IT Project Lead, SME

Job description

**About Agile Defense** 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. Requisition #: 1410 Job Tittle: IT Project Lead, SME Location: Washington, DC Clearance: TS with the ability to obtain an SCI Required Certification: CISSP The IT Project Lead – SME serves as the ISaaS Technical Director and Team Lead, with overall responsibility for the successful technical, operational, and financial execution of the Information Security as a Service (ISaaS) program. This individual is accountable for ATO continuity, ISSO/ISSE service delivery, risk management, quality assurance, and performance outcomes across a large, complex DOJ enterprise environment. The Technical Director acts as the primary technical point of contact for DOJ Government representatives and provides senior leadership across all ISaaS teams, ensuring compliance with DOJ policies, NIST RMF requirements, and call order objectives. Key Responsibilities Program & Technical Leadership · Provide overall leadership and direction for all ISaaS teams, including ISSOs, ISSEs, ISSRs, and supporting staff. · Lead the technical execution of enterprise-scale ISSO/ISSE services across systems at varying authorization maturity levels. · Serve as the official technical interface with DOJ, OCIO, ISRMU, Authorizing Officials, and other Government stakeholders. Program Management & Oversight · Manage one or more programs or projects, including oversight of subordinate project and program managers. · Ensure adherence to schedule, cost, scope, and performance objectives in accordance with call order requirements. · Monitor call order performance, subcontractor execution, and funding levels; develop forecasts of program financial performance. · Lead preparation and delivery of all required call order, programmatic, and financial reports. Risk Management & Security Operations · Assess cybersecurity risks, identify threats, and evaluate system and network security programs to inform ISaaS strategy. · Apply the NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF) to manage authorization activities, continuous monitoring, and incident response. · Ensure timely ATOs, proactive remediation of findings, and sustained audit readiness across the system portfolio. Quality Assurance & Process Improvement · Develop, implement, and maintain Quality Assurance (QA) programs for all ISaaS products and services. · Establish and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) in collaboration with Government personnel to improve consistency, efficiency, and compliance. · Drive continuous improvement through metrics, performance monitoring, and lessons learned. Staffing & Workforce Management · Lead recruiting, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, training, and supervision of ISaaS personnel. · Assign staff to systems and portfolios based on risk, complexity, and workload. · Provide technical direction, mentorship, and performance feedback to professional and technical staff. Stakeholder Engagement · Build and maintain strong collaborative relationships with DOJ, OCIO, ISRMU, and other Government organizations. · Coordinate cybersecurity operations and best practices across multiple organizational components and mission areas. · Support cybersecurity assessments and ensure deployment of best practices resulting from those assessments. Qualifications & Experience Required · Senior-level experience leading enterprise-scale cybersecurity, RMF, ISSO/ISSE, or information assurance programs. · Demonstrated expertise with NIST RMF, FISMA, and federal authorization processes. · Proven experience managing large, multi-team programs with budget, staffing, and performance accountability. · Experience serving as a primary technical liaison with senior Government stakeholders. Preferred / Highly Desired · Prior experience supporting DOJ, or IC customers. · Experience operating under performance-based or firm-fixed-price contracts. · Familiarity with portfolio-based ISSO/ISSE delivery models and scalable authorization approaches. · Experience introducing automation or tooling to improve RMF efficiency and consistency (without compromising compliance).