Cyber Protection Engineer (AHT)

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes CLEARANCE TYPE: Top Secret TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time Description At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history. Secure the Air Force’s mission in the cloud. Northrop Grumman Defense Systems (NGDS) is seeking a  Cyber Protection Engineer  to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals conducting penetration and cybersecurity testing activities in support of  DAF CLOUDworks  at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Griffiss Air Force Base. DAF CLOUDworks is a rapidly growing secure cloud program that encompasses 10+ teams supporting information security, infrastructure development, and cloud migration. Along with operations and sustainment, DAF CLOUDworks focuses on securing and enhancing offerings to implement new requirements, improve functionality, increase efficiency, and lower operating/deployment overhead. Successful candidates are effective communicators and problem solvers who build and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders. What You’ll Do Conduct penetration testing, vulnerability analysis, and security assessments against cloud, enterprise, and hybrid environments. Evaluate and harden cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, etc.) across IAM, networking, storage, logging, and security services. Work with CI/CD pipeline technologies to understand and secure build, test, and deployment workflows. Assess containerization and virtualization technologies such as Docker, Kubernetes, and VMware from a security perspective. Use scripting/automation to support testing, analysis, and operational workflows. Contribute to securing and enhancing DAF CLOUDworks offerings to meet new mission requirements. Basic Qualifications – Cyber Protection Engineer Education/Experience (one of): High school diploma or equivalent with  6+ years  of relevant experience OR  bachelor’s degree with a minimum of  2+ years  of relevant experience OR  master’s degree with  0 years  of experience Clearance and Certifications: Active  Top Secret  clearance with  SCI eligibility Ability to obtain  IAT Level II or IAT Level III  certification per DoD 8140 requirements (such as CompTIA Security+ or CompTIA SecurityX, formerly CASP+) within 60 days of start date Technical Experience: Experience conducting  penetration testing ,  vulnerability analysis , or  security assessments  against cloud, enterprise, or hybrid environments Experience with  cloud platforms  such as AWS and Azure, including familiarity with IAM, networking, storage, logging, and security services Familiarity with  CI/CD pipeline technologies and concepts , including GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, or similar platforms Experience or familiarity with  containerization and virtualization  technologies such as Docker, Kubernetes, or VMware Knowledge of  Windows  and  Linux  operating systems,  networking fundamentals , and common enterprise architectures Experience using  scripting or automation languages  such as Python, Bash, or PowerShell to support testing, analysis, or operational workflows Familiarity with  offensive security