Senior Cyber Systems Engineer

MTSI is seeking a motivated Senior Cyber Systems Engineer specializing in Application Security and DevSecOps to support the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) Program Office. In this role, you will apply engineering rigor to ensure cybersecurity across the software development lifecycle (SDLC) for critical Mission Software. Working with minimal guidance both as an individual contributor and in collaborative team settings, you will assist Government leadership, Industry Partner development teams, and Cybersecurity Authorizing Officials. Core responsibilities include supporting Software Assurance assessments, evaluating SAST/DAST scan data, integrating security automation within CI/CD pipelines, and assessing third-party open-source/COTS/GOTS software risks under the DoD Risk Management Framework (RMF).

Job Responsibilities:

CI/CD Pipeline & Tooling Integration: Support workflow automation and security integration within CI/CD pipelines; assist in maintaining and deploying organizational shared security solutions (e.g., standard security libraries, automation scripts, and baseline testing templates).

Vulnerability & Code Analysis: Monitor and analyze Static Application Security Testing (SAST) and Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) scans, triage Common Weakness Enumerations (CWEs) and Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs), and provide technical risk determinations.

Scan Exception & Vulnerability Management: Facilitate and support the automated scan exception process, tracking remediation milestones and documenting false-positive adjudications.

Software Assurance (SwA) Oversight: Oversee GM SWAP (Software Assurance Program) Portal assessments to evaluate software risk posture across development tiers.

Open Source & Commercial Software Governance: Apply guidance and support assessment processes for Open-Source Software (OSS), Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS), and Government-Off-The-Shelf (GOTS) software.

Dependency Risk Assessments: Perform supply chain risk assessments on third-party dependencies and OSS packages; formulate risk assessment recommendations for submission to the ISSM, Security Control Assessor (SCA), Authorizing Official (AO), or AO Designated Representative (AODR).

ISSM / ISSO Collaboration: Assist the ISSM and ISSO during operational cyber activities and RMF processes, contributing to Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) development and Risk Acceptance Memorandums.

Security Control Engineering: Collaborate with software development teams to categorize applications, identify applicable security overlays, tailor NIST SP 800-53 controls, and validate control implementation evidence.

Environment Governance: Monitor development, test, and production environments during operations to verify continuous compliance with cybersecurity policies.

CDRL & Deliverable Reviews: Review Industry Partner Contract Data Requirements Lists (CDRLs), security assessment reports, and engineering documents to verify Mission Software adherence to system specifications and cybersecurity requirements.

Stakeholder Technical Liaison: Communicate Government cybersecurity requirements for application development clearly to Program Offices, Industry Partners, and developers.

Audits, Sampling & Training: Conduct periodic application security review sampling and audits; educate developer teams on secure coding principles and how to recognize security-relevant architectural changes.

Required Qualifications

Active DoD Secret clearance (or higher).

Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline (Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical field).

7+ years of progressive engineering experience supporting missile defense-related programs or large, complex defense programs/projects (preferably with GMD or MDA at a Prime contractor or service support level).

Demonstrated ability to work with minimal guidance, execute as a collaborative team member, and lead technical tasks, applying engineering rigor to resolve complex technical challenges.

Working knowledge of secure coding frameworks (e.g., OWASP Top 10, NIST SP 800-218 SSDF) and experience with automated SAST, DAST, or Software Composition Analysis (SCA) tooling.

Experience supporting automated workflows and security test suites within CI/CD pipelines.

Experience with DoD Risk Management Framework (RMF) processes, security control selection, and POA&M tracking.

Experience evaluating technical documentation and scan artifacts to support authorization determinations.

Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to deliver briefings, author technical documentation, and collaborate across multi-disciplinary engineering teams.

Preferred Qualifications

Direct prior experience supporting MDA Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) or related missile defense elements.

Active DoD 8570 / 8140 certification at IAM/IAT Level II or higher (e.g., Security+ CE, CySA+, CISSP, CSSLP, or CCSP).

Hands-on familiarity with software assurance platforms, container technologies, and CI/CD tools (e.g., SonarQube, Fortify, Checkmarx, Anchore, GitLab CI, Jenkins).

Familiarity with the GM SWAP Portal or equivalent DoD software repository clearinghouses.

#LI-JJ1