Senior Staff Software Systems Engineer, Cybersecurity and Compliance

Vantor Inc. is hiring an onsite Senior Staff Software Systems Engineer to lead cybersecurity and compliance engineering for software-intensive mission systems in regulated and classified environments.

Responsibilities

• Act as senior technical authority for cybersecurity and compliance across complex, software-intensive mission systems to ensure engineering outputs align with applicable security and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with engineering teams, security organizations, U.S. Government customers, and program leadership to convert compliance obligations into technical direction and engineering priorities.
• Lead integration of cybersecurity and compliance needs into system architecture, software development, cloud infrastructure, and operational processes.
• Perform technical risk assessment, identify compliance gaps, and guide teams to create practical, sustainable remediation strategies.
• Support security assessments, accreditation, and continuous compliance activities while balancing mission performance, schedule, and operational objectives.
• Mentor engineers and reinforce secure systems engineering practices to improve consistency, quality, and cross-team collaboration.
• Use AI-assisted engineering to improve compliance analysis, technical documentation, and engineering efficiency while maintaining required security and data protection controls.
• Apply AI-assisted methods across compliance analysis, architecture reviews, requirements evaluation, technical documentation, and engineering workflows.
• Review and evaluate AI-generated technical work products using sound engineering judgment and cybersecurity best practices.
• Identify opportunities to improve engineering efficiency while preserving the rigor needed for mission-critical and classified environments.
• Ensure AI-assisted engineering practices align with organizational policies, customer requirements, and data protection standards.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Proven experience applying systems engineering principles to complex software-intensive systems in regulated or classified environments.
• Experience implementing or supporting cybersecurity compliance frameworks such as NIST, CMMC, or comparable government security standards.
• Strong understanding of modern software architecture, cloud technologies, cybersecurity principles, and secure software development practices.
• Experience translating security and compliance requirements into engineering solutions, system designs, and technical implementation plans.
• Active U.S. Government security clearance appropriate for the supported mission environment.
• Excellent communication and technical leadership skills, with the ability to influence engineering teams, security organizations, and government customers.

Technologies

• NIST
• CMMC
• Risk Management Framework (RMF)
• NIST 800 (53 and 171)
• DevSecOps
• Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)
• MBSE

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, National Security Space, or other regulated government environments.
• Experience with RMF, NIST 800 standards (53 and 171), CMMC, or other related security control implementation.
• Experience with DevSecOps, secure cloud architectures, or continuous compliance practices.
• Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) or formal systems architecture methods.
• Relevant cybersecurity or cloud certifications (examples: CISSP, Security+, AWS Security Specialty).

AI-Enabled Systems Engineering

• AI is transforming how secure software-intensive systems are engineered, increasing the importance of strong systems engineering and cybersecurity.
• Seeking engineers who understand how to apply AI-assisted techniques while maintaining security and data protection requirements.

Success Looks Like

• Enable Core Mission Systems to achieve and sustain cybersecurity compliance while maintaining engineering agility and mission effectiveness.
• Translate complex compliance requirements into clear, actionable engineering solutions.
• Identify and resolve security and compliance risks early in the system lifecycle.
• Improve collaboration between engineering, cybersecurity, and program teams.
• Strengthen the organization’s cybersecurity posture through sound systems engineering and technical leadership.
• Deliver secure, resilient, mission-ready capabilities that meet customer expectations.

Benefits

• 401(k) with company match
• mental health resources
• student loan repayment assistance
• adoption reimbursement
• pet insurance
• incentive eligible with a target based on contribution, company performance, and/or individual results achieved

Export Control / ITAR

• Certain roles may be subject to U.S. export control laws, requiring U.S. person status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

Eligibility

• To be eligible, you must be a U.S. Citizen.
• This position requires an active U.S. Government security clearance; applicants without the required clearance will not be eligible.
• Employment for cleared roles is contingent upon verification of clearance status.

Location and Pay Transparency

• Location: Westminster, CO (onsite)
• Salary: USD 128,000 - 187,000 per year
• Colorado base pay range: $128,000.00 - $170,000.00 - $187,000.00 annually
• For other states, geographic cost of labor is used to develop market-driven ranges, which may vary by location.

Application Window

• The application window is three days from the job posting date and remains posted until a qualified candidate is identified.
• If reposted, it stays posted for three days from the repost date and remains until a qualified candidate is identified.
• The posting date is available on Vantor’s Career page at the top of the job posting.