Senior Cybersecurity Engineer Role - Defense & AI Firm in Columbus
Career & Market Insight
This is a senior, high-impact individual contributor role in the federal defense cybersecurity space — a market segment known for stability, strong compensation, and long-term demand. The $135,000–$156,000 annual range is competitive for a cleared Lead Cybersecurity Engineer, roughly aligning with market benchmarks of $130k–$170k for IAT Level III-certified professionals with DOD Secret clearance.
Skills you'll develop and deepen:
- Cybersecurity tool engineering and automation (Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, Power BI)
- Operational Technology (OT) security — a rapidly growing and niche specialization
- AI/ML application in cybersecurity contexts, given Credence's core offerings
- Technical leadership, mentoring, and stakeholder communication with government clients
Green flags: Credence has been on the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing list for 12 consecutive years, signaling financial health and consistent growth. The servant leadership culture is a positive signal for work environment. The IAT Level III requirement (e.g., CISSP, CASP+) means you'll be working with highly credentialed peers.
Things to consider: The role is defense-focused, which limits portability to private-sector roles without transition effort. OT cybersecurity and federal contracting experience are specialized; they open doors in critical infrastructure and government but may narrow your options in commercial tech. The lack of explicit mention of PTO, benefits, or remote policy is worth clarifying during interviews.
At Credence, we support our clients' mission-critical needs, powered by technology. We provide cutting-edge solutions, including AI/ML, enterprise modernization, and advanced intelligence capabilities, to the largest defense and health federal organizations. Through partnership and trust, we increase mission success for war-fighters and secure our nation for a better future.
We are privately held, are repeatedly recognized as a top place to work, and have been on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies list for the last 12 years. We practice servant leadership and believe that by focusing on the success of our clients, team members, and partners, we all achieve greater success.
Credence has an immediate need for a Lead Cybersecurity Engineer – Innovation & Automation to serve as the technical lead for cybersecurity engineering, cybersecurity tools, and emerging technologies. This position is responsible for advancing the organization's technical cybersecurity capabilities and supporting the implementation of innovative technologies that strengthen the overall security posture.
This position will identify opportunities to improve cybersecurity operations through the adoption of new technologies, automation, engineering solutions, and process improvements, and present recommendations to Government leadership.
The Lead Cybersecurity Engineer – Innovation & Automation will work closely with this position to support cybersecurity tool implementation, automation, engineering integration, technical research, and the development of engineering recommendations.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Serve as the technical lead for cybersecurity tools, engineering initiatives, and emerging technologies
- Evaluate, recommend, implement, and integrate cybersecurity tools to improve operational effectiveness
- Research emerging cybersecurity threats, attack techniques, vulnerabilities, and defensive technologies
- Conduct technical threat assessments, vulnerability analyses, and cybersecurity risk assessments
- Produce technical white papers, engineering analyses, risk assessments, and recommendations that support informed cybersecurity decision-making
- Develop engineering recommendations that improve the organization's overall security posture
- Mentor and train Cybersecurity Engineers and other technical staff on cybersecurity tools, engineering methodologies, and emerging technologies
- Support Operational Technology (OT) cybersecurity initiatives and collaborate with the Operational Technology Security Engineer on FSEI and other OT-related efforts
- Establish engineering standards and technical best practices for cybersecurity tool implementation and integration
- Promote continuous improvement of the team's technical cybersecurity maturity through research, innovation, and knowledge sharing
- Identify opportunities to automate cybersecurity processes and improve operational efficiency through engineering solutions
- Develop and maintain enterprise cybersecurity reporting solutions, including Power BI dashboards, Splunk dashboards, Microsoft Sentinel workbooks, cybersecurity metrics, and executive reporting capabilities
Requirements
- DOD Secret Clearance
- Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, IT, or related field
- DOD 8570.01 Information Assurance Technical (IAT) Level III Certification
Salary Range: $135,000 – $156,000 annually. Actual compensation will be determined based on the selected candidate's experience, education, certifications, skills, and overall qualifications.
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