Information Systems Security Manager

About the role

The Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence & Security (ARLIS) at the University of Maryland seeks an experienced Information Systems Security Manager (ISSM) who will also act as an IT Systems Engineer. This position supports classified and unclassified research programs, ensuring secure, high‑performance computing environments for national‑security‑focused projects.

Key responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain secure IT systems and infrastructure for research and operational environments.
• Serve as the ISSM, ensuring compliance with federal cybersecurity frameworks such as NIST RMF, ICD 503, and CNSSI.
• Lead system authorization activities, including ATO/ATO renewals, continuous monitoring, and security documentation.
• Develop, enforce, and update security policies, procedures, and controls across classified and controlled environments.
• Partner with research teams to enable secure execution of AI/ML, data science, and advanced analytics workloads.
• Oversee vulnerability management, incident response, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Manage identity and access control, auditing, and system hardening in line with mission requirements.
• Collaborate with IT operations, networking, and cloud teams to ensure system resilience and compliance.

Required profile

• Hands‑on technical leader with deep expertise in systems engineering, cybersecurity, and federal compliance frameworks.
• Ability to obtain an interim Secret security clearance before start date.
• Experience operating in highly regulated environments supporting classified research.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills applied to complex national‑security challenges.

Required skills

• NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF)
• ICD 503 and CNSSI compliance
• Authority to Operate (ATO) processes and renewals
• Continuous monitoring
• Vulnerability management
• Incident response
• Risk mitigation
• Identity and access management
• System hardening