Security Operations Engineer

ARiA is seeking a highly motivated, high-agency Security Operations (SecOps) Engineer / Facility Security Officer (FSO) to serve as the primary onsite technical partner and security steward for our Seattle, WA office. In this role, you will solve complex infrastructure problems in an unforgiving, high-stakes defense R&D environment. You will have daily operational responsibility for local Seattle systems-including secure air-gapped environments-while working as an integrated part of our cross-functional, national IT team supporting the shared corporate computing infrastructure that ranges from standard corporate cloud systems to ARiA’s on-premises GitLab DevOps pipelines and deep-learning servers at the Madison, VA headquarters. We succeed when our technical infrastructure is so seamless, robust, and compliant that our scientists and engineers can innovate completely unhindered by administrative drag. This is a role rooted in technical expertise and service to the mission.

Our Culture

We operate as an agile, highly communicative team rather than a rigid bureaucracy. We seek “principled pragmatists”-low-ego individuals who have the confidence to design and defend a secure technical architecture, but the humility to pivot or change a process when a teammate, an audit, or new data exposes a superior approach. We value those who love learning, actively seek out constructive feedback to master their craft, and remain calm and collaborative when operational or security challenges arise. At ARiA, we celebrate team wins and value the unique contributions of every colleague.

The Standard

This is a boots-on-the-ground engineering role for an independent practitioner who thrives on execution but values team alignment. You are the sole IT executioner in Seattle, meaning you must be comfortable configuring an Ubuntu server from the command line, physically routing a local firewall, and debugging a broken Git repository. However, you are never stranded; you will regularly collaborate with and learn from our distributed corporate technical team.

Ours is a rigorous environment that measures success by the reliability of our systems, the integrity of our security posture, and the seamless enablement of our team. We provide market-leading compensation and exceptional benefits because we deeply value your expertise and respect your life outside of work. However, if you are looking at this role merely as a paycheck or title, ARiA will not be a fit. We are looking for professionals who are genuinely anchored by the gravity of our mission-people who find deep, quiet satisfaction in protecting the technical environments where crucial national defense technology is forged.

SCOPE OF WORK

As the onsite IT and security practitioner in Seattle, you will support the local branch’s operations across its full lifecycle-from day-to-day desktop support to the administration of secure air-gapped server environments. Working in daily close coordination with the corporate System Administrator, corporate FSO, and cross-functional engineering teams, you will secure and administer local-server and cloud-based systems.

Core Responsibilities

• Classified & Air-Gapped Infrastructure Ownership: Serve as the primary onsite administrator of secure, onsite air-gapped networks and local server systems, ensuring absolute compliance with DCSA requirements and NIST guidelines through transparent, well-documented processes.
• Infrastructure Generalist & Tech Support: Act as the local technical point of contact to configure, deploy, and troubleshoot Windows and Ubuntu workstations and servers, while managing network routing, firewalls, and central monitoring.
• Facility & Personnel Security Leadership (FSO): Facilitate and manage local personnel and physical security workflows for the Seattle branch, ensuring compliance with National Industrial Security Program (NISP) and NISPOM updates.
• Operational Empathy: Bridge the gap between rigid security frameworks and user reality: your job is to enable our scientists and engineers to do their best work safely. You must view an infrastructure roadblock as a puzzle to be solved collaboratively, prioritizing team enablement over personal technical preferences.

Sample Tasks

• Configure, build, and secure local Windows and Ubuntu server and workstation systems for the Seattle branch.
• Support updates and configuration management of baremetal and virtual machines on a schedule defined by NIST 800-53A and 800-171 under guidance of / in collaboration with the corporate Sysadmin.
• Manage local network routing, firewalls, and VPN configurations while supporting central monitoring and reporting vulnerability scans under guidance of / in collaboration with the corporate Sysadmin.
• Coordinate local branch components of cloud platforms (Google Workspace, Slack) alongside on-premises development tools, GitLab repositories, and LDAP user management.
• Manage employee background investigations, coordinate secure outside visits, and maintain meticulous tracking of hardware and software assets.
• Partner with the Corporate FSO to develop, distribute, and track government-mandated security training and perform regular self-inspections of compliance procedures.

• U.S. Citizenship Required: Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Due to immediate operational timelines, you must possess an active Secret (or higher) clearance, OR be fully eligible for immediate reinstatement (separated from a cleared GovCon/DoD role within the last 24 months under favorable conditions). We cannot accommodate initial clearance sponsorships or prolonged adjudicative delays for this vacancy.
• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant technical field or equivalent professional training and experience in systems administration/security operations.
• Practitioner Role: This is an individual contributor role focused on technical execution, not personnel management. You are the person who physically secures the facility, configures the hardware, and writes the scripts that automate your workflows., * Linux/Windows Systems Administration: Proven experience managing bare-metal and virtualized environments (Ubuntu Server familiarity is a must). You should know how to manage user permissions, local storage, and package dependencies via CLI.
• Network Infrastructure: Hands-on experience physically configuring and troubleshooting firewalls, switches, and VPNs (e.g., VLAN segmentation, ACLs).
• Scripting & Automation: Ability to write and maintain functional scripts (Bash, Python, or PowerShell) to automate backups, patches, and routine compliance monitoring.
• Security Frameworks: Practical execution of NISPOM and NIST 800-171/53 controls (actually implementing the technical controls, not just reading the policy).
• Software Competency: Demonstrable skill with cloud applications, desktop software, database support, and automated deployment/continuous-integration pipelines.

Professionalism

• Feedback Resilience & Growth Mindset: A demonstrable history of actively seeking out constructive critique, learning from mistakes, and continuously adapting your technical process based on feedback.
• Collaboration & Communication: Excellent oral and written communication skills to clearly and patiently distill security protocols to teammates, while maintaining seamless, transparent alignment with distributed corporate leadership.
• Peer Appreciation: A track record of working effectively in cross-functional environments, with a demonstrated ability to recognize, value, and learn from the diverse skills of your teammates.
• Accountable Execution: A proven track record of taking complete, reliable ownership of IT systems from concept to delivery, while proactively communicating progress and potential roadblocks to the team and meticulously documening your own work.

Pulled from the full job description Parental leave 401(k) Health insurance 401(k) matching Paid time off Health savings account Dental insurance, * 401(k)

• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Relocation assistance

Application Question(s):

• Are you a U.S. citizen holding an active Secret (or higher) clearance, OR are you within a 24-month reinstatement window from a cleared role?

ARiA is a specialized R&D firm where advanced science, acoustics, machine learning, and signal processing meet real-world deployment. We build the technical engines powering next-generation defense and commercial systems, tackling high-consequence challenges that demand an agile, interdisciplinary response. We trade rigid hierarchy for high trust and shared accountability, creating a culture defined by freedom, continuous feedback, and mutual support. As part of an highly collaborative team, you will design, deploy, manage, and protect the critical technical infrastructure-from cloud-based development environments, to on-premises high-performance Linux server systems, to secure tactical platforms.

ARiA: Real Research. Real World.

www.ariacoustics.com