Cybersecurity Engineer (Expert)

Pueo is seeking a Senior Cyber Security Engineer to join our unique team of multidisciplined experts onsite in McLean, VA.

The ideal candidate shall possess experience in design, and secure air-gapped Kubernetes/OpenShift platforms in classified enclaves. This role combines container platform expertise, federal compliance (NIST 800-53, DISA STIGs, RMF/ATO), CI/CD security automation, and incident response operations and supports architect disconnected container ecosystems, aid implementation of automated security controls, accelerate ATO timelines, and assess platforms supporting mixed sensitivity workloads in SCIFs.

The Cyber Security Engineer will be responsible for the following but not limited to:

Air-Gapped Container Platforms: Design and aid implementation of multi-tenant Kubernetes/OpenShift clusters in disconnected enclaves. Manage registry governance, image signing, SBOM/provenance, vulnerability gating, and offline patching. Implement admission control (OPA Gatekeeper, Kyverno) and RBAC for multi-tenancy in classified environments.

CI/CD Security Automation: Aid design/securing CI/CD pipelines integrating SAST, DAST, IaC scanning, and automated compliance checks. Generate RMF/ATO evidence via OSCAL mappings and eMASS integration. Enforce promotion gates requiring signed/provenanced artifacts and passing STIG checks.

Federal Compliance & RMF: Tailor NIST 800-53 controls for containerized systems using shared responsibility matrices. Apply Kubernetes/Docker/OpenShift DISA STIGs and track exceptions. Implement continuous monitoring (CONMON) dashboards via on-prem tools (Prometheus, Falco, auditd). Reduce ATO lead times through automation and evidence generation.

Zero Trust & Identity: Implement Zero Trust in Kubernetes using mTLS, service mesh (SPIFFE/SPIRE), and identity propagation across build/runtime layers. Manage offline PKI operations with short-lived certificates and air-gapped roots. Design east-west segmentation and cross-domain artifact transfer with tamper-evident controls.

• Lead or contribute to security initiatives requiring cross-functional coordination
• Manage competing priorities and complex stakeholder relationships
• Architect secure, scalable containerized platforms for mixed-sensitivity workloads in SCIFs
• Map CI/CD artifacts to RMF/ATO controls and accelerate authorization timelines through automation
• Tailor and reconcile federal compliance requirements across NIST, CNSS, and program-specific directives
• Implement and enforce Zero Trust principles end-to-end (build through runtime)
• Operate and troubleshoot Kubernetes clusters in air-gapped enclaves with minimal external support
• Detect, investigate, and respond to security incidents while maintaining data integrity in classified environments
• Coordinate between development, security, and operations teams to implement secure, compliant practices
• Design and execute disaster recovery and resilience strategies across isolated sites