Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) Specialist - TS/SCI CI Poly

Job Description

Job Description

Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) Specialist – TS/SCI CI Poly

Department: Government Customer - Bethesda
Location: Bethesda, MD

ACTIVE TS/SCI CLEARANCE WITH CI POLY REQUIRED TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION

We are seeking a highly experienced Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) Specialist to support a mission-critical Intelligence Community (IC) customer. This role is ideal for a senior systems engineering and architecture professional with deep expertise in Zero Trust principles, secure systems architecture, and IC/DoD security directives.

The ZTA Specialist will play a pivotal role in defining, designing, and coordinating the transition of legacy and modern architectures into zero trust–enabled environments across enterprise and non-enterprise systems and services. This position requires expert-level technical knowledge, strong architectural judgment, and the ability to operate effectively across classified and unclassified global IT environments.

While the ideal candidate is a generalist with broad expertise across Zero Trust Architecture and IC IT ecosystems, candidates with deep specialization in one or more core ZTA domains are also encouraged to apply.

Key Responsibilities

Architectural Design and Strategy

• Define and document architectural rules and compliance criteria for systems and services aligned with Zero Trust principles.

• Develop and maintain diagrams for current, interim, and future-state architectures, clearly capturing transition paths to zero trust–enabled environments.

• Define and communicate integration expectations for enterprise and non-enterprise IT services across evolving architectures.

Design Patterns and Standards Development

• Create and maintain Zero Trust design patterns to guide systems toward compliance with established specifications.

• Ensure architectural alignment with IC directives, policies, and government-wide security initiatives.

IT Roadmap and Implementation Planning

• Develop and refine roadmaps for Zero Trust implementation across global enterprise environments, including classified and unclassified multi-cloud and multi-fabric landscapes.

• Integrate IT stack technologies to ensure secure, scalable, and mission-effective solutions.

Zero Trust Expertise and Governance

• Apply expert knowledge of identity, authentication, and authorization technologies to advance Zero Trust adoption.

• Architect and evaluate secure cloud environments across multiple vendors and cloud fabrics, ensuring compliance and operational readiness.

Stakeholder Communication and Leadership

• Engage senior stakeholders across the IC and DoD to communicate architectural decisions, integration plans, and compliance requirements.

• Brief senior leadership forums and provide subject matter expertise on EO 14028, NSM-8, NIST standards (e.g., 800-53), CNSSI 1253, ICD 503, and related directives.

• Foster collaboration and alignment across IC partners and technical teams to ensure Zero Trust implementations support mission objectives.

Generalist vs. Specialist Focus

• Operate as a broad Zero Trust generalist across architectures, security, and integration domains, or provide deep expertise in specialized areas such as identity management, secure cloud architecture, or IT stack integration.

Required Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI with Polygraph (required).

• 15+ years of experience in systems engineering and architecture, particularly within IC and DoD environments.

• Extensive knowledge of Zero Trust Architecture, including National Security System (NSS) and DoD reference architectures.

• Strong familiarity with IC and DoD directives and standards, including EO 14028, NSM-8, ICD 503, NIST 800-53, CNSSI 1253, and related frameworks.

• Demonstrated ability to integrate IT stack technologies across global enterprise cyber systems with an emphasis on secure implementations.

• Deep expertise in secure cloud architecture and multi-cloud/multi-fabric environments (classified and unclassified).

• Advanced knowledge of identity, authentication, and authorization technologies central to Zero Trust principles.

• Proven experience developing IT roadmaps and implementation plans for mission-critical systems.

• Demonstrated ability to operate across IT domains, integrating architecture, security, and technical execution.

• Proven ability to brief senior IC and DoD forums, delivering clear, concise technical, risk, and strategic guidance.

• Experience partnering across IC stakeholders to foster collaboration and alignment.

Education / Relevant Experience

• Associate Degree + 17 years of relevant experience

• Bachelor’s Degree + 15 years of relevant experience

• Master’s Degree + 13 years of relevant experience

• PhD + 11 years of relevant experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in classified environments and bridging enterprise and mission-specific IT landscapes.

• Certifications such as CISSP, CCSP, AWS Certified Solutions Architect, or similar.

• Knowledge of emerging trends, tools, and technologies in Zero Trust Architecture and secure systems development.

TENICA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.