Job Title: Principal Information System Security Officer (ISSO)
Location: Washington, DC (Onsite)
Employment Type: W2 Contract
Duration: 11 months
About the Opportunity:
ZipStaff is hiring a Principal Information System Security Officer (ISSO) for our client, a major U.S. passenger rail transportation organization based in Washington, DC. You will serve as an embedded cybersecurity subject matter expert and risk advisor, championing secure-by-design principles across enterprise Agile Release Trains and ensuring security controls and compliance are built into architecture and delivery from the start.
What You'll Do:
- Provide cybersecurity design oversight, threat modeling and risk governance across Agile Release Trains and delivery pipelines.
- Embed security architectures and baseline controls early in the SDLC to reduce technical debt and deployment risk.
- Act as the primary cybersecurity liaison between product managers, enterprise architects, engineering teams and senior stakeholders.
- Author and evaluate SSPs, RARs, SAPs and POA&Ms.
- Ensure compliance with NIST SP 800-37, 800-53, FISMA, FedRAMP and internal governance directives.
- Partner with engineering leads to operationalize DevSecOps, automate continuous monitoring and enforce secure coding and configuration standards.
- Facilitate risk-based trade-off decisions, review architecture deviations and lead remediation of complex vulnerabilities.
Required Qualifications:
- 10+ years of cybersecurity experience, including 5+ years as an ISSO, in Information Assurance or Security Architecture in enterprise or government-adjacent environments.
- Experience embedding security governance in Agile/Scrum/SAFe and modern CI/CD pipelines.
- Deep knowledge of NIST SP 800-series (800-37 RMF, 800-53, 800-160), FISMA, FedRAMP, ISO 27001 and CIS Benchmarks.
- Experience evaluating cloud (AWS, Azure or GCP), containerized platforms, APIs and hybrid infrastructure for risk.
- Ability to translate security requirements into actionable technical guidance and communicate risk to leadership.
- Active CISSP, CISM, CRISC, CCSP or CISA certification.
- Based in the greater Washington, DC area; able to obtain or maintain a public trust or clearance as required.
Benefits:
- Health Insurance.
- Dental Insurance.
- Vision Insurance.
- 401(k) + 401(k) matching.
- Paid time off.
- Referral Program.
About ZipStaff:
ZipStaff connects skilled technology professionals with leading organizations across the United States, matching top talent with impactful contract and full-time opportunities.
To apply, submit your resume through this posting. Qualified candidates will be contacted by a ZipStaff recruiter.