Technology Research Analyst, SME – Active Secret Clearance Required

Role Overview

• Supports federal modernization initiatives, including:
• Enterprise SD-WAN / GuardianNet Gateway
• Secure wireless and identity services (ISE)
• Automation (Ansible, CI/CD pipelines)
• Emerging transport (e.g., LEO SATCOM / Starlink)
• Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)
• Identify and assess emerging technologies relevant to federal systems and enterprise architecture
• Conduct comparative analysis of commercial solutions (OEMs), open-source capabilities and government-developed tools
• Evaluate applicability based on mission impact, security posture and scalability/integration feasibility
• Lead and support testing within CYKOR’s SD-WAN / integration lab and federal lab environments
• Develop proof-of-concepts (POCs), validation plans and success criteria
• Test performance (latency, throughput, failover); interoperability with existing systems; operational constraints (e.g., bandwidth-limited environments)
• Assess how emerging technologies integrate with DoDIN transport and services and federal network architecture
• Provide recommendations on network design impacts, security implications and deployment considerations (cutter vs shore)
• Evaluate technologies against RMF requirements, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) STIGs and Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) principles
• Identify risks and mitigation strategies for adoption within DoDIN
• Produce technology assessment reports, white papers, executive briefs and comparative analysis (e.g., vendor A vs vendor B)
• Provide actionable recommendations to engineering teams, PMO, program leadership and government stakeholders
• Interface with client stakeholders, prime contractor PMO and OEM vendors/technology partners
• Support technical exchanges, industry days and pilot program planning
• Establish a repeatable pipeline:
• Research
• Prototype
• Validate
• Recommend
• Transition to Delivery
• Ensure validated technologies are integrated into engineering designs and transitioned to implementation teams
• Support scaling from POC to enterprise deployment

Requirements

• Bachelor Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or related field
• 10+ years of experience with network engineering, systems engineering, or technology analysis in federal environments
• Demonstrated experience with: o Technology evaluation and prototyping
• Lab-based validation and testing
• Enterprise network or system architectures
• Analytical thinker with strong technical depth
• Ability to separate hype from mission-relevant capability
• Strong written and verbal communication skills (executive + technical)
• Curiosity and innovation mindset grounded in operational reality
• Ability to translate research into actionable engineering outcomes
• Active Secret clearance or higher

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Strong understanding of networking (SD-WAN, routing, transport technologies) and cybersecurity principles/architecture
• Experience with Cisco technologies (SD-WAN, ISE, routing platforms); Automation tools (Ansible, Python); Cloud or hybrid environments (AWS GovCloud, Azure Gov)
• Familiarity with SATCOM / LEO transport considerations and Identity and access management systems

CERTIFICATIONS:

• DoD 8570/8140 compliant: CompTIA Security+ (minimum)
• Preferred:
• Cisco CCNP / CCIE
• CISSP
• Cloud certifications (AWS, Azure)
• Red Hat / automation certifications

PREFERRED SKILLS:

• Master’s degree
• Prior experience supporting federal C5I programs and DoDIN architecture or enterprise services
• Experience with POC development and transition to production, vendor evaluations and technical down-selects
• Familiarity with Zero Trust Architecture implementations, PKI integration and secure onboarding

Tech Stack

• Ansible
• AWS
• Azure
• Cloud
• Cyber Security
• Python

Benefits

• Equal opportunity employer
• Values diversity in the workplace