Senior Cloud Security Specialist (AWS) (US Citizen, on-site in DC)

Senior Cloud Security Specialist (AWS)

Washington, DC

We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Cloud Security Specialist (AWS) to support the Security Engineering team within our client’s IT division. This team is responsible for the strategy, design, implementation, and continuous improvement of security solutions across cloud, on-premise, and hybrid environments.

This role is ideal for a hands-on cloud security expert with deep experience in AWS security, compliance frameworks, and secure architecture design. The selected candidate will play a critical role in assessing and strengthening cloud security posture, ensuring alignment with federal cybersecurity standards, and enabling engineering teams to build secure, scalable solutions. You will work closely with architects, engineers, and stakeholders to identify risks, implement controls, and drive security best practices across the enterprise.

Responsibilities

• Conduct regular security reviews of cloud infrastructure deployed by engineering teams
• Evaluate infrastructure-as-code against security standards
• Review and validate compliance with security policies and best practices
• Assess adherence to AWS Well-Architected Framework security pillar
• Identify and document security misconfigurations and non-compliant controls
• Develop and maintain security posture dashboards
• Create or update security configuration guides and playbooks
• Offer technical consultation to engineering teams on secure implementation
• Implement AWS security controls and services to ensure proper security hardening and other security engineering tasks.
• Develop and update AWS security configuration standards
• Conduct security training sessions for engineering teams
• Present findings and recommendations in team meetings
• Identify opportunities to automate security assessments
• Recommend security tooling improvements.
• Work with Enterprise Architects, other functional area architects, and security specialists to ensure adequate security solutions are in place throughout cloud IT systems and platforms.
• Provide technical expertise and support to customers, IT management and staff in cloud security threat risk assessments,  development, testing and the implementation and operation of appropriate information security plans, procedures, and control techniques designed to prevent, minimize, or quickly recover from cyber-attacks or other serious cloud events.
• Develop and maintain security architecture artifacts (e.g., models, templates, standards, and procedures) that can be used to leverage security capabilities in projects and operations.
• Serves as a cloud security expert, integrating sound practices from Identity and Access management, monitoring, platform standards, network segmentation and interconnection, encryption, and more into the cloud platforms.

Citizenship

·   US Citizenship

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 6 years' experience in cybersecurity, including cloud security, compliance, and risk management with a background in system and network security engineering.
• Minimum 5 years hands-on AWS security experience
• Demonstrated experience implementing secure, scalable AWS cloud architectures following industry best security practices and security frameworks.
• Demonstrated federal experience and comprehensive knowledge in adopting and implementing federal cybersecurity requirements, including but not limited to the NIST
• Cybersecurity Framework, OMB Memorandum M-22-09, NIST SP 800-53
• Possess deep analytical, problem-solving, and troubleshooting experience, to independently resolve complex security challenges.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Proven ability to provide technical security consultation and advisory services with a proactive approach to identifying potential issues, raising questions, and engaging in open dialogue with team members and stakeholders to ensure security objectives are met.
• Strong understanding of security concepts and technologies related to Identity and Access Management (IAM), security engineering, network security design, security operations, security architecture, general engineering processes, cloud security, data loss protection, zero trust, DevSecOps and vulnerability management.
• Technical skills in AWS cloud security, security engineering, DevSecOps, scripting, and Infrastructure-as-code (IaC)
• Self-motivated and able to work independently
• Strong attention to detail
• Broad knowledge of information systems such as Windows security, network security, systems development, communication networks, security software/hardware, and operating systems.

Certificates

• AWS Certified Security - Specialty (strongly preferred)
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional or Associate
• At least one of the following certifications preferred:
  • CISSP
  • CISM
  • CISC
  • Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
  • Certified Ethical
  • Hacker (CEH)
  • CompTIA Security+
  • Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK)
  • Professional Cloud Architect
  • Professional Cloud Security Engineer
  • Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Information Security, Computer Science, Management of Information Systems, or related field required.

Compensation & Benefits

• Full benefits offered