Data Protection Engineer, Zero Trust Program (USSOCOM) - Journeyman at Athenix Special Missions, LLC

Tampa, Florida, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

08 Jun, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

11 Mar, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Microsoft Purview, Data Protection Engineering, Zero Trust, Data Loss Prevention (DLP), Digital Rights Management (DRM), Virtru, Kiteworks, Sensitivity Labels, Policy Tuning, Trellix, Encryption, Data Classification, Regex, Top Secret Clearance, USSOCOM Support, Endpoint Protection

Industry

Defense and Space Manufacturing

Description

Description Athenix Special Missions is seeking a Data Protection Engineer, Zero Trust Program (USSOCOM) - Journeyman in MacDill Air Force Base (Tampa), Florida! Must be a U.S. Citizen Security Clearance: Active Top-Secret clearance Job Description We are seeking a hands-on and technically proficient Data Protection Engineer to join the Network Execution Team supporting a critical Zero Trust initiative at U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). This role is essential for the tactical implementation of data-centric security controls across the Command's hybrid environment, ranging from commercial cloud capabilities on NIPR to the rigid, disconnected constraints of the SIPR and Top-Secret networks. As a Data Protection Engineer, you will be the primary "hands-on-keyboard" implementer responsible for configuring, deploying, and tuning the encryption and labeling technologies that protect the Command's most sensitive data. You will translate the high-level architecture defined by the Chief Architect into concrete, enforceable policies within Microsoft Purview (for NIPR) and enterprise DRM platforms like Virtru or Kiteworks (for SIPR/Top Secret). You will move the Command from a passive "audit" posture to an active "block" posture, ensuring that data is encrypted and persistent protection travels with the file, regardless of where it is stored or transferred. Responsibilities Microsoft Purview Implementation (NIPR): Configure and deploy Sensitivity Labels, Auto-labeling policies, and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) rules within the Microsoft 365 E5 suite to classify and protect CUI and PII in SharePoint, OneDrive, and Exchange. DRM & Encryption Configuration (SIPR/Top Secret): Implement and manage enterprise Digital Rights Management (DRM) solutions (specifically Virtru or Kiteworks) to enforce encryption-at-rest and attribute-based access control on classified networks. Policy Tuning & Enforcement: Oversee the phased transition of security policies from "Monitoring" mode to "Blocking" mode, analyzing false positives and tuning classifiers (Regex, Keyword Dictionaries, Trainable Classifiers) to minimize mission disruption. Endpoint Protection: Collaborate with the Trellix engineering team to ensure that data tags applied by Purview/DRM tools are correctly recognized and enforced by endpoint DLP agents on workstations. Cross-Domain Support: Assist in the manual "sneaker-net" transfer of policy updates and classification patterns to the air-gapped Top Secret environment, ensuring configuration consistency across all networks. Why Choose Athenix Special Missions? Athenix Special Missions is a world leader in designing, building, and developing realistic training exercises for Special Operations, conventional forces, and partner nations. Our experience ranges from planning individual team training events to executing 2,000-person joint exercises. Our mission-tailored solutions include tactical and strategic training events and exercises and often integrate live forces with virtual and constructive training domains. By bringing together the right combination of subject-matter expertise, domain insight, and advanced technology, we help improve mission readiness, increase situational awareness, and enhance performance. Requirements Qualifications Minimum Clearance Required to Start Active Top-Secret clearance with SCI eligibility. Required Experience & Skills ("Must-Haves") Microsoft Purview Expertise: Significant (3+ years) hands-on experience configuring Microsoft Information Protection (MIP), Sensitivity Labels, and DLP policies in a large enterprise or DoD environment. DRM/Encryption Experience: Proven experience implementing and managing enterprise encryption and Rights Management tools such as Virtru, Kiteworks, or Seclore, particularly in on-premises or hybrid configurations. Data Classification: Strong understanding of data classification methodologies, including the creation of custom sensitive info types (SITs) using Regex and Exact Data Match (EDM). Technical Troubleshooting: Ability to diagnose and resolve complex issues related to encryption key management, policy propagation, and agent conflicts. Journeyman Education: BA/BS or MA/MS Years Exp: 3-10 A Journeyman labor category has 3 to 10 years of experience and a BA/BS or MA/MS degree. A Journeyman labor category typically performs all functional duties independently. Preferred Experience & Skills ("Nice-to-Haves") Experience with Trellix DLP (formerly McAfee) endpoint products. Knowledge of NetApp BlueXP or BigID for data discovery. Prior experience supporting USSOCOM or working on SIPRNet/JWICS systems. Familiarity with DoD Data Strategy and CUI handling requirements. Certifications Required: CompTIA Security+ CE (or higher) to meet DoD 8570 IAT Level II requirements. Preferred: Microsoft Information Protection Administrator (SC-400) Preferred: Virtru Certified Professional or Kiteworks Administrator Certification Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status

Responsibilities

The engineer will be the primary implementer responsible for configuring, deploying, and tuning encryption and labeling technologies to protect sensitive data across hybrid environments, translating architecture into enforceable policies within Microsoft Purview and enterprise DRM platforms.