Six Figure Work

Security Engineer

Core One

Company websitecoreone.com (Core One, opens in new tab)

Base salary $150K  to $200K

Employer-published annual base salary, USD. Advertised base range in McLean, VA

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  • LocationMcLean, VA
  • WorkplaceWorkplace not stated
  • Status at last checkSource accepting applications when checked
  • Last checked (1 h ago) · observed since

About this job

Join our team at Core One! Our mission is to be at the forefront of devising analytical, operational and technical solutions to our Nation's most complex national security challenges. In order to achieve our mission, Core One values people first! We are committed to recruiting, nurturing, and retaining top talent! We offer a competitive total compensation package that sets us apart from our competition. Core One is a team-oriented, dynamic, and growing company that values exceptional performance!

Clearance Required: Active TS/SCI with Polygraph

Summary

We are seeking a Senior Security Engineer to support cybersecurity operations, compliance, and risk management for FedRAMP-authorized and Intelligence Community (IC) systems. This role is responsible for ensuring systems meet stringent federal security requirements while enabling secure, scalable, and compliant cloud and on-premises solutions.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in NIST frameworks, FedRAMP authorization processes, continuous monitoring (ConMon), cloud security, incident response, and ATO lifecycle management, along with the ability to operate effectively within classified and high-security environments.

The Senior Security Engineer serves as the primary cybersecurity technical authority supporting system engineering, cloud architecture, DevSecOps pipelines, compliance initiatives, and operational security monitoring.

Key Responsibilities

  • Lead and support FedRAMP Moderate/High and IC ATO authorization efforts, ensuring compliance with NIST RMF, NIST 800-53, NIST 800-37, FedRAMP, and ICD 503 requirements.
  • Conduct risk assessments, security control assessments, gap analyses, and security architecture reviews to identify and mitigate cybersecurity risks.
  • Manage the full Risk Management Framework (RMF) lifecycle, including system categorization, control selection, implementation, assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring.
  • Develop and maintain security documentation such as SSPs, SARs, POA&Ms, and control traceability artifacts, while tracking remediation activities.
  • Execute Continuous Monitoring (ConMon) programs through vulnerability assessments, compliance reviews, security control validation, and reporting.
  • Lead vulnerability management activities using tools such as Nessus, ACAS, SCAP, and STIG Viewer, validating remediation and coordinating risk mitigation efforts.
  • Support Security Operations and Incident Response, including threat monitoring, alert analysis, incident investigations, root cause analysis, and coordination with SOCs and government stakeholders.
  • Design and assess security controls for AWS GovCloud, Azure Government, and other government cloud environments, implementing IAM, encryption, logging, and least-privilege access controls.
  • Integrate security into DevSecOps and CI/CD pipelines through automated security testing, vulnerability scanning, compliance validation, and Infrastructure-as-Code security practices.
  • Support audits and assessments, including 3PAO reviews, FedRAMP assessments, agency ATO reviews, and IG audits, while preparing evidence and coordinating with auditors and assessors.
  • Administer and utilize governance, compliance, monitoring, and vulnerability management tools such as ServiceNow GRC, Splunk, and Azure.
  • Collaborate with developers, engineers, cloud architects, ISSOs/ISSMs, compliance teams, and government stakeholders to provide cybersecurity guidance throughout system development and operations.
  • Contribute to security governance, policy development, cybersecurity program maturity, and organizational security culture, while mentoring junior staff and promoting risk-informed decision-making.

Required Qualifications 

  • Active TS/SCI with Polygraph
  • Bachelor's degree or higher in Cybersecurity, IT, or related field and 5+ years' experience in Cybersecurity in federal or IC environments
  • OR Masters and 3+ years of experience in Cybersecurity in federal or IC environments
  • Strong Knowledge of NIST RMF (800-37), NIST 800-53 controls, and FedRAMP requirements
  • At least one of the following certifications: CISM or CISA, CompTIA Security+ (baseline), Certified Authorization Professional (CAP), CCSP (cloud security)
  • Experience in the following tools: NIST 800-53, RMF, FedRAMP, ICD 503, ServiceNow GRC, Splunk, AWS GovCloud, Azure 

Desired Qualifications

  • Experience with cloud-native security tools
  • Knowledge of Zero Trust Architecture
  • Experience with cross-domain solutions
  • Familiarity with DevSecOps pipelines in regulated environments

Salary Range: $150,000 - $200,000

The pay range reflected above is a general guideline for this position and labor category and is not a guarantee of a specific salary or offer. Final compensation is determined based on factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience, education, certifications, security clearance level, contract requirements, geographic location, and internal pay equity, and may reflect market data specific to the awarded contract.

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

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Source: Core One on Greenhouse · View original posting (opens in new tab)

Pay in context

This role's base floor ($150,000) is above 61% of the 184 IT & Security roles in Virginia listed on this site; 9 others list the same floor. Their median floor is $132,000; the middle half runs from $113,200 to $159,300.

Only jobs on this site count, and each one publishes a base salary of $100,000 or more, so this compares six-figure jobs with each other, not with the whole market. Computed Nov 6, 2026.

This range next to 6 other live Core One roles with the nearest advertised base floor
Chart as a table
This range next to 6 other live Core One roles with the nearest advertised base floor
RolePublished base
Security Engineer (this listing)$150K - $200K
Senior Technical Writer$150K - $175K
Security Analyst$150K - $200K
Program Manager$150K - $200K
Targeting Officer$140K - $215K
Operations Advisor$140K - $215K
Desk Officer$140K - $215K

Same $100K to $400K scale as every card. All Core One roles · How to read the bar

Observed changes

  1. First observed on the employer's board
  2. Began meeting the published-salary criteria
Observed since
Employer-stated posting date
2026-06-02
Where this pay comes from

Location as the employer wrote it: McLean, VA

Salary Range: $150,000 - $200,000

Method
Employer text, read with fixed rules and re-verified
Checked
Rule set
us-base-v2

The pay passage appears in the employer's own job text. Fixed, deterministic rules located it, and the passage below was checked against the stored copy of the posting.

What we verified

  • The pay figures come from the employer's own listing, quoted exactly above.
  • The pay is an annual base salary in US dollars with a minimum of at least $100,000.
  • The role was publicly listed on the employer's job board when last checked.

We do not verify what the employer will actually offer, whether the employer is still recruiting for the role, or anything beyond what the employer published. Full methodology.