Cyber Protection Engineer (AHT)

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Top Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time
## Description

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Secure the Air Force’s mission in the cloud.
Northrop Grumman Defense Systems (NGDS) is seeking a  Cyber Protection Engineer  to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals conducting penetration and cybersecurity testing activities in support of  DAF CLOUDworks  at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Griffiss Air Force Base.

DAF CLOUDworks is a rapidly growing secure cloud program that encompasses 10+ teams supporting information security, infrastructure development, and cloud migration. Along with operations and sustainment, DAF CLOUDworks focuses on securing and enhancing offerings to implement new requirements, improve functionality, increase efficiency, and lower operating/deployment overhead. Successful candidates are effective communicators and problem solvers who build and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

What You’ll Do

- Conduct penetration testing, vulnerability analysis, and security assessments against cloud, enterprise, and hybrid environments.
- Evaluate and harden cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, etc.) across IAM, networking, storage, logging, and security services.
- Work with CI/CD pipeline technologies to understand and secure build, test, and deployment workflows.
- Assess containerization and virtualization technologies such as Docker, Kubernetes, and VMware from a security perspective.
- Use scripting/automation to support testing, analysis, and operational workflows.
- Contribute to securing and enhancing DAF CLOUDworks offerings to meet new mission requirements.

Basic Qualifications – Cyber Protection Engineer

- Education/Experience (one of): High school diploma or equivalent with  6+ years  of relevant experience OR  bachelor’s degree with a minimum of  2+ years  of relevant experience OR  master’s degree with  0 years  of experience

- Clearance and Certifications: Active  Top Secret  clearance with  SCI eligibility
- Ability to obtain  IAT Level II or IAT Level III  certification per DoD 8140 requirements (such as CompTIA Security+ or CompTIA SecurityX, formerly CASP+) within 60 days of start date

- Technical Experience: Experience conducting  penetration testing ,  vulnerability analysis , or  security assessments  against cloud, enterprise, or hybrid environments
- Experience with  cloud platforms  such as AWS and Azure, including familiarity with IAM, networking, storage, logging, and security services
- Familiarity with  CI/CD pipeline technologies and concepts , including GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, or similar platforms
- Experience or familiarity with  containerization and virtualization  technologies such as Docker, Kubernetes, or VMware
- Knowledge of  Windows  and  Linux  operating systems,  networking fundamentals , and common enterprise architectures
- Experience using  scripting or automation languages  such as Python, Bash, or PowerShell to support testing, analysis, or operational workflows
- Familiarity with  offensive security methodologies ,  vulnerability management processes , and common attacker  TTPs

Preferred Qualifications

- Ability to analyze technical findings and contribute to  assessment reports, presentations, and client deliverables , and communicate findings to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders
- Experience assessing  cloud‑native technologies , including Kubernetes, containers, serverless functions, or Infrastructure‑as‑Code deployments
- Familiarity with  cloud security assessment tools ,  vulnerability scanners , and  offensive security frameworks
- Familiarity with  Terraform, Ansible, ARM templates, CloudFormation , or Infrastructure‑as‑Code concepts
- Experience with  logging, monitoring, and detection  technologies such as Splunk, Sentinel, ELK, Defender, or CrowdStrike
- Familiarity with  RMF, A&A activities, STIGs, SCAP, ACAS , or cybersecurity compliance frameworks
- Ability to rapidly learn emerging technologies, cloud attack methodologies, and evolving threat landscapes
- Relevant certifications such as  AWS Security Specialty ,  Azure Security Engineer Associate ,  PenTest+ ,  CySA+ ,  CEH ,  AZ‑500 ,  SC‑200 ,  CRTO ,  GPEN ,  GXPN ,  OSCP , or similar cybersecurity certifications

This position is contingent on customer approval.

#PWRTA3

Primary Level Salary Range: $83,400.00 - $125,200.00

The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.

Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.

The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.