Ideal Candidate Profile: Seeking a Zero Trust Data Pillar SME with IT/cybersecurity experience, including data security, data governance, and Data Loss Prevention (DLP). The ideal candidate will have hands-on expertise in enterprise DLP platforms such as Zscaler, Forcepoint, Microsoft Purview, or Netskope, along with working knowledge of Databricks, Unity Catalog, data access controls, and audit logging. Strong experience in Zero Trust maturity assessments, data classification and labeling, PII/SPII protection, and implementing data security policies across web, endpoint, email, and SaaS environments is essential. Candidates should understand DLP modernization, sensitive data fingerprinting (EDM/IDM), SIEM integration using tools such as Splunk, and cloud security fundamentals, including AWS IAM, S3, and KMS. Knowledge of the CISA Zero Trust Maturity Model, NIST SP 800-207, NIST SP 800-53, and federal compliance frameworks (RMF/ATO and FISMA) is required. Excellent technical documentation, stakeholder collaboration, and government leadership briefing skills are essential, along with the ability to translate security requirements into measurable governance and enforcement controls.
Job Duties & Responsibilities
Data pillar strategy and maturity (about 30%)
Own the agency data pillar maturity baseline against CISA ZTMM v2.0; maintain requirements, KPIs and tier exit criteria for all 8 data functions.
Run evidence-based maturity assessments: define scoring rules, collect dated artifacts, separate owned vs. shared vs. inherited controls, and defend scores with system owners.
Translate the maturity roadmap into sequenced work packages, milestone gates and measurable targets.
Lead a data-source census so coverage metrics have an authoritative denominator.
Enterprise data platform governance: Databricks (about 25%)
Assess and harden data protection on a Databricks lakehouse: Unity Catalog governance, fine-grained access (row/column), tagging, lineage, audit logs and secrets management.
Work with the data platform team on encryption at rest and in transit, key management, and data availability / recovery evidence.
Map source-system feeds to data categories and sensitivity; drive tag-based access policy (RBAC toward ABAC).
Partner with the Chief Data Officer and data stewards on classification, ownership and a Data Governance Working Group.
DLP engineering and operations: Zscaler (about 30%)
Design and tune Zscaler data protection policy: Inline Web and Private App DLP, Endpoint DLP, outbound Email DLP, CASB / SaaS API scanning, GenAI DLP, and Device Control.
Build DLP dictionaries and engines, including EDM / IDM / OCR fingerprinting for agency identifiers.
Translate legacy DLP rules into Zscaler equivalents; run monitor-then-enforce pilots and parallel operation.
Integrate DLP telemetry with the SIEM (Splunk via NSS / log streaming) and incident workflow (ICAP, incident receiver, workflow automation); co-author SOC playbooks.
Support Exchange Online mail flow integration, TLS / SSL inspection decisions, and endpoint client prerequisites with the owning teams.
Compliance, documentation and stakeholder delivery (about 15%)
Map data controls to NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 (AC, AU, MP, SC, SI families), Client 4300A and OMB M-21-31 logging requirements; support RMF / ATO artifacts.
Contribute to post-quantum cryptography inventory and data-at-rest cryptographic posture as it relates to the data pillar.
Write and brief deliverables to government leads: maturity reports, decision memos, runbooks, RACI and change requests.
Run working sessions with security policy, cloud infrastructure, SOC, data platform and privacy stakeholders.
Required Skills & Experience
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Cybersecurity or related field (4 additional years of relevant experience may substitute).
10+ years in IT or cybersecurity, including 5+ years focused on data security, data governance or DLP.
Hands-on experience designing and tuning an enterprise DLP platform (Zscaler preferred; Symantec/Broadcom, Forcepoint, Microsoft Purview, Netskope or Palo Alto acceptable) across at least two channels (web, endpoint, email, SaaS).
Working knowledge of Databricks (Unity Catalog, access controls, tagging, audit) or an equivalent lakehouse / data catalog platform (Snowflake, AWS Lake Formation, Microsoft Purview Data Map).
Demonstrated experience with data classification and labeling: sensitivity schemes, PII/SPII handling, CUI, and fingerprinting (EDM / IDM).
Working knowledge of the CISA Zero Trust Maturity Model, NIST SP 800-207 and NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5.
Experience on a federal program with RMF / ATO, FISMA and SIEM log integration (Splunk preferred).
AWS cloud security fundamentals: S3 / RDS / KMS encryption, IAM, CloudTrail.
Strong technical writing; able to produce client-ready assessments and brief government leadership.
U.S. citizenship; able to obtain and keep Client suitability.
Preferred qualifications
Prior Client experience
Zscaler certifications (ZDTA, ZDTE or Zscaler Data Protection specialist track) or delivery of a Zscaler DLP rollout at 10,000+ users.
Databricks certification (Data Engineer Associate / Professional, or Platform Administrator).
Security certification: CISSP, CCSP, CISM or CDPSE; data governance credential (CDMP) a plus.
Experience migrating from a legacy DLP or insider-risk toolset to a SSE / SASE platform.
Exposure to DSPM tooling, GenAI data controls, or post-quantum cryptography inventory work.
Experience standing up a data governance body or data stewardship program with a CDO office.
Active Secret or higher clearance, or a current Client background investigation.