Cybersecurity Analyst - Senior (w/ active TS)

Cybersecurity Analyst - Senior (w/ active TS)

Location: Alexandria, VA

Clearance: Active Top Secret

Full-time/ On-site

JOB DESCRIPTION

Critical Solutions is seeking a Senior Cybersecurity Analyst to support our Federal customer in Alexandria, VA.

PRIMARY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Protect organization's critical systems, data, and networks from advanced cyber threats.
• Lead threat detection, incident response, and risk mitigation efforts while mentoring junior analysts and contributing to the development of cybersecurity strategies.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams to implement best practices, ensure compliance, and strengthen the organization's cybersecurity posture.
• Act as a mentor and technical resource for junior and mid-level analysts, providing guidance on threat analysis, incident response, and best practices.
• Lead security operations center (SOC) teams or incident response efforts, ensuring effective coordination and communication across stakeholders.
• Conduct in-depth analysis of advanced persistent threats (APTs), zero-day vulnerabilities, and nation-state actors, providing actionable intelligence to leadership.
• Develop and refine threat hunting strategies to proactively detect and mitigate potential attacks.
• Oversee the end-to-end lifecycle of incident response efforts for high-severity security incidents, including containment, eradication, recovery, and post-incident analysis.
• Lead forensic investigations to determine the root cause of incidents, identify Indicators of Compromise (IOCs), and assess the broader impact on systems.
• Develop and maintain cybersecurity policies, playbooks, and incident response procedures in alignment with organizational and regulatory requirements.
• Provide strategic recommendations to enhance the organization's overall cybersecurity posture and minimize risk.
• Prioritize and assess vulnerabilities based on potential impact, criticality, and exploitability, and recommend remediation strategies to stakeholders.
• Work closely with system architects and engineers to assess risks associated with new projects, technologies, or configurations.
• Act as a liaison between the organization and external threat intelligence providers, law enforcement, and government agencies
• Integrate threat intelligence into the organization's monitoring, detection, and response processes, ensuring proactive defenses.
• Lead efforts to ensure compliance with frameworks like RMF, NIST SP 800-53, and FISMA for audits and system accreditations.
• Prepare detailed reports and presentations for executive leadership, summarizing security events, metrics, and trends.
• Evaluate and recommend new security tools and technologies to enhance detection, analysis, and response capabilities.
• Develop custom scripts or tools (e.g., Python, PowerShell) for automating threat detection, log analysis, or incident response workflows.
• Work with system architects, DevSecOps teams, and software developers to incorporate security requirements into system designs and software pipelines.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Active Top Secret security clearance required. Must be U.S. Citizen.
• Bachelor's degree and 8+ years of prior relevant experience; additional work experience or Cyber courses/certifications may be substituted in lieu of degree.
• IAT level III
• Understanding of network protocols, operating systems, and cybersecurity threats (e.g., malware, phishing, ransomware).
• Experience with scripting or automation tools (e.g., Python, PowerShell) is a plus.
• Proficiency with cybersecurity tools, such as SIEM (Splunk, ArcSight), vulnerability management platforms (Tenable, Qualys), and IAM systems.
• Experience with secure software development and DevSecOps practices.

LOCATION:

• On site in Alexandria, VA
• Must be willing and able to commute to Alexandria, VA

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Clearance Requirement: