Senior Cybersecurity Engineer Jobs in District of Columbia
Senior Cybersecurity Engineer jobs in District of Columbia represent one of the most active and competitive markets in the country, concentrated heavily in federal government contracting, defense, intelligence, and financial regulation sectors where demand runs from mid-level technical leads to principal architects. Most openings are anchored in Washington DC proper, with additional clusters in the surrounding Northern Virginia corridor and Maryland suburbs, where major employers including Booz Allen Hamilton, Leidos, and Northrop Grumman maintain large presences. The most in-demand specialties are cloud security, zero-trust architecture, and security operations center leadership. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
Find JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 25+ Senior Cybersecurity Engineer jobs
Tharros is seeking a Senior Cybersecurity Engineer to support a DHS cybersecurity program in the National Capital Region.
This role will provide senior technical direction across cybersecurity engineering, cloud security, DevSecOps, AI/ML security, Zero Trust, security tooling, and technical architecture. The ideal candidate is a hands-on technical leader who can translate complex cybersecurity requirements into scalable, secure, and executable engineering solutions across cloud, on-premise, classified, and unclassified environments.
Responsibilities:
- Provide senior technical direction across cybersecurity engineering, cloud security, DevSecOps, AI/ML security, and Zero Trust activities.
- Work with enterprise architects, system architects, developers, and security teams to integrate cybersecurity requirements into reusable technical architectures and engineering practices.
- Assess and recommend scalable, resilient cloud architectures that incorporate cybersecurity and safeguarding requirements.
- Support cybersecurity tool configuration, maintenance, integration, and improvement across enterprise environments.
- Support STIG implementation, vulnerability scanning, secure configuration, and security tool maintenance.
- Identify opportunities to apply automation, emerging technologies, and process improvements to improve cybersecurity engineering delivery.
- Develop repeatable security processes for cloud and AI capabilities.
- Support technical remediation and assessment activities, including engineering support for Assessment and Authorization efforts.
- Recommend, configure, operate, and maintain approved cybersecurity tools and applications.
- Support Zero Trust maturity efforts, including capability gap analysis, implementation recommendations, roadmap development, and dashboard integration.
- Integrate security into DevSecOps pipelines, including automation scripts, security testing, configuration validation, and continuous monitoring support.
- Assess DevSecOps tool configurations, identify gaps, and recommend improvements.
- Develop and apply tools and scripts to automate security requirements, STIG implementation, and configuration validation.
- Support near real-time dashboards and reporting that improve visibility into security testing, vulnerabilities, compliance status, and cyber risk.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams throughout requirements, design, implementation, testing, delivery, and enhancement of secure IT solutions.
- Support migration of IT services to cloud environments by identifying security requirements, risks, and technical issues.
- Apply secure coding, security testing, static analysis, fuzzing, and threat modeling practices.
Requirements:
- Active Top Secret clearance with contingency on DOD CAS granting SCI eligibility.
- 10+ years of cybersecurity engineering experience on projects of similar size and complexity.
- AWS certification.
- CISSP certification.
- Scrum certification or demonstrated Scrum practices experience.
- Experience with Federal, DHS, or Intelligence Community cybersecurity architectures, standards, and technologies.
- Experience with cybersecurity engineering, cloud engineering, DevSecOps, AI/ML security, and Zero Trust.
- Experience translating cybersecurity requirements into technical plans and engineering solutions.
- Experience with security tools, secure configuration, vulnerability scanning, STIGs, cloud security, and DevSecOps automation.
- Strong technical communication skills, including the ability to brief technical concepts and recommendations to stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Prior DHS, Intelligence Community, CISO office, classified cloud, TS/SCI engineering, or national security cybersecurity experience.
- Certifications or experience with additional cloud platforms, including Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, or Microsoft 365.
- Experience with GRC platforms, ACAS, Nessus, SCAP, SonarQube, GitLab, Splunk, Tanium, Tenable, or related Federal cybersecurity tools.
