Senior Enterprise Security Architect (Cyber Protection)

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, which manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Senior Enterprise Security Architect (Cyber Protection) based in the United States. We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Enterprise Security Architect to lead cybersecurity architecture, engineering, and strategic defense initiatives for a large federal agency. In this remote role, you will shape enterprise-wide security strategies, strengthen infrastructure protection, and safeguard complex hybrid environments spanning physical data centers and multiple cloud platforms. You will work closely with security leadership, network engineering teams, endpoint specialists, and external partners to identify vulnerabilities and implement resilient security solutions. Your expertise will help advance Zero Trust principles, modernize network and perimeter defenses, and align security investments with federal standards and organizational priorities. You will also explore security intelligence automation and AI-enabled technologies to improve threat detection, operational efficiency, and risk management. This opportunity is ideal for a seasoned cybersecurity architect who combines deep technical expertise with strategic vision and a commitment to protecting critical government infrastructure.

Lead enterprise security architecture: Serve as the primary security architecture advisor to infrastructure security leadership, translating complex technical risks, vulnerabilities, and architectural weaknesses into actionable recommendations and measurable business-risk insights. Develop strategic security roadmaps: Design, document, and maintain enterprise security architecture roadmaps that align technology investments with organizational priorities across network defense, cloud security, transport security, endpoint protection, and certificate lifecycle management. Strengthen perimeter and network defenses: Lead the design and evolution of security solutions involving Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), Security Service Edge (SSE), software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN), intrusion detection and prevention (IDS/IPS), next-generation firewalls (NGFW), web application protection, secure web gateways, and remote access security. Advance Zero Trust architecture: Apply Zero Trust principles across enterprise infrastructure, ensuring that security controls, identity-based access, network segmentation, and continuous verification support a robust and adaptive defense strategy. Assess hybrid enterprise environments: Conduct comprehensive architectural reviews of complex infrastructure spanning multiple physical data centers and cloud environments, including AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), to identify structural security gaps and develop resilient mitigation strategies. Lead threat modeling and remediation: Facilitate collaborative architecture reviews, threat-modeling sessions, and remediation planning with network engineering, endpoint management, security operations, and external vendors or partners. Implement security governance and standards: Establish, maintain, and enforce infrastructure security policies, governance frameworks, technical standards, and control requirements aligned with recognized industry and federal cybersecurity frameworks. Integrate security intelligence and AI: Leverage security intelligence (SI), automation, and large language model (LLM) capabilities where appropriate to improve security operations, streamline processes, and strengthen enterprise-wide cyber defense. Oversee infrastructure security workstreams: Manage or advise on the planning, execution, and operation of security edge engineering initiatives, ensuring alignment with the broader enterprise architecture and long-term target state. Strengthen network and infrastructure security services: Provide architectural oversight across DNS security, public key infrastructure (PKI), certificate authority operations (CAOps), proxy and web proxy services, policy enforcement, load balancing, IP routing, and data center design. Support incident response and continuous improvement: Contribute architectural expertise to security incident response activities, ongoing risk assessments, continuous monitoring, and the improvement of enterprise security posture as infrastructure evolves. Communicate progress and recommendations: Prepare status reports, activity updates, remediation plans, and strategic recommendations for management and technical stakeholders, ensuring visibility into risks, priorities, and project outcomes. Collaborate across technical and business teams: Build effective working relationships with security leadership, infrastructure teams, cloud specialists, external partners, and other stakeholders to ensure consistent and sustainable security outcomes. Requirements Extensive professional experience: At least 15 years of experience in enterprise security architecture, cybersecurity engineering, IT operations, or closely related disciplines, with substantial hands-on responsibility for enterprise infrastructure protection. Security architecture leadership: A minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in cybersecurity and infrastructure, including at least five years in a dedicated architecture role influencing technical strategy, architectural decisions, and security priorities. SASE and SSE expertise: Strong experience with SASE and SSE architectures, including SD-WAN, Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Secure Web Gateway (SWG), and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA). Network and perimeter security: Deep architectural experience designing and implementing edge and perimeter protection solutions, including IDS/IPS, next-generation firewalls, Web Application and API Protection (WAAP), Web Application Firewalls (WAF), and secure remote connectivity. Broad technical security knowledge: Hands-on architectural experience across PKI, network detection and response (NDR), endpoint detection and response (EDR/XDR), security information and event management (SIEM), DNS protection, proxy technologies, Proxy Auto-Configuration (PAC), load balancers, IP routing, and data center infrastructure. Cloud and hybrid infrastructure: Demonstrated success assessing and securing large-scale enterprise environments spanning multiple physical data centers and multi-cloud deployments, particularly AWS, Azure, and GCP. Zero Trust expertise: Strong understanding of Zero Trust security principles and their practical application to enterprise architecture, infrastructure protection, access control, and risk reduction. Security frameworks and compliance: In-depth knowledge of NIST Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF), NIST Special Publication 800-53, and CIS Critical Security Controls, with the ability to map infrastructure architectures and security controls to applicable standards and best practices. Governance and policy development: Experience developing, implementing, and managing security policies, technical standards, governance processes, and security tool deployment requirements, with an emphasis on automation and operational efficiency. Security operations and incident response: Familiarity with security incident response, threat mitigation, continuous monitoring, and collaboration with operational security teams. AI and automation awareness: Understanding of AI application development methodologies, AI platforms, and emerging technologies, with the ability to evaluate opportunities for secure integration and security operations automation. Preferred certifications: Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) are desired. Equivalent or related professional certifications may also be considered. Additional preferred credentials: Certifications or demonstrated expertise in AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and AI technologies are advantageous. Education and technical background: A strong technical foundation in enterprise networking, cybersecurity, infrastructure engineering, and security architecture is required. Relevant professional certifications and extensive practical experience are highly valued. Citizenship and security vetting: U.S. citizenship is required, along with the ability to obtain and maintain the required Public Trust security vetting approval. Communication and interpersonal skills: Excellent written and verbal communication, organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to explain complex technical risks and architectural decisions to both technical teams and senior leadership. Professional approach: Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, adapt to a fast-paced environment, exercise sound judgment, and collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary teams. Benefits Remote work flexibility: Fully remote position for eligible candidates located in the United States. Competitive benefits package: Access to a comprehensive range of employee benefits designed to support professional and personal wellbeing. Healthcare coverage: Medical, dental, and vision insurance. Life and disability insurance: Life insurance and short-term and long-term disability coverage. Retirement savings: 401(k) retirement savings plan with employer matching contributions. Paid time off: Paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) to support work-life balance. Professional development: Tuition assistance and professional development support to encourage ongoing learning, certifications, and career advancement. Meaningful mission: Contribute to cybersecurity architecture and infrastructure protection supporting a major federal agency. Technical and strategic impact: Influence enterprise security decisions, modernize cyber defense capabilities, and help protect complex, mission-critical infrastructure. Collaborative environment: Work alongside cybersecurity, network engineering, cloud, and infrastructure professionals on complex enterprise security challenges. Travel requirements: No travel is specified for this position.