SOC / Incident Response Lead
Role details
Job location
Tech stack
Job description
The SOC / Incident Response Lead serves as the operational leader for 24x7x365 security monitoring and incident response under the Information Security Program Support Services (ISPSS) effort supporting the NIH Office of the Director, Office of Information Technology (OD OIT), responsible for leading Tier 1 detection and triage and Tier 2/3 forensics, threat hunting, and cyber threat intelligence across the NIH/OD-OIT managed environment. This role drives execution across incident detection, triage, investigation of suspected intrusions within 30 minutes, containment and recovery, digital forensics (NIST SP 800-86), malware analysis, and incident reporting in close coordination with NIH/OD OIT leadership and enterprise cybersecurity organizations.
This is a full-time position with work performed primarily offsite, though travel to NIH/OD facilities in the Bethesda, MD area will be required on an as-needed basis. Core hours are Monday-Friday, 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM EST, and after-hours support for emergency incidents will be required as needed by NIH/OD. Position is contingent upon award and client approval.
Primary Duties Lead 24x7 Security Operations
- Direct real-time, 24x7x365 security log collection, monitoring, alerting, and event analysis across the OIT-managed environment
- Perform incident triage on all incidents to determine scope, urgency, and operational impact
- Investigate suspected intrusions and suspicious activity within 30 minutes of detection
- Ensure accurate, consistent incident categorization and ticketing
Direct Incident Response & Forensics
- Lead detection, triage, analysis, containment, eradication, recovery, and post-incident reporting
- Oversee Tier 2/3 digital forensics, evidence preservation, and chain of custody compliant with NIST SP 800-86
- Conduct malware analysis, reverse engineering, and analysis of suspicious websites, emails, and payloads
- Deliver Security Incident Tickets/Reports within 1 hour of detection and Incident Response After Action Reports
Advance Threat Hunting & Intelligence
- Lead Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) hunting across the managed environment
- Operate an active Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) program to collect, correlate, and disseminate relevant intelligence and IOCs
- Support collaboration with OCIO threat intelligence / Fusion Center activities
Strengthen the SOC
- Provide engineering support to the SOC and Incident Response Team and ensure proper configuration of SOC-managed tools and agents
- Lead annual incident response tabletop exercises and implement lessons learned
- Produce the Monthly Forensic Activity Summary and related metrics
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Information Systems, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
- Minimum 7 years in security operations / incident response, including SOC team leadership
- Demonstrated experience with digital forensics, malware analysis, and threat hunting in enterprise environments
Required Certifications
- One or more incident response/forensics certifications: GCIH, GCIA, or GCFA (or comparable)
- CISSP strongly preferred
Technical Skills
- Hands-on expertise with SIEM, EDR, and IDS/IPS platforms and security log analysis
- Forensic tooling and evidence handling consistent with NIST SP 800-86 and Federal Rules of Evidence
- Familiarity with US-CERT incident notification guidelines and federal reporting timelines
Leadership Capabilities
- Calm, decisive leadership during active incidents and crisis coordination
- Strong written reporting and clear escalation communication, * Experience supporting NIH/HHS or other federal SOC operations
- Cloud monitoring/IR experience (e.g., Azure, AWS)
- Experience standing up or maturing CTI programs
Clearance
- Must be able to obtain and maintain the NIH/OD/OIT required clearance level and complete all suitability/onboarding requirements