Cloud Security Engineer/Architect

Overview

• Tier One Technologies has an immediate need for a Cloud Security Engineer/Architect for our US Government client.
• This remote contract-to-hire position can be originated in Falls Church, VA, Morrisville, NC or Eagan, MN.
• Selected candidates without required clearance will be subject to a federal government background investigation to receive it.

Responsibilities

• Security Architecture Vision: Lead the design of a global Zero Trust architecture, ensuring robust identity governance (IAM), network micro-segmentation, and data encryption across AWS, Azure, or GCP.
• AI-Native Security Strategy: Architect specialized security frameworks for AI/ML pipelines, focusing on data privacy for training sets, model integrity, and securing LLM-integrated applications against emerging attack vectors.
• Automated Guardrails (Policy as Code): Develop and enforce enterprise-wide security policies using Terraform, etc., ensuring that non-compliant infrastructure is automatically remediated or blocked from deployment.
• Cloud Posture Management: Design and oversee the integration of CNAPP and CSPM tools to provide real-time visibility into misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, and excessive permissions.
• Threat Modeling & Resilience: Conduct deep-dive threat modeling for complex cloud-native systems, simulating advanced persistent threats (APTs) and "blast radius" scenarios to strengthen system resilience.
• Security Consultancy: Act as the lead security advisor for the Cloud Architecture team, bridging the gap between DevOps agility and rigorous regulatory compliance (SOC2).
• Zero Standing Privilege: Help transition the organization to a "Zero Standing Privilege" model for all production environments.
• Automated Compliance: Help achieve automated auditing for core compliance frameworks (e.g., NIST, CIS Benchmarks).
• Mean Time to Detect (MTTD): Utilize AI-driven monitoring to reduce the detection time of anomalous cloud activity to minimum.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or a related engineering field preferred. BS degree from an accredited College/University in the applicable field of services is required, or 4 additional years of relevant experience in lieu of a college degree.
• 12+ years of experience in Cybersecurity.
• 6+ years of experience focused on architecting secure cloud environments at scale.
• Mastery of cloud-native security suites (e.g., AWS Security Hub, Azure Defender, GCP Security Command Center).
• Expert knowledge of Identity-First Security, including CIEM, Just-In-Time (JIT) access, and complex OIDC/SAML flows.
• Proficiency in Python, Go, or Bash to build custom security automations and integrate with SOAR platforms.
• Deep expertise embedding automated security testing (SAST/DAST/SCA) directly into CI/CD pipelines.
• Advanced understanding of secure connectivity, including SD-WAN, Cloud WAF, and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA).
• Strong ability to bridge the gap between "Speed of DevOps" and "Rigors of Security" while communicating clearly with executive leadership.
• Proven ability to influence technical roadmaps and present security risks clearly to C-suite stakeholders.
• Must be a US Citizen or Permanent US Resident (Green Card Holder).
• Must be able to obtain Public Trust Clearance.
• Be able to pass a drug screening, criminal history, and credit checks.
• Must have lived in the United States for the past 5 years.
• Cannot have more than 6 months travel outside the United States within the last five years. Military Service excluded. (Exception does not include military family members.)