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, Information Technology & Cybersecurity (Federal government services).

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

---

Responsibilities

• Configure, operate, and maintain Tenable.sc and Nessus to identify and track vulnerabilities across all environments.
• Troubleshoot vulnerability scans and coordinate with program or customer resources to resolve scanning issues.
• Conduct DoD STIG compliance scans, interpret results, and assist system administrators and ISSEs in validating system hardening and control effectiveness.
• Analyze vulnerability data and trends; produce actionable findings and coordinate remediation with administrators and ISSEs.
• Integrate vulnerability and compliance data into Splunk for correlation, trend analysis, and automated compliance reporting.
• Develop dashboards and reports to visualize risk posture and track remediation progress.
• Support RMF (Risk Management Framework) activities by providing technical input for security controls (for example, Tenable results).
• Assist in developing or refining scanning policies, baselines, and SOPs to improve posture and compliance consistency.
• Support audits and assessments with detailed vulnerability data, remediation evidence, and STIG compliance documentation.
• Implement continuous vulnerability monitoring and patch verification tools and processes.
• Test and evaluate configurations in lab environments.
• Provide security operations support as required (may include after-hours/24x7 response).
• Work with servers, virtualization, routers, switches, firewalls, VLANs, routing, and network segmentation as part of assessments and remediation activities.
• Collaborate with technical teams; communicate findings clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

---

Minimum Qualifications

• Active and current TS/SCI with Full Scope Polygraph (FSP) adjudicated through MD.
• Active DoD 8570.01-M compliance: IAT Level II (Security+), OR IASAE Level I (CASP or CISSP) — CASP or CISSP preferred where stated.
• Experience with Tenable.sc and Nessus vulnerability scanning tools.
• Experience using Splunk for ingestion, search queries, correlation, dashboard/report creation, and automated reporting.
• Working knowledge of DoD STIGs and RMF (NIST SP 800-53) processes.
• Understanding of networking concepts (VLANs, routing, segmentation) and common infrastructure components (servers, virtualization, routers, switches, firewalls).
• Strong troubleshooting, analytical, and technical writing skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively in cross-functional teams and provide timely remediation support.

---

Preferred / Desirable

• Prior experience as an ISSE or working on federal programs of similar scope and complexity.
• Familiarity with scripting/automation to support scanning, reporting, or remediation workflows.
• Experience developing SOPs, scanning policies, and baseline hardening templates for DoD environments.
• Results-oriented, self-motivated, high-energy contributors who can operate independently when needed.

---

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Assurance, Information Security System Engineering, or a related discipline is preferred.
• Alternate pathways accepted:
  • Associate’s degree plus a technical certification such as Security+ and two (2) years of general IT experience; or
  • High school diploma/GED plus four (4) years of general IT experience with at least one (1) year of information systems security experience.

---

Compensation

• Salary range: $83,279.00 — $88,939.00 per year (listed by the client). Pay may vary based on experience and qualifications and is compliant with Maryland pay transparency requirements where applicable.

---

Location & Clearance

• Location: Columbia, MD (Howard County). This position supports federal/DoD systems and requires on-site or near-site presence as required by the program.
• Must possess and maintain an active TS/SCI with FSP adjudicated through MD.
• Candidates should be available to respond to after-hours requests in a 24x7 environment when needed.

---

Why Apply via Careertakes

• Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform that represents qualified candidates to our client (Confidential Client). We match applicants to similar opportunities across federal IT and cybersecurity programs.
• If selected, you will be employed directly by Confidential Client. Careertakes may provide access to additional matched openings and support through the hiring process.
• We follow U.S. hiring laws and best practices from third‑party recruiting — screening is objective, consistent, and compliant.

---

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.