IHE Cybersecurity Compliance & Incident Response Specialist

Valiant Solutions is seeking an IHE Cybersecurity Compliance & Incident Response Specialist to provide senior cybersecurity compliance, breach response, incident management, and risk management support for institutions of higher education (IHEs) that handle sensitive federal data. You will help our government customer respond to cybersecurity incidents at institutions outside its system boundary, including incidents that may involve Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), Federal Tax Information (FTI), and Personally Identifiable Information (PII). You will coordinate response and remediation, manage IHE cybersecurity cases through closure, and evaluate institutional cybersecurity compliance. Your guidance, grounded in NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 3, will help institutions strengthen how they protect sensitive federal information.

Named one of the Washington Business Journal’s Best Places to Work every year since 2014, Valiant is proud of our employee-centric culture and commitment to excellence. If you are interested in learning more about Valiant and this opportunity, we invite you to apply now!

Location: Remote with ad hoc travel to the Washington DC Metro area.

This position allows for 100% remote work. Remote work requires a high level of trust in our employees, and we strictly adhere to the details outlined in our Remote Work Policy below. 

Required Clearance: Must be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance 

Eligibility Requirements: U.S. citizenship is required to obtain the necessary clearance for this position. 

Required Experience:

• More than 10 years of experience in cybersecurity incident response, incident handling, cybersecurity compliance, security assessments, or cyber risk management.
• Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Assurance, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• A senior industry professional certification such as CISSP or equivalent.
• Demonstrated experience investigating, coordinating, documenting, and managing cybersecurity incidents through remediation and closure.
• Experience conducting or supporting cybersecurity compliance assessments and evaluating technical, administrative, and physical safeguards.
• Strong knowledge of incident containment, remediation, recovery, corrective action tracking, and cybersecurity risk management.
• Experience evaluating security controls and identifying compliance gaps and remediation requirements.
• Experience working with sensitive or regulated information such as CUI, PII, FTI, or comparable protected data.
• Ability to analyze complex cybersecurity information and translate findings into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Excellent technical writing, analytical, communication, and stakeholder coordination skills.
• Ability to work effectively with government personnel, institutional stakeholders, cybersecurity teams, auditors, technical personnel, and organizational leadership.
• Familiarity with NIST SP 800-61 Revision 3.
• Strong knowledge of applicable cybersecurity regulatory and control frameworks.

Responsibilities:

Incident Response and Breach Management

• Provide senior cybersecurity incident response and breach management support for IHEs that handle federal data.
• Provide incident reporting and handling guidance that helps IHEs contain, remediate, and recover from cybersecurity incidents.
• Coordinate remediation and incident response activities with reporting institutions.
• Categorize, analyze, document, track, and manage IHE cybersecurity cases through closure.
• Coordinate breach response activities across affected customer offices, customer contractors, IHEs, and affiliated organizations.
• Analyze incident information and supporting evidence to identify cybersecurity risks, compliance concerns, affected data, and required remediation.
• Track remediation activities and corrective actions through resolution.
• Develop incident reports, technical findings, recommendations, case documentation, and status updates for customer stakeholders.

Cybersecurity Compliance and Assessments

• Conduct and support cybersecurity compliance assessments for institutions and systems that handle federal data.
• Evaluate the adequacy of administrative, technical, and physical safeguards and identify cybersecurity and compliance gaps.
• Develop assessment plans that address methodology, data collection, sampling, reporting timelines, and risk-rating methodology.
• Evaluate institutional information security programs and the implementation of required cybersecurity safeguards.
• Review compliance audit information to determine whether identified requirements have been implemented or are addressed through acceptable corrective action plans.
• Assess safeguards across areas including risk assessment, identity and access management, data classification and inventory, encryption, multi-factor authentication, change management and secure development, logging and monitoring, incident response capabilities, vendor and third-party risk management, and cybersecurity awareness and training.

Risk Management and Remediation

• Identify cybersecurity risks and control weaknesses that affect how IHEs protect federal information.
• Provide actionable remediation recommendations based on assessment and incident findings.
• Support IHE corrective action planning and remediation efforts.
• Provide cybersecurity consulting, threat advisories, and remediation support to participating institutions.
• Work with institutional security teams and customer stakeholders to resolve cybersecurity and compliance issues.
• Ensure assessment and incident response work products meet applicable agency data handling and CUI protection requirements.

