Cyber Security Project Engineer

REQUIRED:  Active TS/SCI with Full Scope Polygraph
LOCATION:  Full-time onsite in McLean, VA

Step into a role where your cyber expertise directly shapes how organizations stay ahead of real‑world adversaries. We’re looking for a Cyber Security Project Engineer who thrives on solving complex problems, breaking down sophisticated attack methods, and turning vulnerability insights into powerful, actionable defense strategies. If you’re energized by hands-on security work, threat intelligence, and guiding programs that protect enterprise‑scale environments, this is a place where your skills will matter every single day.

Who We Are:
We offer advanced services in data science, data engineering, software engineering, AI solutions, cybersecurity, staff augmentation, and IT program management.

Passionate Integrity, Driven by Excellence
Ardent Principles offers a competitive salary range and a comprehensive, industry‑leading benefits package designed to support long‑term stability and employee well‑being. We provide more than a position—we offer a workplace committed to excellence, integrity, and mission‑focused impact.  Our mission is to act as a bridge between satisfied clients and fulfilled employees, ensuring that your job and well‑being are our top priorities because your satisfaction leads to the success of our clients.

Join us as we continue building the future of secure, high‑impact solutions.


Department
Data Analysis and Technology Services
Employment Type
Full Time
Location
McLean, VA
Workplace type
Onsite
Compensation
$130,000 - $260,000 / year


Key Responsibilities


In this challenging yet rewarding role, you are an integral part of what brings our Company's mission to life. You must have the following required skills, certifications and demonstrated experience in and/or with:

• 
  Cyber security or related IT field. 


• 
  Adversarial tactics, techniques, & procedures (TTPs).


• 
  Computer attack methods and system exploitation techniques. 


• 
  Cyber security principles for Linux, Windows, virtual platforms, networking, and Cloud. 


• 
  Network architectures and fundamentals.


• 
  Developing risk management methodologies.


• 
  Analyzing test results to develop risk and threat mitigation plans.


• 
  Working with market-leading vulnerability management tools including the ability to deploy, configure, and run these tools. 


• 
  Vulnerability concepts and prevalent vulnerability types such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), cross-
  site request forgery (CSRF), path traversals, denial of service (DoS), buffer overflows, command injection, race conditions, open redirects, privilege escalation, authentication bypasses, XML External Entity (XXE) attacks and similar. 


• 
  Working with privilege and high/low trust boundaries and what defines a vulnerability vs. weakness.


• 
  Vulnerability and risk scoring frameworks and methodologies such as CVSSv2 and CVSSv3. 


• 
  Working with vulnerability repositories (NVD, CVE MITRE, and VULdb) and exploitation techniques (MITRE ATT&CK
  and DEFEND). 


• 
  Web application (OWASP) and OS-level vulnerability categories and documentation. 


• 
  Communicating how an attacker would exploit vulnerabilities and the types of attacks they could be used for. 


• 
  General threat landscape of an IT network and how vulnerabilities and exploitation of them impact it. 


• 
  Patch management and software development lifecycle (SDLC).


• 
  Security operations, vulnerabilities and exploitation, network
  security, cloud security, and a comprehensive background in information security. 


• 
  Working with commercially available threat intelligence sources and toolsets. 


• 
  Using open-source and human information sources to track and collect information on adversaries, malware, campaigns, and related malicious infrastructure.


• 
  Conducting all-source research on a wide range of cyber issues. 


• 
  Leveraging Tableau or PowerBI to collect and visualize metric data. 


• 
  Administering a SharePoint environment. 


• 
  Portfolio management. 


• 
  Resolving complex problems including organizing and structuring solutions. 


• 
  Developing executive level briefing materials and reports. 


• 
  Program and Project Management methodologies. 


• 
  ServiceNow and JIRA. 


• 
  Eliciting and identifying requirements. 


• 
  Reviewing program and generating formal review documentation. 


• 
  Coordinating, supporting, and participating in program meetings and reviews. 


• 
  Reviewing and identifying inconsistencies in program plans.


• 
  Supporting division-level budget and plans activities. 


• 
  Working with project management activities such as planning projects, meeting objectives, developing contingencies, and producing schedules. 


• 
  Managing meetings to include meeting minutes, organizing, scheduling, and facilitating.

Highly Desired Qualifications


Other skills and demonstrated experiences that are highly desired but not mandatory to perform the work, include:

• 
  Communicating vulnerability results and risk posture to senior executives. 


• 
  Performing complex technical tasks with minimal direction. 


• 
  Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or other related scientific or technical
  discipline. 


• 
  Working with Confluence. 


• 
  Working with advanced analytic features within Excel such as PivotTables, PivotCharts, VLOOKUP. 


• 
  Malware reverse-engineering techniques. 


• 
  Threat hunting in large distributed environments.

What We Offer You


SCHEDULE:



This is a full-time position with consultants expected to be available and working onsite in McLean, VA during core hours.

Ready to take the next step in your career? Join us and be part of a team dedicated to driving positive change through technology. Apply now with our easy 3-minute, mobile-friendly initial application process. Your future starts here!

About Ardent Principles, Inc.


At Ardent Principles, we're more than just a technology company - we're a team of innovators, problem-solvers, and collaborators dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what's possible. Our mission is to empower organizations with transformative IT solutions and program management services, while our values of integrity, excellence, and teamwork guide everything we do. We foster a culture of open communication, where every voice is heard, and every idea is valued. Join us and be part of a company where your contributions truly make a difference.

Apply Now


Our Hiring Process

Stage 2:
Phone Screen


Stage 3:
Client Review


Stage 4:
Offer


Stage 5:
Hired


Stage 1:
Application Review


Stage 2:
Phone Screen


Stage 3:
Client Review


Stage 4:
Offer


Stage 5:
Hired


Stage 1:
Application Review


Stage 2:
Phone Screen


Stage 3:
Client Review


Stage 4:
Offer


Stage 5:
Hired

• 1
• 2

Find out more


Not quite right? Register your interest to be notified of any roles that come along that meet your criteria.




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Apply Now


Department
Data Analysis and Technology Services
Employment Type
Full Time
Location
McLean, VA
Workplace type
Onsite
Compensation
$130,000 - $260,000 / year


View all opportunities at Ardent Principles, Inc.


Apply Now

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