Cybersecurity Architect

Job Description:

Dynamo Technologies, LLC is seeking a Cybersecurity Architect to help conduct an analysis of tools used to protect the SOC of the USDA.  

Note: This is a surge support role which will last approximately 6 months from time of hire. 

Duties/ Responsibilities 

Dynamo is seeking a cybersecurity architect to help conduct an analysis of tools used to protect the SOC of the USDA.  Task responsibilities include:

• Assessment and alignment of USDA Cybersecurity solutions to the Department’s Enterprise Architecture and CPOC’s Cybersecurity Architecture ensures cohesion of effort, streamlining of efficiencies, cost savings, and adherence to industry standards and models. The contractor shall support USDA, via leveraging of industry and federal government best practices, standards, and assessment methodology, to assist in the development and maturation of a USDA Cybersecurity Architecture. The architecture will also leverage the NIST Cyber Security Framework and alignment to USDA solutions.
• Coordinate across USDA and with USDA Enterprise Architecture, as required, to gain inputs and insights to assist in development and implementation of a USDA Cybersecurity Architecture.
• Conduct an as‐is assessment of the cybersecurity architecture and provide expert level recommendations for the new architecture. The as‐is assessment will be completed using approved assessment methodology and as required, other tools to complete the task. Results of this mapping will identify existing gaps against adversary activities and allow USDA to remediate shortcomings.
• Coordinate with the USDA OCIO Enterprise Architecture Office on the cybersecurity architecture efforts to ensure alignment.
• Assist USDA in cybersecurity architecture assessment, design, development, and planning of current and future technical and functional/business systems by depicting technical, systems and functional architecture views as required.
• The Contractor shall research and identify new and emerging technologies for potential insertion into current and future programs, and the cybersecurity architecture baseline, based on a business case analysis (e.g., cloud services, Big Data analysis). This may include, but is not limited to, analytical capabilities, infrastructure innovation, data innovation, and other strategic innovations as required by the Government.
• Current architectures are comprised of separate disparate client server legacy, virtual and cloud environments.
• Support the Government life cycle systems engineering and infrastructure engineering activities as it continues to transition to the end state hybrid architecture. The Contractor shall:
  • Provide the capability to coordinate infrastructure transition and application development efforts.
  • Translate strategic initiatives into functional IT requirements and corresponding capabilities.
  • Define capability gaps.
  • Support and/or manage as needed the technical plans for IT engineering, hardware, and enterprise architecture projects.
  • Ensure the quality tools and technologies are delivered according to government cost, schedule, and performance objectives.
• Participate and support the development of implementation strategies and courses of action that address mission capabilities development and implementation, data migration, and capacity planning. The Contractor shall also understand the relationship of applications and databases and other capabilities that will be operating in infrastructure as a service; platform as a service; and potentially application as a service as well as all government‐specific data types. Additionally, the Contractor shall provide options for interfaces between the cloud provider(s) and consumers to utilize and manage the on‐demand self‐service and expected elasticity with the ability to forecast accurately and take advantage of the elasticity of the cloud.

The Government’s intent is to migrate to an integrated hybrid architecture that provides the best mission outcomes for its customer base by improving efficiency, reliability, and cost effectiveness.

Required Skills/Abilities

• Strong writing skills
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral
• Willingness to present to mid-level and upper management
• Expertise of security standards and frameworks such as NIST CSF
• Understanding of risk management, threat management, and incident management
• Solid understanding of cloud-based technologies such as AWS and Azure
• Must be flexible and open to different ideas
• Must have good interpersonal skills

Nice to Have Skills

• Experience with cloud services such as AWS, Google Cloud and/or Azure strongly preferred