Jobs and Careers

Senior Systems Security Specialist

Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation (AAWDC)

Out of Countyfull_timeVerifiedPosted 22 May 2026

💰 $160,000/yr($125,000/yr – $160,000/yr)

About the role

Senior Systems Security Specialist

Application Deadline: 29 May 2026

Department: IT

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Out of County

Compensation: $125,000 - $160,000 / year

Description

We are seeking one (1) Senior Systems Security Specialist to perform internal and external penetration testing of networks, web applications, APIs, and cloud environments to identify security vulnerabilities and exploit paths, and other related tasks

Conduct internal and external penetration testing of networks, web applications, APIs, and cloud environments to identify security vulnerabilities and exploit paths.

Perform red team engagements simulating real-world adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) aligned with MITRE ATT&CK.

Execute vulnerability assessments and validate remediation efforts through retesting and technical verification.

Develop comprehensive penetration testing reports, including executive summaries, risk ratings, proof-of-concept evidence, and actionable remediation guidance.

Perform threat modeling and attack surface analysis to identify high-risk exposure areas and privilege escalation pathways.

Conduct secure configuration reviews of operating systems, network infrastructure, cloud platforms, and identity systems.

Evaluate application security through dynamic and manual testing techniques, including authentication, session management, input validation, and access control testing.

Review source code for security weaknesses and secure coding gaps, particularly in C/C++, Python, Java, or similar languages.

Develop and maintain custom scripts or tooling to automate testing activities and enhance offensive security capabilities.

Support incident response activities by recreating attack chains, validating compromise scenarios, and identifying root causes.

Assess Zero Trust implementations, micro-segmentation strategies, and identity-based security controls for effectiveness.

Conduct phishing simulations and social engineering exercises to evaluate user awareness and organizational resilience.

Provide technical briefings to executive leadership and technical stakeholders regarding risk posture and remediation prioritization.

Collaborate with engineering, DevOps, and infrastructure teams to remediate identified vulnerabilities and strengthen security architecture.

Contribute to the development of security policies, testing methodologies, and enterprise security standards.

Key Responsibilities

Experience leading red team engagements.

Experience performing adversary emulation exercises.

Experience conducting phishing and social engineering simulations.

Experience performing purple team exercises.

A minimum of five (5) years of experience in Zero Trust & Architecture:

Experience designing or assessing Zero Trust implementations.

Experience evaluating micro-segmentation strategies and identity-centric controls.

A minimum of five (5) years of experience in Cloud & Modern Infrastructure:

Experience performing security assessments in AWS or Azure environments, Containerized environments (Docker/Kubernetes) and Infrastructure-as-Code deployments

Experience testing CI/CD pipelines.

A minimum of ten (10) years of experience in Software Development Depth:

Strong low-level development knowledge (kernel, assembly, embedded systems) that supports advanced exploit analysis.

Experience reviewing source code in JAVA or other compiled languages for vulnerabilities.

A minimum of ten (10) years of experience in Government in the following:

Experience supporting federal or state government security programs.

Familiarity with FedRAMP, FISMA, or IRS Pub 1075 environments.

A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university with a major in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Business, or other related scientific or technical discipline. A Master's Degree is preferred.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

The candidate may be required to work on-site or remotely on specific days as determined by MHBE.

Note: The candidate must be flexible to work overtime, on-site/off-site, as needed, including weekends, holidays, and off-hours.

A Minimum eight (8) years of progressive experience in cybersecurity

A minimum of five (5) years performing penetration testing or red team engagements.

A minimum of five (5) years conducting network penetration testing, web application and API testing, internal and external vulnerability assessments and threat modeling and attack path a