Zero Trust Architecture Specialist

Position - Zero Trust Architecture Specialist

Work Location - Bethesda, MD

Security Clearance - TS/SCI with CI Polygraph

Cornerstone Defense is the Employer of Choice within the Intelligence, Defense, and Space communities of the U.S. Government. Realizing early on that our most prized assets are our employees, we continually focus our attention on improving the overall work/life experience they have supporting the mission. Our Team is pushed every day to use their industry leading knowledge to provide end-to-end solutions to combat our nation’s toughest and most secure problems.

If you are looking for a place to not only be professionally challenged, but encouraged and supported by a company that cares, don’t look any further than Cornerstone Defense.

Seeking a highly experienced Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) Specialist to support a mission-critical customer in the Intelligence Community (IC). This position requires at least 15 years of relevant experience in systems engineering and architecture or related IT fields, with demonstrated expertise in Zero Trust principles and implementation. This position will play a pivotal role in defining, designing, and coordinating the transition of current architectures into zero trust-enabled environments across the enterprise and non-enterprise services/systems.

The role requires an expert-level understanding of secure systems architecture, IC directives, and modern IT security paradigms.

While the ideal candidate is a generalist with broad expertise across ZTA principles and IC-related IT ecosystems, the customer is also open to specialists with deep knowledge in one or more relevant areas.

• Architectural Design and Strategy:
  • Document architectural rules and develop clear criteria for system and service compliance with zero trust principles.
  • Diagram interim and future state architectures, capturing transition paths from current architectures to zero trust-enabled environments.
  • Define and effectively communicate integration expectations for all IT services across evolving architectures.
• Design Patterns and Standards Development:
  • Create and maintain design patterns to guide enterprise and non-enterprise systems in achieving compliance with zero trust specifications.
  • Align all work with IC protocols, directives, and initiatives, ensuring consistency with broader government mandates.
• IT Roadmap and Implementation Planning:
  • Develop and refine roadmaps for IT implementation of zero trust across global enterprises, including classified and unclassified multi-cloud/multi-fabric landscapes.
  • Integrate IT stack technologies, ensuring secure, scalable, and effective functionality within a global operational environment.
• Zero Trust Expertise and Governance:
  • Apply expert knowledge in identity, authentication, and authorization technologies to advance zero trust principles.
  • Work with secure cloud architectures across multiple vendors and cloud fabrics, ensuring environments meet compliance and operational requirements.
• Stakeholder Communication and Leadership:
  • Engage with senior stakeholders across the IC and DoD to communicate architectural decisions, integration plans, and compliance mandates.
  • Brief senior forums and provide subject matter expertise on EO 14028, NSM-8, NIST standards (e.g., 800-53, CNSSI 1253, ICD 503), and other related directives.
  • Build trust and foster collaboration across IC partners and technical teams to align zero trust implementations with mission objectives.
• Generalist vs. Specialist Considerations:
  • The customer prefers a generalist with broad expertise across ZTA and related areas but is willing to recruit a specialist who can bring significant depth in one or more core areas, such as identity management, secure cloud architecture, or IT stack integration.

• Active TS/SCI with Poly is REQUIRED.
• 15+ years of experience in systems engineering and architecture, particularly in IC and DoD-related environments.
• Extensive knowledge of zero trust architecture, including National Security System (NSS) and DoD reference architectures.
• Familiarity with IC directives, policies, and…