In-depth understanding of Zero Trust architecture principles and federal cybersecurity frameworks.
Strong familiarity with IC and DoW organizational structures and governance protocols.
Comprehensive mastery of strategic messaging workflows and technical publication standards.
12+ years of experience in strategic communications or technical writing within federal IT environments.
3+ years of direct experience supporting cybersecurity or Zero Trust initiatives.
Proven portfolio of executive deliverables, including technical whitepapers and strategic messaging packages.
Demonstrated experience in planning and facilitating multi-stakeholder meetings.
Responsibilities
Deconstruct complex Zero Trust concepts into clear, persuasive content for diverse audiences.
Author program collateral, including technical whitepapers and executive decision memos.
Design and produce high-impact visual products that articulate Zero Trust adoption.
Serve as the communications liaison between various stakeholders and the Government Zero Trust Program Manager.
Leverage emotional intelligence to navigate organizational resistance and foster alignment.
Manage rapid-turnaround responses to official inquiries with technical precision.
Establish standard communications templates and ensure quality control across deliverables.
Benefits
Opportunity to work at the intersection of cybersecurity and strategic communications.
Engagement with high-level stakeholders across the Department of War and Intelligence Community.
Access to professional development opportunities in a cutting-edge field.
Collaborative work environment focused on innovation and alignment.
Potential for career advancement within a critical government program.
Full Job Description
4577 Zero Trust Communications Expert 4577 | Top Secret
Job Description:
OVERVIEW:
We are seeking a Zero Trust Communications and Liaison Subject Matter Expert (SME) who will serve as the primary strategic communicator, technical translator, and stakeholder engagement lead supporting the CIO's Zero Trust Program. Operating at the intersection of deep cybersecurity architecture and executive-level strategic messaging, this role translates complex technical Zero Trust strategies, engineering milestones, and compliance frameworks into clear, compelling, and actionable narratives for diverse audiences across the Department of War (DoW), Intelligence Community (IC), and mission partner organizations. The SME combines a solid technical understanding of Zero Trust principles with exceptional verbal communication, executive writing, visual storytelling, and high emotional intelligence (EQ). Working across siloed organizations and competing priorities, the Communications and Liaison SME authors high-impact technical collateral-including executive briefings, technical whitepapers, one- page "slick sheets," program progress reports, and roadmaps-while facilitating high-stakes Technical Exchange Meetings (TEMs), inter-agency working groups, and stakeholder alignment sessions.
Key Responsibilities:
Deconstruct highly intricate Zero Trust architectural concepts, federal cyber directives (NIST SP 800-207, DoW ZT Strategy), and technical implementation challenges into clear, digestible, and persuasive content tailored for senior executives, mission system owners, and engineering leads.
Authoritative program collateral, including technical whitepapers, strategy documents, executive decision memos, congressional/DoW reporting submissions, and governance charters.
Design and produce high-impact visual products, such as program slick sheets, one-pagers, executive summary decks, infographics, and milestone dashboards that articulate the "why" and "what" of Zero Trust adoption.
Serve as the principal communications liaison between the Government Zero Trust Program Manager, Chief Information Officer (CIO) leadership, external GDIP claimants, mission partners, and cross-functional engineering teams. Plan, host, and facilitate high-profile working groups, Technical Exchange Meetings (TEMs), town halls, and recurring governance forums, ensuring focused discussion, consensus building, and documented outcomes.
Leverage strong emotional intelligence and active listening to navigate organizational resistance, surface stakeholder friction early, and foster alignment across divisions with conflicting operational priorities. Lead the end-to-end orchestration, drafting, and synthesis of recurring program reporting deliverables, including monthly progress briefs, quarterly executive updates, and agency-level ZT maturity assessments.
Manage and coordinate rapid-turnaround responses to official data calls, inquiries from external oversight bodies, and senior leadership information requests with absolute accuracy and technical precision.
Establish and maintain standard communications templates, style guidelines, and deliverable repositories across the ZT Program Office to ensure uniform branding and quality control.
Conduct rigorous technical review and editorial oversight of engineering artifacts, pillar guidance documents, transition roadmaps, and requirements packages prior to external dissemination.
Ensure all released communications align strictly with agency operational security (OPSEC) parameters, IC/DoW classification standards, and enterprise strategic messaging objectives.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Zero Trust & Federal Cybersecurity Frameworks: In-depth understanding of Zero Trust architecture principles, NIST SP 800-207, the DoW Zero Trust Strategy, CISA Zero Trust Maturity Model, and federal cybersecurity governance.
