IT Senior Security Engineer

The IT Senior Security Engineer position is a hands-on security role on the National Library of Medicine Security Compliance team. The focus is on implementing and improving security controls and compliance across hybrid on-prem and cloud environments, including automation and continuous monitoring.

Location and Work Schedule

• Bethesda, MD (onsite)
• Onsite requirement: 3 to 5 days per week based on changing needs

Employment Type

• Full-time

Key Responsibilities

• Enhance and automate security and compliance checks using scripting and available tools; evaluate emerging technologies, including AI capabilities, to expand security coverage and improve operational efficiency.
• Lead efforts to integrate AI/ML-driven capabilities with current security tools and operations, including automated assessment and remediation using LLM within NLM.
• Implement and maintain security controls across on-prem and cloud environments (AWS, GCP, Azure) to ensure compliance with FISMA, NIH policy, and applicable federal security requirements.
• Recommend and support security services for identity access, privileged access, vulnerability management, encryption, network micro-segmentation, and centralized log management across cloud and on-prem systems.
• Integrate and optimize enterprise security and SIEM solutions (including Splunk and Tenable) to support continuous monitoring, event correlation, and compliance visibility in hybrid environments.
• Perform threat modeling and security assessments for cloud deployments, identify and mitigate vulnerabilities, and support secure cloud migrations.
• Provide security guidance, best practices, and compliance support to developers, operations teams, and system owners to promote security awareness across the organization.
• Analyze vulnerability and assessment data to identify systemic risks, remediation trends, and opportunities to improve processes or tools, collaborating with system administrators and security teams for practical, risk-informed remediation.
• Contribute to and manage documentation, standard operating procedures, and technical guidance to support the broader security program and consistent practices.

Required Qualifications

• Extensive experience securing on-premises and cloud environments (AWS, GCP, Azure), with strong working knowledge of cloud security models, logging, tagging strategies, ephemeral resource tracking, and cross-platform operations, including hands-on security engineering in federal or regulated settings.
• 10+ years securing information technology, plus 7+ years hands-on security engineering grounded in systems administration, including at least 3 years focused on cloud security and administration of Linux and Windows endpoints.
• Familiarity with AI/ML integration in security tooling and operations for modern threat detection and remediation approaches.
• Demonstrated expertise applying federal compliance frameworks and processes, including FISMA, NIST 800-53, FedRAMP, RMF, and supporting system authorization activities such as ATO and POA&M.
• Admin or engineering-level experience with at least two security tools such as Tenable, Checkmarx, or Splunk, including understanding vulnerability management, application security testing, and remediation workflows.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, cybersecurity, information technology, or related technical field (or equivalent technical experience).
• CISSP certification (or ability to obtain within 6 months).
• Ability to collaborate with and guide multi-disciplinary teams managing servers, workstations, network and security appliances within regulated environments, with adaptability to shifting priorities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce clear security documentation and explain technical concepts to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Technologies and Tools

• AWS, GCP, Azure
• Splunk, Tenable, Checkmarx
• FISMA, NIST 800-53, FedRAMP, RMF
• ATO, POA&M
• AI/ML, LLM
• PowerShell, Bash, Python
• Linux, Windows, Linux and Windows endpoints
• Docker, Kubernetes

Desired Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with AI/ML automation, security event correlation, asset inventory tracking, and SIEM management (preferably in Splunk) using scripting or programming such as PowerShell, Bash, Python or equivalent, including use of APIs.
• Advanced Linux and Windows administration experience, including being certified in AWS, Azure, and GCP.
• Experience with container security, such as Docker and Kubernetes.
• Master’s degree in computer science, Cybersecurity, Information Technology, or a related technical field.

Minimum Experience and Education

• Minimum experience: 10 years
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, cybersecurity, information technology, or related technical field (or equivalent technical experience)