Security Specialist

Security SpecialistAt Accenture Federal Services, nothing matters more than helping the US federal government make the nation stronger and safer and life better for people. Our 13,000+ people are united in a shared purpose to pursue the limitless potential of technology and ingenuity for clients across defense, national security, public safety, civilian, and military health organizations. Join Accenture Federal Services, a technology company within global Accenture. Recognized as a Glassdoor Top 100 Best Place to Work, we offer a collaborative and caring community where you feel like you belong and are empowered to grow, learn and thrive through hands-on experience, certifications, industry training and more. Join us to drive positive, lasting change that moves missions and the government forward!The work The Application Security Lead is responsible for leading the end-to-end security readiness of applications, ensuring compliance with federal and enterprise security frameworks, ATO processes, and risk management requirements. The role drives security architecture design, secure configurations, threat modeling, and alignment with enterprise and regulatory standards. Additional responsibilities include coordinating and executing security assessments, vulnerability analyses, penetration testing reviews, and remediation planning. The Application Security Lead partners with product, engineering, cloud, and compliance teams to understand system requirements and implement secure-by-design solutions. This role develops and maintains security documentation, establishes best practices for application security and identity management, and provides guidance on secure development practices. The lead oversees the implementation and monitoring of security controls to ensure compliance, resiliency, and ATO sustainment, and drives continuous improvement in security processes, tooling, and engineering workflows.Key responsibilities:Lead and manage the end-to-end security readiness of applications, including compliance with federal and enterprise security frameworks, ATO processes, and risk management requirementsDrive security architecture design, ensuring secure configurations, threat modeling, and alignment with enterprise and regulatory standardsCoordinate and execute security assessments, vulnerability analyses, penetration testing reviews, and remediation planningPartner with product, engineering, cloud, and compliance teams to understand system requirements and implement secure-by-design solutionsDevelop and maintain security documentation, including SSPs, POA&Ms, security diagrams, control evidence, and continuous monitoring artifactsEstablish and enforce best practices for application security, identity and access management, secure CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure hardeningProvide guidance and mentorship on secure development practices, helping teams adopt and mature security capabilities across the SDLCOversee the implementation and monitoring of security controls to ensure ongoing compliance, operational resiliency, and ATO sustainmentDrive continuous improvement in security processes, tooling, and engineering workflows to reduce risk and elevate overall security postureHere's what you need:7+ years of professional experienceExtensive experience leading application or cloud security initiatives, preferably within regulated environments requiring ATO or equivalent compliance frameworksStrong practical expertise in security architecture, secure application design, and implementation of technical security controlsHands-on experience with cloud security services (Azure, AWS, or equivalent), IAM models, network segmentation, encryption, and monitoring solutionsFamiliarity with federal, enterprise, or industry security frameworks (NIST 800-53, FedRAMP, Zero Trust, CIS benchmarks)Proficiency with DevSecOps tooling, automated security scanning, and secure pipeline orchestrationExperience producing high-quality security documentation, including SSPs, policies, diagrams, and technical control evidenceDemonstrated ability to collaborate across engineering, compliance, governance, and operational teams to deliver secure and scalable solutionsStrong understanding of security governance principles, risk management, and continuous monitoring practicesCore skills & competencies:Security leadership and the ability to influence across diverse technical teamsStrong analytical reasoning, risk assessment, and problem-solving capabilitiesExceptional communication skills for both technical and non-technical audiencesAbility to manage multiple security workstreams in fast-paced and evolving environmentsCommitment to security excellence, compliance discipline, and continuous improvementEligibility Requirements:U.S. Citizenship requiredAbility to obtain a government TS clearanceThe pay range for the states of California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia, and the city of Cleveland is:$100,200 - $203,400 USD