Senior Security Engineer (Cleared)

Rise8 is hiring a Senior Security Engineer (Cleared) to strengthen security across the build pipeline and authorization package for multiple teams and program domains. In this role, you will design and harden cloud infrastructure and CI/CD workflows, convert regulatory requirements into automatable technical checks, and support continuous ATO and cATO practices through evidence automation and engineering-driven guardrails.

Role focus

• Own CI/CD pipelines delivering production software across teams, including build integrity, SLSA artifact signing, and least-privilege pipeline credentials.
• Define secure “golden path” patterns and landing zone architectures across AWS GovCloud and Azure GCC High, enforcing Zero Trust principles through code.
• Secure the software supply chain using dependency scanning, secret detection, SBOM generation, provenance verification, and pinned build actions.
• Harden container and orchestration layers from base image selection through admission control policies using Kyverno and OPA Gatekeeper.
• Translate control frameworks such as NIST 800-53, CMMC, FedRAMP, and DISA CC SRG into implementation-quality technical checks.

Security engineering and risk operations

• Decide where control gates sit and what they block, so changes that break controls fail builds before they reach assessment.
• Threat model complex distributed systems and carry mitigations into running code and automated guardrails.
• Lead the adoption of agentic/AI-driven security tooling across teams, applying engineering judgment for AI safety and utility.
• Own the program evidence system with continuous collection from cloud APIs, CI/CD runners, and scanner feeds so posture is derived from live data.
• Author control implementation statements and define inherited-versus-owned boundaries at a level that meets assessor expectations.
• Drive Continuous RMF and cATO practices, keeping posture reportable on demand and maintaining real-time POA&M status.
• Implement unified control libraries so a single technical check can satisfy NIST 800-53, SOC 2, and ISO 27001 simultaneously.
• Train and mentor security engineers across the practice.

Qualifications

• 6–10 years of experience in cloud/platform operations, DevSecOps, or security engineering.
• Deep technical fluency in the security surface of major cloud platforms, including AWS GovCloud and Azure GCC High, with awareness of where default configurations can be insecure.
• Hands-on experience building and hardening production CI/CD platforms, not only consuming them.
• Terraform as the standard method for managing infrastructure and security controls.
• Experience applying NIST 800-53, FedRAMP, and CMMC to real production systems.
• Strong programming capability in Python, Go, or Rust for custom security tools, admission controllers, and evidence pipelines.
• Ability to communicate control language across stakeholders, expressing requirements to developers and control satisfaction to assessors.

Technology areas

• SLSA artifact signing, AWS GovCloud, Azure GCC High, Zero Trust
• dependency scanning, secret detection, SBOM generation, provenance verification, pinned build actions
• Kyverno, OPA Gatekeeper
• NIST 800-53, CMMC, FedRAMP, DISA CC SRG
• Terraform, Python, Go, Rust, SOC 2, ISO 27001
• Continuous RMF, cATO, POA&M, CI/CD, SBOM
• agentic/AI-driven security tooling, cloud APIs, CI/CD runners

Work setting and travel

• Location: Los Angeles, CA (onsite)
• Travel: May require up to 25% travel for contract performance, customer site visits, and program activities.

Compensation

• Salary range: USD 143,824 - 179,780 per year
• The posted range applies regardless of final candidate location within the United States, with final level and salary calibrated based on qualifications and internal equity.

Benefits

• Flexible schedule in a 100% distributed workforce
• Premium Insurance: Rise8 covers up to 100% of employee premium and up to 80% of combined dependent premium on the base health plan (depending on pay band)
• Dental and Vision: Rise8 covers 100% of employee and dependent premiums
• Life and Disability: Rise8 covers employee premiums
• 401k: 10% gross pay match
• PTO: 4 weeks combined accrued vacation and sick leave, 11 Federal holidays, birthday, jury duty, and bereavement
• Education & Training: up to $3,500 per year
• Home office & merch: $750 per year for home office technology and equipment, plus $100 per year for Rise8 merch
• Wellness budget: 100% reimbursement up to $500 per calendar year
• Life Time Corporate Partner: $75 monthly credit toward membership in lieu of the $500 wellness benefit (maximum $900 annual benefit)
• Equipment: MacBook Pro

DoD 8140 compliance and certifications

• No certification is required to interview or receive an offer; Rise8 evaluates practical engineering capabilities, code delivery, and compliance problem-solving.
• Some customer engagements and DoD programs may require an approved baseline certification (example given: DoD 8140.03 / 8570.01-M) to obtain elevated administrative privileges or customer enclave access.
• If you already hold an applicable certification, you may be eligible for immediate deployment to relevant contracts.
• If hired without one, Rise8 will support and sponsor obtaining the required credential if assigned to a billable role that mandates it.
• Relevant baseline credentials to mention include CISSP, CKS, CCSP, AWS Security – Specialty, Red Hat RHCE, GIAC (GSLC/GCIH), or equivalents.

Candidates who may be a strong match

• Direct experience end to end carrying an ATO or cATO package including SSP authoring, POA&M management, and continuous monitoring
• Experience in Federal Agency Environments (examples listed: CMS, VA, IRS, DOC, DOJ)
• Experience in DoD Software Factory environments (examples listed: Platform One, Space CAMP, Kessel Run) and Impact Level requirements (IL4/IL5/IL6)
• Experience in private or public sector GRC Engineering

Citizenship and background investigation

• Rise8 work with Federal Government customers requires employees involved with projects to be U.S. citizens.
• If hired, you would be required to go through a background investigation.