IC & DoW Operating Environments: Strong familiarity with IC and DoW organizational structures, defense acquisition pathways, governance protocols, and inter-agency reporting standards.
Technical Communications Lifecycle: Comprehensive mastery of strategic messaging workflows, technical publication standards, executive-level layout/design paradigms, and content governance.
12+ years of progressive experience in strategic communications, technical writing, stakeholder liaison, or technical program advisory roles within DoW, IC, or federal enterprise IT environments.
3+ years of direct experience supporting cybersecurity, enterprise IT modernization, or Zero Trust initiatives, with a working grasp of core ZT pillars (Identity, Devices, Applications, Data, Network, Automation, Visibility).
Proven portfolio of self-authored executive deliverables, including technical whitepapers, slick sheets, board-level slide decks, progress reports, and strategic messaging packages.
Demonstrated experience planning, facilitating, and leading multi-stakeholder meetings and executive briefings.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Zero Trust & Federal Cybersecurity Frameworks: In-depth understanding of Zero Trust architecture principles, NIST SP 800-207, the DoW Zero Trust Strategy, CISA Zero Trust Maturity Model, and federal cybersecurity governance.
IC & DoW Operating Environments: Strong familiarity with IC and DoW organizational structures, defense acquisition pathways, governance protocols, and inter-agency reporting standards.
Technical Communications Lifecycle: Comprehensive mastery of strategic messaging workflows, technical publication standards, executive-level layout/design paradigms, and content governance.
Advanced Verbal & Written Communication: Exceptional ability to craft crisp, polished executive prose, technical whitepapers, concise slick sheets, and boardroom-ready presentation decks.
Visual Design & Executive Presentation: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 (PowerPoint, Word,SharePoint, Visio) and visual layout tools to translate technical
architecture into compelling executive graphics and diagrams.
Proven track record of hosting, moderating, and driving multi-stakeholder technical forums, requirements reviews, and cross-divisional synchronization meetings.
Demonstrated skill in rapidly digesting complex engineering documentation and data calls,identifying key takeaways, and synthesizing them into consecutive summaries.
Ability to build high-trust relationships, influence without direct authority, navigate political sensitivities, and defuse resistance in matrixed enterprise settings.
Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities, meet rigorous deadlines, and maintain meticulous attention to detail in fast-paced, high-visibility environments.
Bridge Technical and Non-Technical Domains: Innate ability to speak credibly with senior enterprise architects and software engineers, and immediately pivot to deliver concise, non-technical value pitches to executive leadership.
Zero Trust Fundamentals: Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) or equivalent foundational Zero Trust credential.Foundational Cyber / Cloud Literacy: ISC2 Certified in
Cybersecurity (CC), CompTIA Security+, Microsoft Certified:
Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals (SC-900), or AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner.
Professional Writing & Management: Certified Professional Technical Communicator (CPTC), Project Management
Professional (PMP), Prosci Change Management, or Agile/Scrum certifications (CSM, PMI-ACP).
CLEARANCE:
Current/Active Top Secret (TS) clearance with SCI eligibility.
Ability to pass a Counterintelligence (CI) Polygraph examination.
Job Details
City : McLean
State : VA
About Affinity
Affinity’s patented technology structures and analyzes millions of data points across emails, calendars, and third-party sources to offer users the tools they need to automatically manage their most valuable relationships, prioritize important connections, and discover untapped opportunities. Affinity uses artificial intelligence to analyze relationship strength and illuminate the best paths to warm introductions. The platform also offers a holistic view of users’ networks in a centralized, automatically updated database without any manual upkeep. Founded in 2014, Affinity is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Affinity has raised $120M to date and is backed by leading investors including Menlo Ventures, Advance Venture Partners, 8VC and MassMutual Ventures.
It has over 2,700 customers in 70 countries, including venture capital firms such as Bain Capital Ventures and Kleiner Perkins, private equity firms such as SoftBank Group, investment bankers such as Woodside Capital Partners, financial services firms such as Fidelity Investments, real estate companies such as Tishman Speyer, insurers such as American Family Insurance and enterprises such as Nike, Qualcomm and Twilio.
Affinity has been named in Fortune Magazine's Best Workplaces, Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces and editor's number one pick, the Data Breakthrough Award, BIG Innovation Award and others.
