Junior Security Engineer

The Junior Security Engineer role supports cybersecurity engineering efforts for DHS, covering enterprise audit activities, cloud-focused initiatives, and Zero Trust architecture. This position is based on-site in a Government SCIF in Washington, DC and involves maintaining security tooling, automating STIG compliance, and producing operational dashboards and roadmaps.

On-site Location

Washington, DC (onsite)

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain and update cybersecurity tools, including ACAS/Nessus, SCAP, SonarQube, and GitLab.
• Update Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) on a quarterly schedule and refresh Nessus plug-in IDs monthly.
• Develop and troubleshoot scripts to automate STIG application and validation within the DevSecOps pipeline.
• Organize security tool data into near-real-time dashboards in the GRC or an approved tool.
• Support implementation of ICS 500-27 enterprise audit requirements and assist with building audit review dashboards in coordination with ISOs.
• Support Zero Trust capability gap analysis, contribute to the Zero Trust roadmap, and maintain Zero Trust dashboards.
• Maintain a tracking tool for network device end-of-life and end-of-service dates.

Required Qualifications

• BS degree in Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Information Systems, or Computer Science, or a minimum of 4 years of experience in IT or cybersecurity.
• Minimum 1 year of experience in security engineering, systems administration, or DevSecOps.
• Active TS/SCI clearance and U.S. citizenship; willingness to undergo a DHS counterintelligence-scope polygraph.
• Proficiency with automation tools, including Python, PowerShell, and/or shell scripting.
• Knowledge of DISA STIGs and configuration compliance scanning.
• Knowledge of audit logging concepts for Windows and Linux systems.
• Knowledge of Zero Trust architecture principles.
• Skill in using Nessus/ACAS or SCAP tools.
• Ability to troubleshoot tool and script issues.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Teams or similar chat and videoconferencing tools.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills.

Technologies and Tools

• ACAS/Nessus, Nessus plug-in IDs
• SCAP, DISA STIGs
• SonarQube, GitLab, GitLab CI/CD
• Python, PowerShell, shell scripting languages
• Microsoft Office Suite, Teams
• GRC, DevSecOps
• Splunk, AWS, Azure
• Windows, Linux, Zero Trust architecture principles
• ICS 500-27

Desired Qualifications

• CompTIA Security+ or an AWS/Azure fundamentals certification.
• Experience with GitLab CI/CD or Splunk.