Isse

Position Title: ISSE
Position Type: Full-time, On-site
Location: Chantilly, VA
Clearance: Active TS/SCI w/current CI poly

Position Summary

Waypoint's client is seeking a motivated Information Systems Security Engineer (ISSE) to support a mission-critical National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) program in Chantilly, Virginia. The selected candidate will integrate cybersecurity throughout the system development lifecycle, ensuring cloud and on-premises systems are designed, implemented, and maintained in accordance with Intelligence Community and DoD security requirements.

Working closely with systems engineers, administrators, developers, and government stakeholders, the ISSE will apply Risk Management Framework (RMF) principles, implement NIST SP 800-53 security controls, support vulnerability remediation, and develop security documentation required for system accreditation. This role is ideal for a cybersecurity professional who enjoys solving complex security challenges, collaborating across engineering teams, and protecting critical national security systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement secure architectures for cloud-based and on-premises information systems.
• Apply NIST SP 800-53 security controls and Risk Management Framework (RMF) processes throughout the system development lifecycle.
• Review vulnerability assessments, security scans, and system security testing results to identify risks and recommend effective mitigation strategies.
• Develop, maintain, and update security documentation including System Security Plans (SSPs), Plans of Action and Milestones (POA&Ms), security assessment artifacts, and accreditation packages.
• Collaborate with system administrators, software developers, network engineers, and systems engineers to identify and remediate security vulnerabilities.
• Ensure security engineering principles are incorporated during system architecture, design, integration, and implementation activities.
• Support Assessment and Authorization (A&A) activities and maintain compliance with Intelligence Community and DoD cybersecurity requirements.
• Provide technical security guidance to engineering teams and brief government leadership on security posture, risks, and mitigation efforts as required.

Required Qualifications

• Active Top Secret/SCI clearance with Polygraph.
• Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or another STEM discipline.
• 4–7 years of experience in Information Assurance, Information Systems Security Engineering (ISSE), Information Systems Security Officer (ISSO), cybersecurity engineering, or a related security discipline.
• IAM Level II certification (or higher) such as Security+, CAP, CASP+, or equivalent DoD 8570/8140 compliant certification.
• Experience implementing Risk Management Framework (RMF) processes and NIST SP 800-53 security controls.
• Knowledge of networking concepts, operating systems, database security, and secure system architectures.
• Experience supporting secure system design, engineering, integration, and accreditation activities.
• Ability to independently prioritize work while supporting multiple engineering efforts.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to effectively collaborate across technical teams and brief government leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), Intelligence Community (IC), or other classified government programs.
• Experience supporting cloud security architectures in AWS, Azure Government, or hybrid cloud environments.
• Familiarity with ACAS, SCAP, STIGs, HBSS, Splunk, Tenable, or similar cybersecurity tools.
• Knowledge of DevSecOps, Zero Trust Architecture, and secure software development practices.
• Experience supporting Assessment and Authorization (A&A) activities within classified environments.