Cleared On Site Chief Security Architect for Governance, Risk and Compliance (5030)

Washington, DC

Law Enforcement Agency OCIO's organization is moving to Information Systems Security as a Service and requires a Chief Security Architect to serve as the program’s principal technical authority, providing strategic risk advisory to OCIO leadership, Authorizing Officials, and ISSO(E)(M)s while overseeing the security posture of 600+ information systems across all classification levels. This position will be on site in Washington, DC and requires a Top-Secret Clearance.

The Chief Security Architect serves as the program’s principal technical authority, providing strategic risk advisory to OCIO leadership, Authorizing Officials, and ISSO(E)(M)s while overseeing the security posture of 600+ information systems across all classification levels.
 
This role translates the Customer's security vision into actionable technical guidance, validates the system categorization methodology, reviews high-risk change requests, and enables innovation through evaluation of emerging technologies (AI/ML, zero trust, cloud-native security) within the Customer's governance constraints. The Chief Security Architect leads early lifecycle security advisory to embed security in system design rather than retrofit, resolves complex technical disputes between implementation and assessment teams, and drives enterprise-wide security architecture patterns that enable consistent, defensible authorization decisions. This strategic position elevates ISaaS from tactical compliance execution to mission-enabling security partnership, ensuring the Customer maintains robust cybersecurity posture while adopting cutting-edge capabilities to counter evolving threats. The role requires balancing deep technical expertise with executive communication skills, translating complex security risks into business impacts and strategic recommendations for senior Customer leadership.
 
  • Bachelor's Degree
  • 10+ years of experience
  • Deep expertise with NIST implementation at scale, 800-53 controls and assessment procedures
  • FISMA and Intelligence Community security frameworks
  • Proven ability to design security architectures for diverse environments (on-prem, cloud, hybrid, air-gapped)
  • Cloud security architecture
  • AWS/Azure security services, configurations, best practices
  • FedRAMP authorization process and cloud control inheritance 
    Some knowledge of IaC / DevSecOps principles (not sure this is a must)
  • Cloud-native security patterns: ZTA, container security, serverless, etc.,
  • Governance, Risk, and Compliance (must have, top skill, after the architecture/cloud)
    Track record at providing technical risk assessments and recommendations 
    Articulate residual risk in business terms, enabling informed risk acceptance by non-technical executives
  • Experience with conditional ATO strategies and balancing operational urgency with security requirements
  • Experience leading or overseeing independent security assessments for diverse system types 
    Ability to validate assessment quality and consistency across multiple assessor teams
  • Strategic and Leadership Skills (must have)
  • Executive Communication – demonstrated ability to brief C-level executives and senior gov officials on complex security processes 
    Skill in translating technical vulnerabilities into business risk and strategic recommendations
  • Experience in developing security strategies, roadmaps, and business cases for executive approval (at least serve as an advisor for these)
    Proven ability to build trust and credibility with diverse stakeholders, system owners, developers, operations trams, auditors
  • One of the following certifications -AWS Cloud Solutions Architect (Professional), CISSP-ISSEP
  • Active TS clearance with SCI Eligibility
 
Preferred Skills:
  • NSS and Intelligence Community Experience (nice to have)
  • IC-specific security requirements (ICD 503 for cloud, ICD 705 for SCI, etc.,)
  • Cross-domain solutions (CDS) and high-side/low-side data transfer security 
  • Audit and Compliance (nice to have, more important that they were independent audits)
  • Experience in supporting FISMA audits, DOJ inspector general reviews, GAO assessments 
  • Understanding of OMB, DOJ, and IC Cybersecurity reporting requirements and metrics 
  • Ability to translate audit findings into actionable remediation paths and process improvements
 
Application Deadline 4-27-2026
 
LI-SA1

 

 

The SMX salary determination process takes into account a number of factors, including but not limited to, geographic location, Federal Government contract labor categories, relevant prior work experience, specific skills, education and certifications. At SMX, one of our Core Values is to Invest in Our People so we offer a competitive mix of compensation, learning & development opportunities, and benefits. Some key components of our robust benefits include health insurance, paid leave, and retirement.

The proposed salary for this position is:

$137,600 - $231,200 USD

 

 

SMX is an Equal Opportunity employer including disabilities and veterans.

Selected applicant may be subject to a background investigation and/or education verification.

SMX does not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization or immigration related support for this position (i.e. H1B, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, F-1 CPT, J-1, TN, E-2, E-3, L-1 and O-1, or any EADs or other forms of work authorization that require immigration support from an employer).

 

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at ESS? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
Select...
What level of security clearance do you currently hold? *
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

I understand that any false statements in this application may be cause for rejection or termination of my employment with SMX. I also grant permission to SMX to obtain employment records and reasons for termination from my previous employers, and to obtain information from my references.

Select...

(First, Middle, Last Name) 

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in ESS’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.