Cybersecurity Lead

In a world of possibilities, pursue one with endless opportunities. Imagine Next!   At Parsons, you can imagine a career where you thrive, work with exceptional people, and be yourself. Guided by our leadership vision of valuing people, embracing agility, and fostering growth, we cultivate an innovative culture that empowers you to achieve your full potential. Unleash your talent and redefine what’s possible.   Job Description: Parsons is seeking an experienced Cybersecurity Lead to lead a high-performing defensive cyber operations team supporting a large-scale Government cybersecurity program. This is an opportunity to shape and grow an integrated cybersecurity capability responsible for identifying vulnerabilities, detecting advanced threats, responding to incidents, maintaining compliance, and protecting mission-critical systems and networks. As the Cybersecurity Lead, you will provide technical and operational leadership for a team performing penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, threat hunting, incident response, security monitoring, vulnerability and configuration management, and Security Operations Center support. You will help establish the team’s structure, processes, priorities, and operating rhythm while ensuring cybersecurity services are delivered effectively and in accordance with Government requirements. You will serve as both a team leader and a senior cybersecurity subject matter expert. Working closely with Government stakeholders, Parsons program leadership, and technical teams across the enterprise, you will assess risk, guide defensive operations, develop actionable recommendations, and help strengthen the customer’s security posture. You will also have access to the expertise, tools, and best practices of Parsons’ Cybersecurity Center of Excellence. The ideal candidate is a mission-focused cybersecurity professional who can lead technical teams, make sound risk-based decisions, communicate effectively with senior stakeholders, and remain hands-on when complex cybersecurity challenges arise. You’ll be joining Parsons’ local Analytics & Engineering team, a community known for its strong culture of defensive cyber operations, technical excellence, and collaboration. We invest in both mission success and team connection through regular social events, technical talks, training opportunities, and hands-on innovation activities at our Cybersecurity Center of Excellence Lab in Columbia, MD. From team lunches and ice cream socials to family-friendly seasonal events and technical learning sessions, we work hard to create an environment where people can do meaningful work and enjoy being part of the team. What You'll Be Doing: Lead, organize, mentor, and support a team of cybersecurity professionals conducting defensive cyber operations. Oversee penetration testing and security assessments designed to identify weaknesses in networks, applications, systems, and operational technology environments. Direct vulnerability assessment activities, including recurring vulnerability scans, analysis of findings, risk prioritization, reporting, and remediation tracking. Lead proactive threat-hunting activities to identify hidden, persistent, or advanced threats across IT and OT environments. Oversee continuous monitoring and investigation of anomalous activity and potential security incidents. Direct incident response activities, including detection, analysis, containment, eradication, recovery, escalation, and lessons learned. Support the operation of a centralized Security Operations Center capability responsible for coordinating defensive security activities. Coordinate security event analysis, trend analysis, alert investigation, and response activities across cybersecurity and IT operations teams. Develop, maintain, and improve cybersecurity policies, procedures, playbooks, SOPs, and incident response processes. Ensure cybersecurity findings and incidents are accurately documented, classified, escalated, and reported within required timelines. Oversee the development and maintenance of Authority to Operate and Assess-Only authorization packages. Support Risk Management Framework activities by coordinating technical evidence, security documentation, continuous monitoring data, and compliance artifacts. Manage applicable cybersecurity orders, taskers, directives, and remediation requirements. Oversee the development and tracking of Plans of Action and Milestones when requirements cannot be fully satisfied within the prescribed timeframe. Lead vulnerability and configuration management activities, including secure configuration, patching, STIG compliance, and attack-surface reduction. Promote Infrastructure as Code and Configuration as Code practices that support controlled, auditable, and security-reviewed changes. Coordinate with infrastructure, cloud, DevSecOps, application, data, and operations teams to address cybersecurity risks. Evaluate emerging cybersecurity technologies, tools, and practices and provide recommendations based on mission value, risk, cost, and implementation requirements. Develop cybersecurity reports, briefings, metrics, risk assessments, and recommendations for Government and program leadership. Track operational performance, staffing requirements, service quality, and team workload. Identify cybersecurity risks, resource limitations, process gaps, and opportunities for continuous improvement. Support transition-in, transition-out, surge staffing, training, and continuity of operations activities. Ensure all work is performed in accordance with applicable Government cybersecurity requirements, Government-approved policies, contract requirements, and security procedures. What Required Skills You'll Bring: TS/SCI clearance active/current Eleven or more years of experience in cybersecurity, cyber operations, information assurance, information security, or a related field. CISSP certification or an equivalent