Location: Fort Belvoir, VA
Work Arrangement: 100% Onsite
Clearance: Active Secret Required; Top Secret Preferred
Travel: Up to 10%

About Missing Link Security

Missing Link Security is a government contractor with a mission to secure the nation’s information by increasing awareness, countering threats, mitigating risk, and enforcing compliance. We employ mission-focused professionals who are passionate about the security of our country, our communities, and our information systems.

Missing Link Security is seeking an experienced COMSEC & Cryptographic Modernization Architect to support an Army G-6 customer at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. This position will play a key role in developing and modernizing communications security policy, cryptographic capabilities, and secure communications strategies for National Security Systems (NSS) and National Security Information (NSI).

The successful candidate will work closely with Government officials, decision-makers, Warfighters, technical organizations, vendors, and other contractors to evaluate current capabilities, identify future requirements, and develop policy and modernization recommendations. The role will also support Government efforts to prepare for the transition to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and other emerging cryptographic technologies.

This position requires 100% onsite support at Fort Belvoir. Remote and hybrid work are not available for this position.

Responsibilities

• Provide subject matter expertise in Communications Security (COMSEC), including encryption, decryption, cryptographic key management, secure communications, and associated policies and procedures.
• Develop, review, and recommend updates to COMSEC and cryptographic policies, standards, procedures, and implementation guidance.
• Assist the Government in developing strategies and roadmaps to modernize legacy COMSEC and cryptographic capabilities to meet current and future security requirements.
• Support Government planning for the transition to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and quantum-resistant cryptographic capabilities.
• Assess the potential impacts of PQC migration on existing COMSEC architectures, cryptographic equipment, key-management processes, secure communications systems, and National Security Systems.
• Support the development of crypto-agility and cryptographic modernization strategies that enable the Government to transition cryptographic algorithms and capabilities as threats, technologies, and standards evolve.
• Evaluate legacy, current, and emerging cryptographic technologies and provide recommendations regarding modernization, interoperability, implementation, and lifecycle considerations.
• Apply cybersecurity technologies, cryptographic principles, and industry best practices to protect NSS and NSI.
• Collaborate with Government stakeholders, Warfighters, technical organizations, vendors, and mission partners to define security requirements and performance standards.
• Translate operational and Warfighter requirements into actionable COMSEC, cryptographic modernization, and policy recommendations.
• Support the design, evaluation, and implementation of secure communications capabilities.
• Conduct or support testing and evaluation of legacy, current, and future COMSEC and cryptographic equipment and capabilities.
• Research emerging developments in cybersecurity, COMSEC, cryptography, post-quantum cryptography, and secure communications and assess their potential impact on Government systems and policies.
• Prepare technical analyses, policy recommendations, briefings, decision papers, roadmaps, and other products for Government leadership.
• Coordinate across technical and policy stakeholders to help ensure cryptographic modernization initiatives align with mission requirements, security objectives, and applicable Government standards.

• Active Secret security clearance; Top Secret clearance preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with COMSEC, cryptography, secure communications, cybersecurity policy, or related National Security Systems.
• Experience developing, reviewing, interpreting, or implementing cybersecurity, COMSEC, cryptographic, or information-security policies.
• Strong understanding of fundamental cryptographic concepts, including encryption, decryption, key management, cryptographic lifecycle management, and secure communications.
• Ability to assist Government organizations in planning and implementing cybersecurity and cryptographic technologies across large-scale enterprise environments.
• Familiarity with relevant Government cybersecurity and cryptographic policies and standards, including NIST Special Publications, Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS), and NSA/CSS Policy Manual 3-16
• Experience working with Government decision-makers, technical organizations, and/or Warfighters to understand secure communications and mission requirements.
• Ability to analyze complex technical and policy issues and translate findings into clear recommendations for technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work 100% onsite at Fort Belvoir, VA

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with or demonstrated knowledge of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and quantum-resistant cryptographic technologies.
• Knowledge of Government initiatives, standards, and migration considerations associated with transitioning from traditional public-key cryptography to post-quantum cryptographic capabilities.
• Familiarity with crypto-agility, cryptographic inventories, migration planning, algorithm transitions, and cryptographic lifecycle management
• Experience assessing the impact of emerging cryptographic requirements on existing COMSEC equipment, key-management infrastructure, communications systems, or National Security Systems.
• Experience developing cryptographic modernization strategies, transition plans, implementation roadmaps, or enterprise-level policy recommendations
• Familiarity with Key Management Infrastructure (KMI), Type 1 cryptographic products, tactical or enterprise secure communications, or related COMSEC technologies.
• Experience supporting an Army G-6, J-6, CIO, cybersecurity, Signal, or communications organization
• Experience working directly with Army or DoD Warfighters and translating operational requirements into technical or policy solutions.
• Experience coordinating with NSA, NIST, DoD, Army, vendors, or other organizations involved in cryptographic modernization and secure communications.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate combines a strong foundation in COMSEC and cybersecurity policy with an understanding of how emerging cryptographic technologies will affect future Government communications and National Security Systems.

This individual does not necessarily need to be a cryptographic algorithm developer or academic researcher. Rather, we are seeking someone who can understand the implications of post-quantum cryptography, communicate those implications to Government decision-makers and Warfighters, and help translate evolving cryptographic standards and technologies into practical COMSEC policy, modernization strategies, transition plans, and implementation recommendations

The successful candidate will be comfortable operating at the intersection of policy, technology, operations, and modernization and working across Government, industry, and Warfighter communities.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Missing Link Security is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.