Facility Security Officer
Washington DC • FullTime
Posted 16d ago
Job Location
Washington DC
Remote Work Policy
On-site
Employment Type
FullTime
Categories
Applied AI Engineer
About the job
This is a unique opportunity to establish and lead Cognition's industrial security program from its inception, supporting our expanding federal business. As the founding Facility Security Officer (FSO), you will be responsible for setting up, managing, and operating the security framework essential for our work with U.S. Government agencies and the defense industrial base. You will serve as the appointed FSO of record, tasked with establishing and maintaining our facility clearance, administering personnel security clearances for a growing team, and ensuring strict adherence to the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM). This role requires close collaboration with federal sales, engineering, legal, and people operations to ensure security functions as a mission enabler. You will define the security playbook, including processes, tools, and culture, shaping how Cognition scales cleared work across various programs, facilities, and classification levels.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the appointed FSO under 32 CFR Part 117 (NISPOM), establishing, maintaining, and administering the facility clearance in partnership with DCSA.
- Manage the full lifecycle of personnel security clearances, including initiation, investigation tracking, adjudications in DISS/NBIS, periodic reinvestigations, continuous vetting, indoctrinations, and debriefings.
- Establish and manage the insider threat program as the Insider Threat Program Senior Official (ITPSO), including training, monitoring, and reporting.
- Prepare for and lead DCSA security vulnerability assessments and annual self-inspections, driving remediation and maintaining readiness.
- Develop and deliver mandatory security education, including initial briefings, annual training, foreign travel pre-briefs/debriefs, and derivative classification training.
- Oversee the safeguarding of classified information and manage visit requests, classified meeting support, courier procedures, and closed area accreditation.
- Author and maintain essential security documentation such as Standard Practice Procedures (SPP), technology control plans, DD Form 254 review and flow-down, and reporting of change conditions.
- Submit required reports, including suspicious contacts, adverse information, security violations, and foreign travel, accurately and punctually.
- Partner with GTM, engineering, and legal teams to advise on facility and personnel clearance requirements for solicitations and forecast clearance needs.
- Coordinate with IT and security engineering on physical and procedural controls for classified and CUI work, interfacing with FedRAMP High and DoD IL4/IL5/IL6 environments.
Requirements
- Active U.S. Government security clearance at TS/SCI.
- Minimum of 5 years of industrial security experience under the NISP, with at least 2 years as an appointed FSO or Assistant FSO.
- Possess FSO Program Management for Possessing Facilities certification (or Non-Possessing with willingness to complete Possessing curriculum) and current ITPSO training.
- Demonstrated proficiency with DISS, NISS, NBIS/eQIP, and SF-86 processing.
- Working knowledge of 32 CFR Part 117 (NISPOM), SEAD 4 (adjudicative guidelines), SEAD 3 reporting (continuous vetting), and DD Form 254 administration.
- Experience preparing for and successfully navigating DCSA security reviews, including self-inspection programs and remediation.
- Excellent written communication skills for authoring security procedures and briefings.
- Ability to work on-site in Washington, D.C.
- Willingness to travel occasionally to other Cognition offices and customer sites.