Cloud Cybersecurity Engineer

ARS is seeking a skilled Cybersecurity Engineer to assist in the development and security hardening of a DevSecOps cloud environment to align with DoD RMF (NIST SP 800-53 r5) and CMMC 2.0 (NIST SP 800-171) security requirements.

Why Work with us?

Applied Research Solutions (ARS) is respected as a world-class provider of technically integrated solutions as we deliver premier talent and technology across our focused markets for unparalleled, continuous mission support.Awarded a Best Places to Work nominee since 2020, ARS recognizes that without our career- driven, loyal professionals, we would not be able to deliver state-of-the-art results for our mission partners. We firmly believe that prioritizing our employees is of the upmost importance. We provide a culture where our employees are challenged to meet their career goals and aspirations, while still obtaining a work/life balance. ARS employees are motivated through our industry competitive benefits package, our awards and recognition program, and personalized attention from ARS Senior Managers.

The ideal candidate will bring deep hands-on experience integrating security throughout CI/CD pipelines, implementing automated security testing, and ensuring secure configuration baselines across cloud-native and hybrid workloads. Expertise with Microsoft security technologies, including Microsoft Defender suite, Azure Security Center/Defender for Cloud, Microsoft Sentinel, and Purview, is essential for providing robust detection engineering, data governance, incident response enrichment, and continuous monitoring capabilities. Candidates should also demonstrate an ability to architect and support secure Azure landing zones, manage multi-tenant environments through Azure Lighthouse, and develop solutions that meet DoD-authoritative guidance, STIGs, and high-assurance compliance requirements.

In this role, the Engineer will drive vulnerability management processes, ensuring timely discovery, prioritization, remediation, and reporting of findings across the environment, leveraging modern scanning tools and integrating results into DevSecOps workflows. The position also requires a strong background in threat intelligence; translating indicators, adversary TTPs, and emerging trends into actionable security controls and engineering enhancements. The Engineer will collaborate across security, development, and operations teams to ensure the environment maintains continuous compliance, supports accreditation efforts, and aligns with RMF lifecycle activities, SSP development, POA&M management, and CMMC assessment readiness. This position is suited for individuals who excel in high-security DoD cloud environments and can fuse technical expertise with rigorous compliance and mission-focused security engineering.

Responsibilities include:

• Design, implement, and harden cloud workloads to meet DoD RMF (NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5) and CMMC 2.0 (NIST SP 800-171) security requirements.
• Integrate security into CI/CD pipelines, enabling automated security testing, compliance checks, and secure deployment processes.
• Configure and manage Microsoft Defender, Sentinel, Purview, and other Azure-native security services to improve detection, response, and data governance capabilities.
• Develop and enforce secure configuration baselines, STIGs, and system hardening guidelines across Azure resources and DevSecOps toolchains.
• Establish and maintain vulnerability management processes, including scanning, prioritization, remediation tracking, and reporting.
• Leverage threat intelligence sources to identify emerging threats, build detection logic, and improve security controls.
• Support RMF lifecycle activities, including control implementation, SSP development, evidence generation, and POA&M management.
• Prepare for and support CMMC 2.0 assessment readiness, ensuring documentation, controls, and monitoring align with assessment criteria.
• Manage and optimize multi-tenant Azure environments using Azure Lighthouse for access control, monitoring, and delegated administration.
• Collaborate with development, operations, and compliance teams to deliver secure-by-design solutions and resolve security findings.
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications/ Technical Experience Requirements:

• Must be a US citizen
• Bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, computer science, engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 5+ years of cybersecurity engineering experience, preferably supporting DoD, federal, or regulated environments.
• Hands-on experience with Azure security tools, including Microsoft Defender suite, Sentinel, Purview, and Azure Policy.
• Strong knowledge of DevSecOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and integrating security automation into development workflows.
• Deep understanding of DoD RMF, NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 controls, and security assessment/evidence requirements.
• Experience implementing CMMC 2.0 or NIST SP 800-171 controls, including documentation, continuous monitoring, and audit readiness.
• Proficiency in vulnerability management tools, remediation processes, and risk-based prioritization.

All positions at Applied Research Solutions are subject to background investigations. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background investigation including criminal history and identity check.

This contractor and subcontractor shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-741.5(a). This regulation prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of disability, and requires affirmative action by covered prime contractors and subcontractors to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities.

This contractor and subcontractor shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-300.5(a). This regulation prohibits discrimination against qualified protected veterans, and requires affirmative action by covered contractors and subcontractors to employ and advance in employment qualified protected veterans.