Stakeholder Coordination and Technical Guidance

• Serve as a senior cybersecurity resource to the customer and participating institutions on compliance and incident response matters.
• Communicate complex cybersecurity incidents, vulnerabilities, compliance gaps, and remediation requirements clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Coordinate activities across IHE stakeholders, customer offices, contractors, cybersecurity personnel, and other affected organizations.
• Support cybersecurity awareness activities and tabletop exercises with IHEs.
• Provide senior guidance to less-experienced cybersecurity professionals, as assigned.

About Valiant Solutions

Valiant Solutions delivers cybersecurity and IT services to federal civilian, defense, and national security customers nationwide. We support the full cyber lifecycle, from secure system design and accreditation through AI-enabled operations, threat emulation, and continuous improvement, across classified and unclassified environments. Our work is independently certified for quality and security, including CMMI, CMMC, and ISO certifications.

Valiant is a multi-year Washington Business Journal Best Places to Work winner, and our growth and cyber leadership have been recognized by Washington Technology, Northern Virginia Technology Council, and the Triangle Business Journal. We offer strong benefits, rewards for earning industry certifications, and room to grow your career as we grow. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, our distributed workforce supports customers from coast to coast. We go where the stakes are highest, and the margin for error is zero. If you want meaningful work alongside talented professionals, apply today.

Benefits Snapshot

Valiant takes care of the people who support our customers, with real choices in coverage and real investment in your career. Eligible full-time employees receive:

• A choice of medical plans, from an affordable HSA option to a full-featured PPO, with generous company contributions
• Dental and vision coverage for you and your family
• Company-paid life, short-term disability, and long-term disability insurance
• Optional supplemental life, accident, and critical illness coverage to round out your protection
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match
• Paid time off that grows with your years of service, plus paid federal holidays
• Paid certifications, professional development, and the Valiant University training portal
• Flexible spending accounts and a wellness and fitness program
• Referral bonuses when you help us bring great people to Valiant 

Benefit eligibility and plan details are subject to the terms of each plan and may change from time to time.

The anticipated salary range for this position is $135,000 to $150,000. This range reflects Valiant Solutions' good-faith estimate of the base salary reasonably expected for this position upon hire, at the time of posting. The range has been established based on the scope of the role, market rates, and internal equity. Where a candidate falls within the posted range will depend on job-related factors, including relevant skills, experience, qualifications, achievements, education, geographic location, applicable security clearance requirements, additional corporate responsibilities, and other legitimate, non-discriminatory business considerations. The posted range does not guarantee an offer at any particular salary. In addition to base salary, this position includes the benefits described above. 

Remote Work Policy (Remote and Hybrid Positions Only)

Remote work necessitates a high level of trust in our employees. To ensure that employee performance does not suffer in a remote work environment, all employees who telecommute are expected to have a quiet and distraction-free workspace with adequate internet, dedicate their full attention and availability to their job duties during working hours, and maintain a schedule during core business hours that aligns with those of their coworkers and Valiant's clients. In alignment with Valiant's inclusive and engaging environment, cameras are encouraged and can be required to be on during virtual video conferences. Additionally, in alignment with the Office of the Inspector General’s effort to eliminate conflicting employment, all Valiant employees are required to disclose any current or future outside employment engagements. During onboarding and throughout employment, employees must disclose any current activities or intent to engage in outside employment or other professional activities and obtain written approval.  Employees may not solicit or conduct any outside business during core business hours for Valiant Solutions and our clients.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Valiant Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Valiant Solutions provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process, please contact [email protected].

Physical Demands

Sitting or standing at a desk for prolonged periods and consistently operating a computer. Frequent communication and exchanging of accurate information via electronic communication, phones, and in person. Occasionally lift and/or move moderate amounts of weight, typically less than 20 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Authorization to Share Resume and Personal Information

By submitting your resume for this position, you authorize Valiant Solutions to share your resume, as well as personal information included on the resume, with its subsidiaries, affiliates, and teaming partners for the purpose of considering you for this position and other available positions requiring comparable skills, education, and experience. Should Valiant Solutions or its affiliates and teaming partners wish to initiate pre-employment discussions, you will be asked to complete an employment application and related employment documents.

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