Quantum Research International, Inc

NETWORK OPERATIONS & SECURITY DIRECTOR

Aerospace & Defense
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's in Computer Science, IT, Cybersecurity, or related field (Master's preferred)
  • Active DoD Secret or Top Secret/SCI security clearance
  • 10+ years in IT/Network Operations/Security (NOSC), Security Operations (SOC), or ISSO/ISSM
  • Expertise in network protocols (TCP/IP, DNS, VLANs) and security architecture concepts
  • Strong familiarity with NIST RMF, CMMC, and FedRAMP
  • Strong leadership and communication skills for team management
  • Capability to recruit and retain cybersecurity talent

Responsibilities

  • Direct daily NOSC operations, including network monitoring and incident response
  • Supervise and mentor multidisciplinary team, conducting performance evaluations and resource allocation
  • Oversee ATO pursuit and maintenance using RMF processes
  • Develop and enforce network security policies and implement security tools
  • Manage cloud infrastructure migrations and operations in compliance with ECMA guidelines
  • Coordinate incident response and threat hunting activities
  • Establish NOSC budgets and maintain vendor relationships

Benefits

  • Comprehensive healthcare coverage
  • Flexible working hours and remote work options
  • Professional development opportunities and training support
  • Retirement savings plan with company match
  • Paid time off for vacation and personal days
Full Job Description
Quantum Research Inc is seeking highly-qualified Network Operations & Security Center (NOSC) Director to provide support to the Army Critical Incident and Exposure Reporting System (ACIERS). This is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing integrated network infrastructure, applications, cybersecurity, and cloud environments in Huntsville, AL. This position leads a multidisciplinary team including network and system administrators, cloud infrastructure specialists, application support engineers, and cybersecurity professionals. The Director ensures 24/7 system availability and configuration management for on-premise and cloud-based systems (cArmy/ECMA), while driving pursuit of Authorities to Operate (ATOs) under the Risk Management Framework (RMF). The role emphasizes compliance with DoD standards, proactive threat mitigation, and alignment with Army cloud modernization initiatives.

Responsibilities:

  • Direct the daily operations of the NOSC, including monitoring network performance, incident response, and resolution of outages, security breaches, or system failures across on-premise and cloud-hybrid environments.
  • Supervise and mentor a team of network/system administrators, cloud/application engineers, and security specialists; conduct performance evaluations, training, and resource allocation to maintain operational excellence.
  • Oversee the pursuit and maintenance of ATOs for on-premises and cloud instantiations (e.g., cArmy/ECMA, IL5/6) using RMF processes, including risk assessments, security controls implementation, and coordination with authorizing officials.
  • Develop and enforce network security policies, procedures, and architectures, integrating tools like SIEM, IDS/IPS, firewalls, and vulnerability scanners to defend against threats.
  • Manage cloud infrastructure migrations, optimizations, and operations in environments such as AWS, ensuring compliance with Army Enterprise Cloud Management Agency (ECMA) and Cloud Modernization Approval Process (CMAP) guidelines.
  • Coordinate necessary incident response, threat hunting, and forensic analysis; coordinate with DoD stakeholders for cyber defense and reporting.
  • Establish and recommend NOSC budgets, maintain vendor relationships, and conduct strategic planning for network/cloud enhancements, aligning with Army digital transformation strategies


Requirements:

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Cybersecurity or a related field (Master's preferred)
  • Active DoD Secret or Top Secret/SCI security clearance.
  • 10+ years of progressive technical experience in IT/Network Operations/Security (NOSC), Security Operations (SOC), or ISSO/ISSM.
  • Expert knowledge of network protocols (TCP/IP, DNS, VLANs), security architecture concepts (defense-in-depth, zero trust), and security tools (firewalls, SIEM, IDS/IPS).
  • Strong familiarity with the NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF), Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), and FedRAMP.
  • Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills for cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management.
  • Ability to locate, hire, train, and retain cybersecurity and network operations talent.
  • Knowledge of configuration/change management concepts, Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG) and Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP) scanning, and vulnerability management/remediation, along with Plan of Action and Milestone (POA&M) generation.
  • Certification in any of the following is desirable and preferred:
    • DoD 8140/8570 compliant certifications at IAT/IAM Level III or CSSP Manager level, such as CISSP, CISM, CASP+ CE, CCNP Security, CGRC.AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Microsoft Azure Administrator, or CCSP (Certified Cloud Security Professional)


Desired/Preferred Skills:

  • Experience with Army-specific cloud initiatives (cArmy, ECMA) and leading on-premise/cloud-hybrid infrastructure deployments.
  • Proven leadership in a NOSC/SOC/ISSM role supervising hybrid teams.
  • Familiarity with DevSecOps, automation tools such as Terraform and Ansible, and containerization (Kubernetes, Docker).
  • Prior military or DoD contractor experience in cyber operations, security engineering, or as an ISSO/ISSM leading a system through the ATO process.
  • Experience deploying and maintaining SIEM and other network/system monitoring tools (Splunk, Elastic, Solarwinds, etc.)
  • Experience in highly virtualized multi-tenant environments/architecture.
  • Experience with VMWare virtualization, vCenter, ESXi vSphere, Tanzu, Horizon
  • Experience deploying and maintaining Cisco Network and Cisco UCS compute
  • Experience with NetApp storage encrypted volumes, key management, hosted CIFS, NFS

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About Quantum Research International, Inc

Quantum Research International, Inc. provides engineering, software development, and cybersecurity services to the U.S. Department of Defense and other government agencies. The company offers services in the areas of missile defense, space operations, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Quantum Research International also provides software engineering, modeling and simulation, and systems engineering services. The company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Huntsville, AL.
Learn more about Quantum Research International, Inc
Size
1,000 employees
Industry
Net Income
$10 million
Founded
1987
5 Year Trend
+20%
Revenue
$100 million

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