Cyber Systems Security Engineer
Current Open Positions · Manassas, VA
$120,000–$150,000from the description
Jul 2, 2026
Manassas, VA
Jul 20, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A cybersecurity engineering role focused on designing and integrating security controls into mission-critical Department of Defense systems, primarily in submarine and cross-domain environments. Day-to-day work involves applying RMF, STIGs, and SRGs to system security architecture, conducting security assessments, configuring Linux and Windows environments, and leading technical discussions with cross-functional teams. Suits engineers with hands-on experience in secure system design, networking fundamentals, and DoD security frameworks.
Mid level · 3+ years · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV · Secret clearance · Full-time
“or” means any one of them counts — you don't need all of them.
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
How this req sits in the market our data
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $152,225 (middle half $125,286–$177,673). This posting is about at that midpoint.
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Jul 28, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (9)
The role title carries no seniority level word, so advertised seniority is Unspecified. The requirements (3 years minimum with a bachelor's, or 7 years without a degree) and the scope (team-level cyber engineering, mentoring peers) support a Mid-level classification.
Degree requirement is marked None because the JD explicitly accepts 7 years of relevant experience in lieu of any degree.
Secret clearance is a hard gate: candidates must be US citizens and able to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret clearance.
DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification (Security+, GSEC, etc.) is listed under Desired Skills and must be obtained within 6 months of hire — not a pre-hire gate, so treated as preferred.
Networking concepts (switch/router/firewall/IDS) appear in both the Basic Qualifications and Desired sections; the Basic Qualifications framing is treated as the authoritative gate. Because the JD names no specific product, this is captured as 'network security' rather than a named tool.
The role is primarily on-site in Manassas, VA; the JD notes 'some remote work will be allowed' but does not describe a fully remote arrangement, so remote is set to false.
The alt SOC (15-1299) is noted because the role blends traditional information security analysis with hands-on systems/cyber engineering work, making it a close call between the two codes.
Ignored 1 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): DoD 8570 IAT Level II.
Requires a Secret clearance — the cleared population is a small fraction of this occupation, so the real candidate pool is materially smaller than the estimate below, which does not model clearance.
Read the full posting
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