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, State Government — Information Technology.

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

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Position overview

Confidential Client is seeking a Junior Vulnerability & Exposure Analyst to join a cybersecurity team supporting state-level information technology systems. This is a contract role focused on vulnerability scanning, triage, reporting, and helping reduce risk across applications, systems, and networks. This role is entry-level to early-career but requires relevant hands-on experience.

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What You’ll Do

• Operate enterprise vulnerability scanning tools to run scheduled and ad-hoc scans across assets.
• Review and perform initial triage of scan results; identify high-risk findings and potential false positives.
• Correlate vulnerability findings with asset inventory and context to prioritize remediation.
• Assist in preparing vulnerability reports and executive/technical summaries for system owners.
• Track remediation progress in the vulnerability management platform or ticketing system.
• Escalate critical vulnerabilities for further analysis or remediation when required.
• Support Incident Response efforts by providing vulnerability data and analysis during investigations.
• Contribute to post-incident reviews and lessons-learned activities to improve processes.
• Help develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and response playbooks.
• Monitor vendor advisories, CVEs, CISA KEV catalog, and threat intelligence sources to identify emerging risks.
• Keep current on vulnerability research, attack techniques, and defensive best practices.

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Minimum Qualifications

• Four years of relevant experience in one or more of: threat hunting, network security analysis, network traffic analysis, information security, information systems, information assurance, security operations, cryptography, or cyber threat modeling.
• Familiarity with vulnerability scanning tools and vulnerability management workflows.
• Ability to analyze scan output, identify false positives, and document findings clearly.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to interact with technical teams and system owners.
• Applicants must submit an up-to-date and accurate resume.

Notes on substitutions:

• Candidates may substitute a bachelor’s degree in computer science, cybersecurity, information technology, software engineering, information systems, computer engineering or related field for up to two years of the required experience.
• Candidates with a High School Diploma or High School Equivalency certificate may substitute that education plus two additional years of relevant experience.
• A graduate-level degree in a related field may be substituted for portions of the experience requirement.

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Preferred / Helpful Skills

• Experience with common vulnerability scanners and platforms (e.g., Nessus, Qualys, Rapid7, Tenable, or similar).
• Familiarity with CVE lookup, CISA advisories, and public vulnerability intelligence feeds.
• Basic knowledge of operating systems, networking, and common web/application vulnerabilities.
• Exposure to ticketing or remediation tracking systems (e.g., ServiceNow, Jira).
• Certifications such as Security+, CEH, or entry-level vendor certs are a plus.

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Compensation & Contract Details

• Estimated pay: $101,162 per year (estimated).
• This is a contractual position with limited benefits.
• All hires must be eligible to work in the U.S. — U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents (the client cannot sponsor work authorization).
• Contract length and exact benefits will be confirmed during the interview/offer process.

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Location

• Role location: Crownsville, MD — on-site or as defined by the client’s operational requirements. (Refer to the hiring team for exact on-site/telework expectations.)

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Notes for Applicants

• This role emphasizes hands-on scanning, accurate triage, and strong documentation. Candidates should be prepared to discuss specific tools and examples of vulnerability analysis.
• Confidential Client expects timely and accurate resumes; please ensure your resume reflects relevant experience.

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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.