Mid-Senior Cybersecurity Engineer / Project Manager

About the role

The Mid-Senior Cybersecurity Engineer / Project Manager serves as both a technical lead and program execution manager for the DoD Cyber Crime Center (DC3) Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) Professional Support Services contract.

This role combines hands-on cybersecurity systems engineering with project leadership and contract management, ensuring all technical and programmatic tasks are executed in accordance with DC3 mission requirements, Department of Defense (DoD) standards, and contract performance objectives.

The position leads a multidisciplinary engineering team responsible for developing, integrating, securing, and sustaining advanced cyber capabilities that support Air Force and DoD Cyber Operations (Cyber Ops) worldwide.

Primary Responsibilities

• Contract and Project Management Leadership
• Serve as the primary on-site Project Manager (PM), leading a team of cybersecurity engineers and analysts in executing all PWS tasks.
• Develop, maintain, and monitor project plans, schedules, milestones, and deliverables; ensure alignment with contract performance metrics and mission priorities.
• Conduct resource allocation, budget tracking, and risk management to ensure cost, schedule, and technical performance are achieved.
• Coordinate with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), Program Manager, and DC3 leadership to provide status updates, risk assessments, and corrective action plans.
• Lead kickoff, status, and technical exchange meetings; ensure required reports (Monthly Status Reports, Trip Reports, Final Reports) are delivered accurately and on time.
• Maintain accountability for team staffing, turnover control, and quality performance under the PWS.
• Mentor and guide team members, fostering collaboration and ensuring consistent application of quality and cybersecurity best practices.
• Cyber Systems Engineering and Technical Analysis
• Provide technical oversight and subject matter expertise for engineering activities related to sustainment, modernization, and integration of DC3 enterprise systems.
• Conduct feasibility studies, analyses of alternatives, and technical trade studies to inform system design and modernization efforts.
• Oversee Change and Release Management processes, ensuring updates follow approved DoD system engineering and agile principles (SAFE Agile, PMBOK).
• Lead integration and sustainment engineering, ensuring cyber systems meet reliability, maintainability, and affordability goals.
• Develop architecture recommendations that support evolving Air Force Cyber and Cyber LE/CI missions.
• Cyber Operations and Intelligence Analysis
• Direct the team’s analytic support to DC3’s cyber operations, including intelligence analysis, collection management, and production support.
• Integrate technical intelligence with operational cyber data to produce actionable assessments for decision makers.
• Develop analytical products ranging from 'quick looks' to in-depth intelligence assessments on emerging cyber threats and technologies.
• Research & Development (R&D) Technical Support
• Oversee R&D efforts related to new cyber and multi-domain capabilities.
• Coordinate Developmental and Operational Test & Evaluation (DT&E/OT&E) activities.
• Evaluate technology insertions, manage trade studies, and guide prototype demonstrations to inform capability transitions to operations.
• Quality Assurance and Process Improvement
• Implement and maintain a Quality Control Plan (QCP) to ensure compliance with contract and DC3 quality standards.
• Lead continuous process improvement and transition planning initiatives, optimizing technical performance, affordability, and lifecycle sustainment.
• Ensure all products and services meet DC3’s 95% performance threshold for timeliness and accuracy.

Education & Experience

• Master's degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or related discipline; 10+ years of relevant experience.
• Substitution: Bachelor's degree with 18 years of experience, or no degree with 22 years of directly related experience.
• Proven leadership experience managing technical or SETA contracts in DoD Cyber Ops and Counter Intelligence environments.
• Experience managing multi-functional teams supporting engineering, cyber operations, or R&D efforts.

Clearance

• Must have active Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance.

Certifications (Preferred)

• DoD 8570 IAT Level III or IASAE II certification (e.g., CISSP, CASP+, CISM)
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or Agile (SAFE) certification
• Familiarity with RMF, eMASS, XACTA, and Air Force test and evaluation standards (AFSPCI 10-170 RTO&I)

Technical Skills

• Expertise in cyber systems architecture, DevSecOps, automated testing, and network defense engineering.
• Strong understanding of DoD enterprise cybersecurity policy, Zero Trust architectures, and mission assurance frameworks.
• Demonstrated proficiency with continuous integration/deployment pipelines and configuration control tools.

Leadership & Soft Skills

• Effective communicator with the ability to brief senior leaders and manage stakeholder relationships.
• Proven ability to motivate, organize, and lead high-performing technical teams.
• Demonstrated commitment to integrity, accountability, and mission excellence.

Performance Metrics

• Deliver 95% of all technical and project deliverables on schedule and within quality standards.
• Maintain team turnover 10% and ensure no key position vacancy exceeds 15 business days.
• Achieve 95% customer response within 24 hours and maintain continuous communication with Government stakeholders

Reports & Deliverables

• Monthly Status Reports detailing progress, risks, and budget metrics.
• Trip and Meeting Reports per PWS Sections 4.3 - 4.4.
• Final Summary Report one month prior to contract completion, including lessons learned and recommendations for follow-on efforts.