Senior Cybersecurity Assessment Lead

As a Senior Cybersecurity Assessment Lead, you will support a government cybersecurity assessment and oversight program focused on strengthening enterprise security governance, operational resilience, and mission assurance. In this role, you will serve as a independent assessor, program contributor, and project leader responsible for evaluating the deployment, effectiveness, and operational maturity of cybersecurity implementations across government systems, enterprise platforms, cloud environments, and security programs, ensuring compliance with applicable federal requirements, mandates, and laws. You will be expected to actively participate in and lead assessments while also helping drive assessment-related initiatives from planning through completion. In addition, you will contribute to the development and communication of program strategy, translating strategic objectives into actionable plans, priorities, processes, and measurable outcomes.

You will support the continued evolution of the assessment program through the development of maturity models, assessment methodologies, strategic plans, and process documentation, while collaborating with a team of assessors to foster a culture of knowledge sharing, continuous improvement, and technical excellence. The successful candidate will be comfortable operating at both the strategic and tactical levels—helping define where the program needs to go while actively engaging in the work required to get there.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct in-depth technical, operational, and programmatic inspections, assessments, and audits of agency systems, applications, and enterprise services.
• Provide task and project leadership, work allocation, and mentorship to team members across assigned assessments and program initiatives; establish priorities, track actions and dependencies, remove obstacles, and drive work to timely completion. Perform quality assurance reviews of deliverables and ensure the timely, accurate completion of assessment activities and associated reporting milestones.
• Collect, analyze, and present accurate, risk-informed IT and cybersecurity technical and programmatic information.
• Support the maturation and continuous improvement of the cybersecurity assessment program, partnering closely with federal leadership and staff to strengthen methodologies, governance processes, reporting standards, and enterprise assessment capabilities.
• Help define, develop, and communicate program strategy and strategic objectives, translating leadership priorities and mission requirements into actionable roadmaps, initiatives, and measurable outcomes.
• Develop, document, and maintain program processes, procedures, standards, and assessment methodologies, with an emphasis on creating repeatable, scalable approaches that improve program effectiveness and execution.
• Lead and/or contribute to projects and strategic initiatives supporting the assessment program, including developing project plans, coordinating stakeholders, managing action items and dependencies, monitoring progress, and driving deliverables through completion.
• Support enterprise strategic planning and program oversight initiatives, including cybersecurity capability roadmaps, governance enhancements, performance measures, and long-range modernization objectives to strengthen cybersecurity posture, operational maturity, and implementation effectiveness.
• Provide executive-level input on program status, risk posture, performance metrics, and trend analysis, including the identification of recurring findings, systemic gaps, and strategic improvement opportunities. Develop recommendations and supporting analysis to inform strategic decisions and program priorities.
• Serve as a senior technical and programmatic advisor to assessment leadership and customer stakeholders, helping identify opportunities to improve cybersecurity governance, assessment effectiveness, operational maturity, and mission outcomes.
• Obtain and maintain DOE Derivative Classifier certification(s) as required to support mission and program responsibilities.
• Maintain required professional certifications through continuous professional education (CPE) and ongoing professional development, while remaining current on emerging threats, evolving technologies, federal mandates, and cybersecurity best practices.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline, with 10+ years of relevant professional experience, including 8+ years of dedicated cybersecurity experience. Additional directly related experience may be substituted for the degree requirement.
• At least one DoD 8570 / 8140 compliant certification at the IAT Level III or IAM Level III level, such as CISSP, CISM, CASP+, CISA, GSLC, or GCIH.
• Demonstrated expert-level experience leading and conducting IT and cybersecurity inspections, independent assessments, compliance reviews, and audit activities, including the ability to independently plan, execute, and close assessment engagements.
• Demonstrated experience leading projects or complex initiatives, with the ability to develop work plans, coordinate stakeholders, manage competing priorities and dependencies, track progress, and drive deliverables to completion.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to and/or develop organizational or program strategy, including translating mission objectives and leadership priorities into actionable plans, roadmaps, initiatives, and measurable outcomes.
• Deep working knowledge of federal cybersecurity requirements, mandates, and compliance frameworks, including FISMA, NIST SP 800-37, NIST SP 800-53, NIST SP 800-115, CNSSI 1253, and applicable OMB policies and memoranda.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly and professionally engage with senior stakeholders, customers, technical teams, and executive leadership.
• Active or current DOE Q Clearance or Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility, and the ability to successfully obtain and maintain a polygraph, as required.
• U.S. Citizenship required.

Desired Qualifications and Skills:

• Demonstrated subject matter expertise in federal cybersecurity baseline requirements, with preferred experience supporting Department of Energy (DOE) environments, directives, and mission systems.
• Strong knowledge of organizational maturity assessment models, particularly those used to evaluate cybersecurity, information technology, and enterprise risk management capabilities.
• Demonstrated experience developing strategic plans, capability roadmaps, program strategies, or similar strategic planning artifacts for cybersecurity, information technology, or enterprise security programs.
• Exceptional written communication skills, including proven experience developing cybersecurity policies, standards, procedures, implementation guidance, strategic documentation, and process documentation for technical and executive stakeholders.
• Demonstrated project management experience, including planning and executing cross-functional initiatives, coordinating stakeholders, managing schedules and dependencies, tracking risks and action items, and driving projects to successful completion.
• Hands-on experience in secure configuration management and system hardening, including application, validation, and tailoring of appropriate DISA STIGs, CIS benchmarks, and other secure baseline standards across enterprise environments.
• Demonstrated experience securing cloud environments, including implementation and assessment of secure configurations across AWS, Azure, or hybrid federal cloud platforms.
• Working knowledge of Zero Trust principles, architectures, and maturity frameworks, with experience evaluating or supporting implementation aligned to federal Zero Trust strategies.
• Experience supporting enterprise vulnerability management programs, including demonstrated proficiency with Tenable Security Center / Tenable.sc, vulnerability analysis, prioritization, and remediation validation workflows.
• Prior experience serving in an Information System Security Manager (ISSM) or equivalent cybersecurity leadership role, with responsibility for governance, risk oversight, strategic planning, and enterprise security program execution.

The Ideal Candidate Will Excel By Demonstrating

• A high level of initiative, professionalism, and self-motivation, with the ability to independently drive complex cybersecurity assessment activities, projects, and strategic initiatives from planning through completion.
• The ability to operate effectively at both the strategic and tactical levels—helping define strategy and direction while actively participating in assessments and executing the work necessary to achieve program objectives.
• Strong project leadership and execution skills, with the ability to establish priorities, organize work, coordinate stakeholders, manage dependencies, resolve obstacles, and consistently drive commitments and deliverables to completion.
• Strategic thinking and strong business judgment, with the ability to translate broad mission objectives into practical strategies, actionable plans, and measurable outcomes.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• A commitment to continuous learning, with the ability to remain current on emerging cybersecurity technologies, threat trends, assessment methodologies, and federal security mandates.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate technical findings and complex programmatic issues into clear, actionable guidance for both technical and executive audiences.
• Natural leadership and team influence, with the ability to lead assessment efforts, facilitate stakeholder engagement, build consensus, and positively influence outcomes without relying solely on formal authority.
• A willingness to remain hands-on as an assessor, contributing directly to assessments, analysis, interviews, evidence review, findings development, and reporting activities as needed.

Travel and Telecommuting:

• Travel: Significant (between 25%-50%)
• Telecommute Options: Remote, with frequent travel. Work will be conducted at various sites across the continental US. Position is currently considered remote when not traveling.