IT - ADMIN - Security Architect - Consultant

Scope of the Project

This position will serve as a contract security engineer within the Department of Administration's Division of Information Security. The successful candidate will show extensive experience supporting security automation, custom tool development, identity and access management, Linux systems, and a broad range of enterprise security technologies. This contractor will work with a large enterprise security team and assist the security automations architect, security architects, engineers, analysts, and incident responders with the design, development, implementation, integration, and continuous improvement of security tools, automations, systems, and services supporting multiple state agencies.

Successful Candidate

This contractor will be primarily focused on security engineering, automation, scripting, tool development, system integration, and operational support while also providing secondary support for IAM, Linux-based security sensors, DSPM, SIEM, XDR, logging, monitoring, and other evolving security technologies. The role requires hands-on experience supporting both security engineering and security operations, including internal applications, APIs, SDKs, dashboards, command-line tools, automations, access controls, platform troubleshooting, system administration, documentation, and analyst enablement. The candidate must be able to support strategic planning, solution design, development, implementation, troubleshooting, performance optimization, and continuous improvement of secure systems and services in a rapidly changing environment.

Mandatory Screening Requirements

These requirements are strictly enforced and non-negotiable. No exceptions can be granted. Candidates who cannot pass these requirements will not be eligible for hire. All applicants must successfully pass a full credit check and criminal background check during the initial hiring process. Once onboard, they must obtain and retain annual CJIS certification as part of the ongoing employment process.

Other Information

This position is 100% remote and will participate in an on-call rotation supporting the 24x7 SOC. After-hours maintenance, incident escalation support, and operational handoffs will be required as needed. Preference will be shown for candidates presently residing in Columbia, SC, who can physically assist with equipment and hardware maintenance as needed.

Daily Duties / Responsibilities

This position is 100% remote and will participate in an on-call rotation supporting a 24x7 Security Operations Center serving multiple state agencies. Other after-hours work may be required as needed.

• Primary Responsibilities:
  • Assist in the planning, design, development, deployment, administration, and operational support of enterprise security automations and custom security tools, including:
    • Python-based automations, internal web applications, APIs, SDKs, scripts, dashboards, command-line utilities, and system integrations
    • Automated workflows for alert enrichment, triage, incident response, case management, notifications, containment, escalation, and reporting
    • Custom tools to assist with CVE vetting, vulnerability enrichment, prioritization, tracking, and security decision support
• Secondary Responsibilities:
  • Assist in the planning, design, deployment, and operational support of a broad range of security platforms, including DSPM, ASM, IAM, vulnerability management, email security, endpoint security, SIEM, XDR, SOAR, logging, monitoring, network security, cloud security, and threat intelligence technologies.
  • Develop, test, deploy, and maintain automated security workflows, applications, and scripts using Python, PowerShell, Bash, REST APIs, JSON, YAML, vendor SDKs, and other appropriate technologies.
  • Assist with identity and access management functions, including user provisioning, deprovisioning, access reviews, role-based access control, service accounts, API credentials, authentication, authorization, and identity-based system integrations.
  • Deploy, configure, patch, monitor, optimize, and troubleshoot Linux systems supporting security sensors, collectors, connectors, applications, containers, and data-processing services, including Docker-based environments.
  • Support security architects, engineers, SOC analysts, incident responders, and agency customers through platform troubleshooting, automation development, system integration, technical escalation, knowledge transfer, and operational handoffs.
  • Monitor and report on automation health, application availability, system performance, sensor status, integration failures, API errors, vulnerability status, platform issues, and other security engineering and operational metrics.
  • Ensure high availability, resilience, backup, recovery, patching, lifecycle management, secure configuration, and controlled change processes for security tools, Linux systems, applications, automations, and supporting services.
  • Collaborate with security architects, engineers, analysts, incident responders, and agency stakeholders to align solutions with business goals, industry-standard frameworks, regulatory requirements, and organizational risk tolerance.

Required Skills (Ranked by Importance)

• Broad hands-on security engineering experience supporting multiple cybersecurity technologies, systems, integrations, and operational functions.
• Experience integrating enterprise technologies using APIs, SDKs, web services, structured data formats, authentication methods, and vendor-supported interfaces.
• Strong experience troubleshooting complex technical issues across applications, security platforms, operating systems, networks, identity services, and integrations.
• Linux system deployment, configuration, patching, scripting, service management, monitoring, troubleshooting, and lifecycle management.
• Experience developing automation and response workflows using Python, PowerShell, Bash, REST APIs, JSON, YAML, and vendor SDKs.