Sr. Application Development Engineer

About Zen: 

Own your opportunity to work with a client-focused growing agile small business. Make an impact by advancing our government organizations charged with keeping our country safe, prosperous, and secure. Zen Strategics LLC is a cleared, niche consulting firm, offering innovative Cybersecurity, Cloud/DevSecOps, Information Data Management and Modernization solutions. We are a leading organization committed to delivering innovative solutions and ensuring the highest standards of security for our customers' infrastructure assets. We are dedicated to staying ahead of evolving cyber threats and protecting our clients' data leveraging cutting-edge technologies (to include AI/ML) and proactive security measures. 

Position Description: 

Zen Strategics is seeking a Senior Application Development Engineer to support cybersecurity architecture efforts for DHS USCIS systems. The Engineer will design and implement enterprise cybersecurity solutions, support threat modeling, automate security processes, and integrate tools such as Splunk, CrowdStrike, and Tenable. Additional responsibilities include writing technical documentation, supporting compliance, and improving security posture across all network layers. 

 Responsibilities: 

• Developing & maintaining new web applications: Includes creating new features, and designing the overall structure of the application, fixing bugs & optimizing performance.
• Writing server-side logic in Ruby: Responsible for the core logic that powers the application, including database interactions, API connections, and user authentication. 
• Building back-end components: This includes creating components that handle data processing, logic execution, and communication with other services. 
• Integrating with front-end technologies: Work with front-end developers to ensure seamless integration between the back end and the user interface. 
• API development: Often work with APIs to connect applications with other services or provide data for other applications. 
• Establish a new cybersecurity architecture and a standard set of controls commensurate with the increased threat to USCIS systems and data, including risk indicators and alignment to current measures. 
• Evaluate current and future network designs to ensure that security is incorporated. Establish an Enterprise Data Security Architecture that identifies sensitive data elements requiring protection. Automate and streamline repetitive IT security processes, and the handling of vast amounts of security data, at the discretion of the Federal task lead, using programming and the Security Event Management framework to consolidate security information and reporting. 
• Perform product/standards comparisons based upon research, independent lab test result reports, intelligence agency recommendations, and other resources      authoritative, mandatory, or compelling to a U.S. Federal agency. 
• Generate Enterprise Architecture (EA) procedures and Systems Lifecycle Process documentation, as necessary. Review existing configuration settings to identify potential security vulnerabilities and propose architectural changes to address these vulnerabilities. 

Required Education/ Qualifications:

• Education: BS in Computer Science, Information Management or Engineering, or other comparable degree or experience, which must be approved by the Government PM.
• Experience: 

5 years experience developing applications using the Ruby on Rails Framework.

Must have experience in security engineering.

• Certifications: 

Cisco Certified Network Professional Security (CCNP Security), or other comparable certification or experience

AWS Certified Professional

• Knowledge: 

Proficiency in AWS Security, Rest API, Splunk

Prior experience utilizing Tenable, CrowdStrike, NewRelic and Flexera.

• US Citizenship Required

Zen Serenity: 

· 401K with company match 

· Comprehensive health and wellness packages with PTO & Holidays

· Professional growth opportunities including Tuition Reimbursement & Training.

· Holiday events, Happy Hours and other company get togethers

Salary at Zen Strategics is determined by various factors, including but not limited to location, the individual’s particular combination of education, knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience, as well as contract-specific affordability and organizational requirements.  

US Citizenship Required. 

Security Clearance: Must be willing to obtain and maintain a clearance; Public Trust 

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.