SME Systems Engineer

Role Summary
This position requires a highly experienced SME Systems Engineer specializing in Identity Management, with a primary focus on Microsoft Entra. The role involves supporting critical ICAM modernization initiatives for government agencies, designing and implementing secure access control frameworks across diverse infrastructure. The engineer will serve as a technical authority for enterprise identity management, ensuring alignment with federal Zero Trust principles and security standards. This is a hybrid role based in Alexandria, VA, combining on-site and remote work.

Responsibilities

• Lead the modernization of legacy access controls into robust, secure ICAM solutions.
• Manage enterprise directories, federation, authentication, authorization, and single sign-on (SSO) protocols.
• Architect identity lifecycle workflows, user provisioning, and privilege management controls.
• Design and deploy Zero Trust identity principles in accordance with NIST SP 800-207 across network architectures.
• Configure and manage enterprise PKI systems, credentials, and secure authenticators.
• Implement logical and physical access control systems, including multi-factor authentication (MFA), SSO, and Privileged Access Management (PAM).
• Develop federated identity services to facilitate interoperability with mission partners.
• Conduct root cause analysis, privilege audits, and system performance optimization.
• Develop technical interfaces, data flow architectures, and compliance documentation for ICAM systems.
• Serve as the technical owner for Microsoft Entra tenant, managing its security policies and integration strategies.

Qualifications

• High School diploma with 10+ years of relevant experience or equivalent technical expertise.
• Certifications: DoD 8570 IAT Level II or higher (e.g., Security+ CE, CySA+), or vendor-specific identity certifications.
• Extensive technical knowledge of federated identity protocols such as SAML, OAuth, OIDC, and Active Directory / LDAP.
• Hands-on experience with managing Smart Card / CAC authentication and PKI certificate validation.
• Proven ability to design and implement federal Zero Trust identity frameworks (NIST SP 800-207).
• This position requires eligibility for a U.S. Government security clearance. In accordance with federal law, U.S. citizenship is required. (Active Secret security clearance).
• Experience supporting government identity management programs, preferably within the U.S. Coast Guard or DHS.
• Familiarity with integrating data governance with ICAM solutions for data-level access control.
• Knowledge of enterprise identity tools such as SailPoint, Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, Ping Identity, DigiCert, or Power BI.
• Advanced understanding of RESTful API authorization, secure gateways, and data schema security standards.

Publishing Pay Range: $60.00 – $65.00 hourly

This position offers a hybrid schedule, with time split between the office and remote work.