- Experience with RMF, A&A, continuous monitoring, Zero Trust dashboards, DevSecOps pipeline security, cloud security architecture, and secure automation.
- Experience supporting classified, hybrid cloud, cross-domain, or secure mission environments.
- Experience developing dashboards, technical metrics, or executive-ready reporting for cyber risk, vulnerability posture, Zero Trust maturity, or security testing status.
See All 25 Senior Cybersecurity Engineer Jobs in District of Columbia
Find roles in District of Columbia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find JobsSenior Cybersecurity Engineer Jobs by City in District of Columbia
Where District of Columbia roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Senior Cybersecurity Engineer Job Market in District of Columbia
A snapshot from current District of Columbia openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Consulting & Professional Services
What District of Columbia Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in senior cybersecurity engineer jobs across District of Columbia.
- Active security clearance, typically Secret or Top Secret with SCI eligibility required
- CISSP, CISM, or equivalent advanced cybersecurity certification strongly preferred by DC employers
- Seven or more years of hands-on experience in cybersecurity engineering or architecture roles
- Deep experience with federal compliance frameworks including NIST, FedRAMP, and FISMA
- Proficiency in cloud security across AWS GovCloud, Azure Government, or similar federal platforms
- Experience leading or mentoring junior security engineers on enterprise-scale federal or defense programs
Senior Cybersecurity Engineer Jobs in District of Columbia: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a senior cybersecurity engineer in District of Columbia?
Reaching the senior level in DC typically requires a bachelor's degree in computer science, information security, or a related field combined with at least seven years of progressive cybersecurity experience. There is no DC-specific state license for this role, but the market strongly favors candidates holding a CISSP or CISM, and most federal contractor positions require an active security clearance. Candidates who build experience inside federal agencies or large defense contractors in the DC area move into senior roles faster than those on purely commercial paths.
How much do senior cybersecurity engineers make in District of Columbia?
Senior cybersecurity engineers in District of Columbia earn a median of about $135,090 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $86,280 for the lowest 10% to over $189,510 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire senior cybersecurity engineers in District of Columbia?
Companies currently hiring senior cybersecurity engineers in District of Columbia include MTSI, One Federal Solution, and Boston Consulting, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. DC's concentration of federal agencies, defense contractors, and intelligence community partners means that government-adjacent employers account for a disproportionately large share of senior-level openings compared to any other U.S. market.
Which District of Columbia cities have the most senior cybersecurity engineer jobs?
The cities with the most senior cybersecurity engineer openings in District of Columbia are Washington. Washington DC itself drives the largest share of postings because federal agencies and their prime contractors are headquartered here, while the broader metro's suburban areas attract openings from defense firms and technology companies that support classified and civilian government programs across the region.
Are there remote senior cybersecurity engineer jobs in District of Columbia?
Yes, though cleared and compliance-heavy roles limit full-remote options compared to other tech disciplines. About 73% of senior cybersecurity engineer openings tied to District of Columbia are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting a market where on-site or hybrid presence is still frequently required for clearance-sensitive work. Positions in policy, risk management, and architecture tend to offer the most remote flexibility within the DC market.
How can I get hired as a senior cybersecurity engineer in District of Columbia with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in DC is through a junior analyst or SOC analyst role at a federal contractor, where firms like Booz Allen Hamilton and Leidos run structured associate and analyst development programs that pipeline candidates into engineering tracks. Earning CompTIA Security+ or a CySA+ credential before applying gives entry-level candidates a measurable edge, and many DC-area agencies post cleared internship programs through university partnerships at institutions like George Mason and American University that lead directly to full-time offers.
Where can I find and apply to senior cybersecurity engineer jobs in District of Columbia?
You can find and apply to senior cybersecurity engineer jobs in District of Columbia on Migrate Mate, which lists current DC-area openings updated in real time. Search the listings by role and location, identify the ones that match your experience and clearance level, and apply directly to each one. No sign-up is required to see the roles.
See All 25 Senior Cybersecurity Engineer Jobs in District of Columbia
Find roles in District of Columbia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Jobs