About Careertakes

👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, Engineering.

Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.

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What You’ll Do

Confidential Client is hiring an entry-level Cyber Engineer Associate to join a long-standing defense and intelligence-focused program. You will work with subject-matter experts to operate, maintain, and harden virtualized systems and toolsets that support cybersecurity and cyberspace operations.

• Support maintenance, administration, patching, upgrades, and engineering of cybersecurity toolsets, devices, applications, and systems
• Assist with continuous monitoring, validation, and incident support for end users and developers
• Contribute to cybersecurity metrics development, maintenance, and reporting
• Design, document, test, and debug cybersecurity application software following secure coding practices
• Ensure systems comply with established policies, configuration baselines, and standards
• Provide help desk and Tier 1 operational support when needed

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Responsibilities

• Operate and maintain security appliances, monitoring platforms, and virtualized infrastructure
• Perform system validation, continuous monitoring, and vulnerability remediation support
• Assist in software development tasks (scripting, secure coding, testing)
• Produce and maintain operational documentation and runbooks
• Support metric collection and reporting to inform operations and leadership decisions
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams (developers, operators, SOC analysts)

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Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) with 0 years relevant experience — entry-level friendly
• Current DoD 8570 IAT Level I certification (or equivalent) at time of hire
• U.S. citizenship and an active TS/SCI clearance (must be able to obtain required polygraph)

Preferred

• Experience with Linux operating systems
• AWS or other cloud exposure
• Scripting or programming experience (Python, Bash, PowerShell, etc.)
• Service desk, help desk, or operational support experience
• Familiarity with cybersecurity monitoring, SIEMs, and secure coding practices

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Clearance & Location

• Clearance: Must be a U.S. citizen with an active TS/SCI clearance and ability to obtain polygraph
• Location: Chantilly, VA (on-site program; travel: minimal/no travel unless required by program)
• Employment Type: Contractor (Full-Time)

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Compensation & Benefits

• Target base salary range: $80,001 — $120,000 per year (range estimate; final offer depends on experience and qualifications)
• Benefits: program-aligned benefits package (details provided by Confidential Client)

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Why Join

• Work on a mature, mission-focused program with growth and development opportunities
• Gain hands-on experience across monitoring, engineering, and secure software practices
• Learn from experienced cybersecurity and cyberspace operations professionals in a defense/intelligence environment

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Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency

Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.

If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.