersecurity operations and architecture.

Desired Qualifications:
We are seeking a candidate with advanced knowledge in key areas of cybersecurity. The ideal candidate should have:

Cybersecurity Knowledge and Experience: Extensive understanding of network concepts, risk management processes, and host-based cybersecurity technologies. Experience in network discovery, business continuity planning, and systems security engineering.
Technical Expertise: Knowledge of key IT components such as routers, switches, servers, workstations, mobile devices, and firewalls. Familiarity with capabilities analysis, secure systems engineering principles, and encryption technologies.
Compliance Awareness: Awareness of applicable cybersecurity laws, regulations, and policies, with the ability to apply them to technical scenarios effectively and ensure regulatory compliance.
Advanced Analytical Skills: Proficient in analyzing network traffic, interpreting network tool output, and identifying potential security threats and system performance issues.

Key Accountabilities/Essential Job Duties
The Sergeant at Arms plays a crucial role in upholding the operational integrity of the Senate community. Our vision is to foster an environment of innovation, collaboration, and adaptability, ensuring uninterrupted legislative proceedings irrespective of time, place, or circumstance. The Cybersecurity department is responsible for protecting the systems and information used to create the legislation that underwrites our democracy. We create a resilient cybersecurity operation by pro-actively identifying, protecting, detecting, reacting, and recovering (IPDRR) the US Senate enterprise. We combine people, processes, and technology into a state of the art, continuous risk-reduction practice that is flexible, innovative, and effective.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

Required Education
A bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Technology

Other Duties/ Responsibilities:

Develops short-term and strategic training events for the assigned team in conjunction with Supervisor's/Branch Manager's approval.

Required Work Experience:

Eight to ten years of progressively responsible experience within a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)-type environment.

As part of our hiring process, we may conduct a skills assessment to better understand an applicant's proficiency in key areas relevant to the role.

Working Conditions:
  • This position directly supports essential services of the U.S. Senate. As such, this position requires the employee be available and prepared to work during government shutdowns, in inclement weather, on holidays, weekends, and during late nights to ensure essential services to the Senate continue without interruption. In the context of government furloughs, this position is considered excepted.
  • Sedentary
Security Clearance
  • This position requires that the applicant be able to obtain and maintain a Secret Security U.S. Government security clearance.
  • Applicants must be U.S. citizens in order for the SAA to submit your application for a security clearance.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

To be employed by a Senate employing office in a paid position in the continental United States an individual must:
1. Be a U.S. citizen;
2. Be lawfully admitted for permanent residence and seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3)(B);
3. Be (i) admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157 or granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. § 1158 and (ii) have filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible; or
4. Owe allegiance to the U.S. (i.e., qualify as a non-citizen U.S. national under federal law).

Employment is contingent on background / security investigation results.

BENEFITS AT-A-GLANCE

The SAA provides a highly competitive benefitspackage for all SAA staff. Our benefits extend beyond health care coverage tohelp provide employees with student loan reimbursement, professionaldevelopment, transportation subsidy, TSP/retirement savings, access to ourEmployee Assistance Program, and more! For more information regarding SAA'sbenefits, please visit https://sen.gov/OPPW.

Continuous Improvement & Development: We believe in nurturing talent through comprehensive training programs. You'll have access to advanced learning modules, workshops, and seminars to support your development and ensure your expertise remains at the forefront of the cybersecurity field.

ACCOMMODATIONS

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, the SAA is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you are interested in applying for employment with SAA and need special assistance or an accommodation to complete the application process, please submit your request to employment@saa.senate.gov email with "Accommodation" in the subject line.

VOLUNTARY SELF-IDENTIFICATION FOR VETERANS' PREFERENCE

If you are identifying as veterans' preference eligible underthe VEOA, please use this link to complete your application for Veterans' Preference AFTER you apply for this position. The link will also be available on the "Thank You" page after you have submitted your job application.

Candidates only need to apply one time for veterans' preference tobe considered for all future veterans' preference positions within the SenateSergeant at Arms.
  • All supporting documents must ONLY be provided within the Veterans' Preference Application and within the stated deadline of the job announcement.
  • Late applications for veterans' preference will not be considered.
  • Documentation to obtain veterans' preference will not be considered if attached to the job application.
  • If you need to revise or resubmit your Application for Veterans' Preference/documents, please withdraw your previous Application for Veterans' Preference and resubmit. If you require assistance, please email employment@saa.senate.gov.
  • mailto:employment@saa.senate.gov="">To view additional information regarding the VEOA, please click here.

An applicantwho declines to self-identify as a disabled veteran and/or to provideinformation and documentation regarding his/her disabled veteran's status willnot be subjected to an adverse employment action, but the individual may beruled ineligible for veterans'preference.