Mid-Level Cybersecurity Engineer - Zero Trust Architect

Thank you for considering IT Concepts dba Kentro, where innovation drives opportunity and collaboration leads to success. Our dynamic community of experts is fully committed to advancing our customers' missions, fostering professional growth, and making a positive impact on our communities. By joining our supportive community, you will find that Kentro is dedicated to your personal and professional development. Together, we can drive meaningful change, spark innovation, and achieve extraordinary milestones. Kentro is hiring a Cybersecurity Engineer - Zero Trust Architect who provides deep technical and analytical support to assess, design, and advance SSA’s Zero Trust Architecture. This role focuses on evaluating current-state capabilities, identifying gaps across the five Zero Trust pillars, and defining actionable strategies to achieve a Zero Trust end state. This role is hands-on, analytical, and architecture-focused rather than tool-specific or operational support. Responsibilities: Zero Trust Gap Analysis • Perform structured gap analyses across all five Zero Trust pillars: • Identity • Devices • Networks • Applications & Workloads • Data • Evaluate current-state capabilities against Zero Trust target-state requirements. • Identify technical, architectural, integration, and process gaps. Architecture & Capability Definition • Support development of Zero Trust Reference Architecture artifacts. • Identify required capabilities, integrations, and dependencies to support Zero Trust maturity. • Contribute to defining how existing and future tools can be leveraged within a Zero Trust model. Implementation Strategy Support • Assist in developing phased implementation strategies to close identified gaps. • Provide technical recommendations aligned with SSA’s infrastructure and security ecosystem. • Ensure recommendations are realistic, interoperable, and scalable. Business Process Alignment • Collaborate with program and business stakeholders to ensure technical solutions align with defined business processes. • Support development of processes that can be operationalized within SSA’s security infrastructure. Technical Communication • Clearly document findings, recommendations, and architectural considerations. • Contribute to reports, briefings, and artifacts used for leadership decision-making and external reporting. Location: Hybrid in Woodlawn, MD Salary Range: $125,000-135,000/annually. Factors influencing pay within this range include geography, market demand, skills, education, experience, and other qualifications of the successful candidate. • Bachelor’s and 8 years of experience • Hands-on experience with Zero Trust Architecture design and assessment. • Demonstrated experience conducting ZTA gap analyses across multiple pillars. • Strong understanding of enterprise security architecture and integrations. • Ability to analyze complex environments and clearly articulate risks and solutions. Highly Desired Experience: • Experience with federal Zero Trust initiatives or large-scale enterprise environments. • Familiarity with ISCM concepts and continuous monitoring programs. • Experience contributing to reference architecture development. Clearance Requirement: • Must be able to obtain and maintain Public Trust Clearance • Must be a US Citizen The Company We believe in generating success collaboratively, enabling long-term mission success, and building trust for the next challenge. With you as our partner, let’s solve challenges, think innovatively, and maximize impact. As a valued member of our team, you have the unique opportunity to work in a diverse range of technology and business career paths, all while supporting our nation and delivering innovative technology solutions. We are a close community of experts that pride ourselves on creating an environment defined by teamwork, dedication, and excellence. We hold three ISO certifications (27001:2013, 20000-1:2011, 9001:2015), two CMMI ML 3 ratings (DEV and SVC) and CMMC Level 2 Certification. Industry Recognition Growth | Inc 5000’s Fastest Growing Private Companies, DC Metro List Fastest Growing; Washington Business Journal: Fastest Growing Companies, Top Performing Small Technology Companies in Greater D.C. Culture | Northern Virginia Technology Council Tech 100 Honoree; Virginia Best Place to Work; Washington Business Journal: Best Places to Work, Corporate Diversity Index Winner – Mid-Size Companies, Companies Owned by People of Color; Department of Labor’s HireVets for our work helping veterans transition; SECAF Award of Excellence finalist; Victory Military Friendly Brand; Virginia Values Veterans (V3); Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Corporate Breath Award Benefits We offer competitive benefits package including paid time off, healthcare benefits, supplemental benefits, 401k including an employer match, discount perks, rewards, and more. We invest in our employees – Every employee is eligible for education reimbursement for certif