Cybersecurity Solutions Architect - Senior Le

About Merlin Group

Merlin Group operates at the intersection of cyber innovation, national security, and technology-driven transformation. With a mission to accelerate the adoption of high-impact technologies across the U.S. public sector and regulated commercial markets, Merlin is uniquely structured around three core tenets - Invest, Enable, and Scale - each designed to address a specific stage of the technology lifecycle. Together, our affiliates - Merlin Ventures, CGC, and Merlin Cyber - form a flywheel that builds enduring capability for customers, partners, and the broader cyber ecosystem, operationalizing technological advancement into mission-ready, enterprise-grade solutions.


At Merlin, we believe our strength lies in our people. Team members are encouraged to be creative, collaborative, and nimble, pursuing paths to deliver the cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions that our customers rely on. From next-generation cyber defense to secure cloud and AI, we are united by one purpose - transforming innovation into mission impact.

The Opportunity

Merlin Cyber is seeking a Cybersecurity Solutions Architect - Senior Level to serve as a subject matter expert on Zero Trust and the solutions provided by our ISV/OEM partners in each of the Zero Trust pillars. You will support our Technical Practice Area (TPA) leads, engineers, and partners in developing go-to-market solution offerings and serve as a trusted advisor to customers-designing architectures, creating visuals, and articulating the "why" behind solution choices.

This role requires broad experience across IT and cybersecurity domains with practical Zero Trust implementation experience and strong fluency in U.S. federal requirements, frameworks, design patterns, solution architectures, programs, and missions. You will use cybersecurity domain knowledge, business acumen, and interpersonal skills to help customers solve their most pressing business and IT challenges. You will also play a key role in evaluating and advising on emerging technologies in AI, post-quantum, and cybersecurity, helping Merlin's technology partners and customers adopt innovative capabilities securely and effectively.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

Zero Trust Subject Matter Expertise

• Lead Zero Trust strategy and architecture discussion, map agency requirements to Merlin's technical capabilities across identity, device, network, application, data, visibility/analytics, and automation/orchestration pillars.
• Lead technical discovery sessions, whiteboarding, and architecture reviews; communicate clearly with both executive and engineering audiences.
• Explain how Merlin's technical solutions interoperate within federal environments and align to NIST SP 800-207 and agency ZT strategies.
• Document assumptions, dependencies, and risks; recommend mitigation strategies and phased deployment roadmaps aligned with agencies' modernization and ZT strategies.
• Create clear architecture diagrams, reference designs, and implementation patterns that show alignment with ZT and outcomes.

Technical Practice Areas & Go-to-Market Support

• Develop solution offerings with Technical Practice Area (TPA) leads and Merlin Labs, to include validated reference architectures, BOMs, and services descriptions.
• Translate complex product capabilities into mission-aligned value propositions; prepare executive-ready and technical visuals and narratives for briefings and proposals.
• Incorporate AI-enabled capabilities and emerging technologies into solution offerings, ensuring secure design, responsible use, and alignment with customer mission needs.
• Provide pre-sales engineering support and guide smooth handoffs to TPA leads and customer success teams.
• Ensure proposed solutions meet agency needs, align with federal frameworks and guidance (e.g., NIST RMF/800-53/171/172, NIST 800-207, FIPS 140-3, FedRAMP, TIC 3.0, EO 14028, agency Zero Trust strategies).
• Support the growth and scaling of Merlin's Zero Trust Practice Area by contributing technical insights to practice strategy, partner enablement, and solution innovation.
• Evaluate and advise on the secure adoption of AI/ML technologies within federal environments, including generative AI, autonomous security tools, and AI-enabled analytics and cybersecurity platforms.

Collaboration & Knowledge Development

• Collaborate with Merlin ISV/OEM product management, solution engineering, and alliances to validate integrations and interoperability across the Merlin portfolio.
• Develop reusable collateral-diagrams, templates, playbooks, and decision guides-that TPAs and Merlin Labs use to optimize our solution development
• Support Cybersecurity Research Analysts and Merlin Labs in the production of market and technical analyses/evaluation reports
• Stay current with market trends, emerging technologies, and AI advancements; advise Merlin stakeholders on technology adoption, go-to-market strategies, and strategic partnerships, particularly in AI-driven and next-generation cybersecurity capabilities.
• Mentor junior engineers and support internal enablement on Zero Trust, federal use cases, and best practices.

Qualifications

Required

• 10+ years of experience in cybersecurity across architecture, engineering, or consulting roles, with practical IT experience.
• Demonstrated Zero Trust architecture expertise and breadth across multiple security domains (identity, endpoint, network, cloud, application, data, logging/analytics).
• Proven ability to design and present architecture diagrams and executive-ready visuals; excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Foundational understanding of AI/ML concepts and their application in cybersecurity, including associated risks and security considerations.
• Working knowledge of U.S. federal requirements, frameworks, and environments (e.g. NIST RMF/800-53/171/172, NIST 800-207, FedRAMP, FIPS 140-3, TIC 3.0, EO 14028)
• Experience with multi-vendor integrations and interoperability patterns across complex enterprise or government environments.
• Ability to travel up to 25% for customer meetings, partner workshops, and events.

Preferred

• Relevant technical certifications (e.g., CISSP, CCSP, CISM, CEH, Zero Trust, Security+ or equivalent).
• Familiarity with AI tools, AI security frameworks, guidance, or best practices (e.g., Claude, NIST AI RMF, adversarial ML concepts, model governance).
• Experience in pre-sales engineering or advisory consulting (discovery, solution design, demos/POCs).
• Hybrid or remote role; however, candidates located near the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) are preferred due to occasional collaborative sessions at our headquarters in Tysons Corner, VA

Success Attributes

• Commitment to personal and professional integrity and respect for others.
• Roll-up-your-sleeves attitude and low-ego approach.
• Commitment to teamwork and professional relationship development.
• Passion for lifelong learning, growth, and development.
• Flexible and nimble; comfortable with ambiguity and rapid change.
• Strong communication and functional project management skills.
• Desire to innovate, try new things, and creatively explore novel solutions to business challenges.
• Professional and respectful approach to the diversity of thought, action, identity, and attributes.

Why Merlin Cyber?

Join a mission-driven team shaping Zero Trust outcomes across the public sector. At Merlin Cyber, you'll architect solutions with leading ISV/OEM partners, accelerate modernization, and help customers achieve measurable improvements in risk posture and mission impact.

Benefits & Perks

We want to empower and inspire employees to be and do their best. Our workdays are dynamic, collegial, and fun. Our office features multiple places to work unconstrained by typical office barriers. Our wellness package provides access to an on-site gym and includes medical, dental, and vision insurance along with options for FSA and EAP. We offer 401(k) with employer match, unlimited PTO, and a culture respectful of the reality that not everything in one's personal life is guaranteed to happen only after hours.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local, or international law.