agile-defense
Alexandria • fulltime
Posted on: 6/25/2025
Required Skills:
Job Description:
Cyber Operations Specialist II
At Agile Defense we know that action defines the outcome and new challenges require new solutions. That’s why we always look to the future and embrace change with an unmovable spirit and the courage to build for what comes next. Our vision is to bring adaptive innovation to support our nation's most important missions through the seamless integration of advanced technologies, elite minds, and unparalleled agility—leveraging a foundation of speed, flexibility, and ingenuity to strengthen and protect our nation’s vital interests.
Job Details
- Requisition #: 1002
- Location: 600 Dulany St, Alexandria, Virginia 22153
- Shift: Night Shift, Second half of week Wed-Sun (4 nights) or Thurs-Sun (3 nights, alternating every other week) 12 hr shifts 7pm-7am
- Clearance Level: Active DoD - Public Trust
- Required Certification(s): Nice to have not required GCIA, CySA, Security +, GCIH
Summary
Support of 24/7 Federal Bureau Security Operations Center. Mid-level Security Operation Center Analysts (SOC) to support a federal SOC program. The program provides comprehensive Security Monitoring and Incident Response support through 24×7×365 monitoring and analysis of potential threat activity targeting the enterprise. The team conducts event triage and security investigations for potential threat activity identified within the organization, conduct deep-dive forensic investigations (host-based and network), identify and implement countermeasures, as well as track and report on incident activity to senior management. To support this vital mission, SOC Contractor staff are on the forefront of providing SOC Operations to include the development of advanced analytics and countermeasures to protect critical assets from various cyber threats. To ensure the integrity, security and resiliency of critical operations, we are seeking candidates with diverse backgrounds in cyber security systems operations, analysis and incident response. A strong work ethic, diligent time and attendance, written and verbal communications skills are a must. The ideal candidate will have a solid understanding of cyber threats and information security in the domains of TTP’s, Threat Actors, Campaigns, and Observables. Additionally, the ideal candidate would be familiar with intrusion detection systems, intrusion analysis, security information event management platforms, endpoint threat detection tools, and security operations ticket management. While the position is primarily remote currently, onsite in Alexandria, VA work may be required in the future.
Job Duties and Responsibilities
- Monitor security alerts and event data across multiple platforms (SIEM, IDS/IPS, EDR, firewalls).
- Triage and investigate alerts to determine the root cause and impact of potential incidents.
- Escalate confirmed incidents to Level 3 analysts with detailed documentation and preliminary analysis.
- Provide incident response support, including containment, eradication, and recovery efforts under direction.
- Maintain accurate and timely case management records using ticketing and incident tracking systems.
- Conduct vulnerability and threat research, including IOC (Indicator of Compromise) correlation.
- Collaborate with internal teams and external stakeholders to ensure continuous monitoring and threat intelligence sharing.
- Support the development and tuning of detection content, including correlation rules and alert logic.
- Adhere to incident response policies, procedures, and playbooks. Help draft and create KB's and SOPs in a project oriented fashion.
- Participate in shift work, including evenings, weekends, or on-call support as required.
- Strong written, and verbal communications are required for reporting deliverables.
Qualifications
- Required Certifications: Nice to have not required GCIA, CySA, Security +, GCIH
- Education, Background, and Years of Experience: Mid-level analysts, 3+ years of experience working in network defense environments.
- Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Cyber Security, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Electrical Engineering, or years of experience can be substituted.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
Required Skills
- Strong proficiency in report writing – a technical writing sample and technical editing test will be required if the candidate has no prior published intelligence analysis reporting, excellent verbal and written communications skills and ability to produce clear and thorough security incident reports and briefings.
- Excellent organizational and attention to details in tracking activities within various Security Operation workflows.
- Prior experience and ability to analyze information technology security events to discern events that qualify as legitimate security incidents as opposed to non-incidents. This includes security event triage, incident investigation, implementing countermeasures, and conducting incident response.
- Previous hands-on experience with a Security Information and Event Monitoring (SIEM) platforms and/or log management systems that perform log collection, analysis, correlation, and alerting is required (preferably within IBM Qradar or Splunk).
- Strong logical/critical thinking abilities, especially analyzing security events (windows event logs, Tanium queries, network traffic, IDS events for malicious intent).
Preferred Skills
- SIEM experience
- Cyber event triage and analysis
- Cyber Incident Response
- Critical Thinking
- Organized and well-articulated
Working Conditions
Environmental Conditions
- Hybrid work to include shift availability to cover shift work in a secure Govt Security Operations Center.
Strength Demands
- Sedentary – 10 lbs. Maximum lifting, occasional lift/carry of small articles. Some occasional walking or standing may be required. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met.