Senior Cybersecurity Architect

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the cybersecurity architecture that supports NHSN's Azure cloud environment.
• Design secure reference architectures for modern cloud-native applications, APIs, data platforms, containerized workloads, and supporting infrastructure.
• Establish enterprise security guidelines, architecture principles, and governance processes to guide secure engineering across the organization.
• Maintain a comprehensive security architecture roadmap aligned with NHSN modernization efforts.
• Serve as the technical authority for securing NHSN's Microsoft Azure environment.
• Develop security architectures and governance for Azure App Services, Azure Container Apps, AKS, Azure SQL, Azure Data Factory, Azure Databricks, storage, networking, and platform services.
• Implement and oversee secure use of Azure infrastructure services including Key Vault, Service Bus, Application Gateway, Container Registry, Storage Accounts, Application Insights, Log Analytics, identity services, and related Azure-native security capabilities.
• Partner with cloud engineering teams to implement Zero Trust, infrastructure security, policy enforcement, and secure Infrastructure-as-Code practices.
• Lead secure software engineering practices across the Software Development Life Cycle.
• Conduct architecture reviews, threat modeling, secure design reviews, and application security assessments for applications built with Java, Quarkus, React, KendoReact, and supporting technologies.
• Develop secure coding standards and guidance on authentication, authorization, API security, encryption, secrets management, and vulnerability remediation.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to integrate security into Azure DevOps pipelines, GitHub Copilot-enabled development workflows, automated testing, and CI/CD processes.
• Develop security strategies for NHSN's enterprise data platforms and analytics environments.
• Establish security controls for Azure Databricks, Azure Data Factory, Azure SQL, and related data integration services.
• Ensure secure handling of sensitive public health data through access controls, encryption, monitoring, auditing, and data governance practices.
• Assess cybersecurity risks associated with legacy applications and technologies, including Java EE/JSP applications, jQuery-based interfaces, SAS Viya, and existing Kubernetes deployments.
• Develop modernization security strategies that reduce technical debt while preserving operational continuity.
• Recommend secure migration approaches aligning legacy capabilities with modern cloud-native architectures.
• Embed security into software development and deployment pipelines using Azure DevOps and modern DevSecOps practices.
• Develop automated security controls supporting source code management, dependency management, container security, infrastructure security, and continuous compliance.
• Partner with engineering teams to integrate security testing into development workflows using appropriate tools and practices.
• Perform ongoing security assessments, threat modeling, and architecture risk analyses, maintaining a security architecture map, risk register, and remediation roadmap.
• Develop cybersecurity policies, standards, technical guidance, and governance processes aligned with NIST CSF, RMF, NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5, NIST AI RMF, FedRAMP, FISMA, and Zero Trust Architecture.
• Support Authority to Operate (ATO) activities and security documentation.
• Develop security guidance for AI and other emerging technologies supporting NHSN modernization, evaluating AI risks such as prompt injection, model security, data protection, and supply chain risk.
• Establish security guardrails enabling responsible adoption of AI capabilities across the organization.
• Develop and deliver cybersecurity education and awareness training for engineering and program teams.
• Mentor software engineers, cloud engineers, and technical leads on secure engineering principles.
• Create reusable security standards, design patterns, playbooks, and implementation guidance that establish a consistent security posture across NHSN.
• Serve as a trusted cybersecurity advisor to program leadership on threats, technology investments, and enterprise security strategy.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or a related discipline. A Master’s degree is preferred.
• Minimum of ten years of progressive experience in cybersecurity architecture, secure software engineering, cloud security, or enterprise application security.
• Demonstrated experience designing and securing enterprise solutions hosted in Microsoft Azure.
• Strong understanding of Azure security architecture, including identity and access management, networking, platform services, container security, logging, monitoring, encryption, and cloud governance.
• Significant hands-on software development experience using Java or other modern programming languages.
• Experience securing cloud-native applications, REST APIs, containerized workloads, and distributed systems.
• Experience integrating security into Azure DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, and modern software engineering practices.
• Experience performing threat modeling, architecture risk assessments, penetration testing coordination, and secure design reviews.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills with the ability to influence technical teams and executive stakeholders.
• Current CISSP or CCSP professional certifications.

Technologies

• Microsoft Azure
• Azure App Services
• Azure Container Apps
• Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
• Azure SQL
• Azure Data Factory
• Azure Databricks
• Key Vault
• Service Bus
• Application Gateway
• Container Registry
• Storage Accounts
• Application Insights
• Log Analytics
• Azure Active Directory / identity services
• Java
• Quarkus
• React
• KendoReact
• Java EE/JSP
• jQuery
• SAS Viya
• Kubernetes
• Azure DevOps
• GitHub Copilot
• IntelliJ IDEA
• Eclipse
• Visual Studio Code
• Azure Data Studio
• SQL Server Management Studio
• Postman

Benefits

• Competitive compensation
• Health and Wellness programs
• Income protection
• Paid leave
• Retirement

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Quarkus, React, Kubernetes, Azure Databricks, Azure Data Factory, Azure SQL, SAS Viya, and modern Azure platform services.
• Experience securing enterprise data platforms and analytics environments.
• Experience supporting federal cloud environments, FISMA compliance, and Authority to Operate (ATO) processes.
• Familiarity with developer productivity tools such as IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse, Visual Studio Code, Azure Data Studio, SQL Server Management Studio, Postman, GitHub Copilot, and Azure DevOps.
• Certifications such as CISSP, CCSP, Microsoft Certified: Cybersecurity Architect Expert, Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, GIAC, or equivalent credentials.

Desired Characteristics

• Deep technical credibility as both a secure software engineer and cybersecurity architect.
• An enterprise architect mindset capable of designing scalable security solutions across cloud, applications, infrastructure, and data platforms.
• Ability to balance innovation with governance while enabling secure software delivery and performance.
• Strong systems thinking and the ability to translate complex cybersecurity concepts into actionable guidance.
• A passion for mentoring teams and building a culture of secure engineering.