Cybersecurity Vulnerability Management Team Lead

Cybersecurity Vulnerability Management Team Lead

Remote, United States 

Position Summary:

Cherokee Federal Systems is seeking an experienced Cybersecurity Vulnerability Management Team Lead to support the NSF Cybersecurity Program. This highly visible role will help transform vulnerability management from a traditional scan-and-report function into a proactive, threat-informed Exposure Management capability.  The Team Lead will serve as the technical authority for vulnerability management. They will lead analysts, work closely with Security Operations, Cloud Engineering, Infrastructure, Compliance, and Development teams, and introduce detection, validation, and prioritization capabilities that measurably reduce cyber risk. This role calls for a leader who evaluates emerging technologies and challenges traditional approaches—not someone whose experience is limited to running scans, distributing reports, or supporting annual compliance activities.

Compensation & Benefits:

Starting Salary Range for Cybersecurity Vulnerability Management Team Lead: $165,000 – $170,000

Benefits That Set Us Apart

When considering your next opportunity, compensation is only part of the picture. We offer a benefits package designed to invest in your future and support your life outside of work.

Highlights include:

• Up to a 6% 401(k) company match to help you build long-term financial security

• Paid time off as part of our comprehensive benefits package, so you have the flexibility to rest, recharge, and enjoy what matters most

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus prescription drug coverage

• Basic life and AD&D insurance, with supplemental life options

• Short-term and long-term disability coverage

• Paid holidays

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) options

• Professional development, training, and certification support

• Voluntary benefits including accident, critical illness, and identity theft protection

Because taking care of our employees isn’t just a promise, it’s part of who we are.

Benefits are subject to change and eligibility requirements apply.

Essential Functions, Duties & Responsibilities:

Includes the following:

• Lead and mature NSF’s vulnerability management capability across enterprise, cloud, containerized, application, and hybrid environments.

• Provide technical leadership to vulnerability analysts and foster accountability, ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

• Develop and maintain a vulnerability management roadmap aligned with evolving threats and organizational priorities.

• Apply CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV), EPSS, threat intelligence, asset criticality, internet-facing asset identification, attack path analysis, and MITRE ATT&CK mapping to prioritize exposures.

• Evaluate emerging technologies that improve vulnerability validation, attack surface visibility, and exposure management.

• Advance capabilities in exposure reduction, detection engineering, continuous validation, cloud-native security, and automation.

• Own discovery, validation, prioritization, remediation coordination, exception handling, verification, and executive reporting.

• Operate and optimize Tenable.sc, Tenable.io, and Nessus.

• Improve scan coverage, credential management, accuracy, and false-positive reduction.

• Integrate findings from AWS Inspector, Security Hub, GuardDuty, Wiz, Prisma Cloud, and Microsoft Defender for Cloud.

• Partner with Application Security and DevSecOps teams on AppScan, DAST, SAST, CI/CD integrations, and container image scanning.

• Mature ServiceNow Vulnerability Response through CMDB enrichment, automated ticket creation, SLA tracking, ownership assignment, and escalation workflows.

• Identify and develop automation opportunities using APIs, Python, PowerShell, and orchestration capabilities.

• Build executive dashboards covering mean time to remediate (MTTR), SLA adherence, vulnerability aging, exposure trends, scan coverage, and remediation effectiveness.

• Brief cybersecurity leadership on emerging risks, remediation progress, and program maturity.

• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Provide technical leadership to a small team of vulnerability analysts.

• Formal supervisory or management authority was not specified in the source material.

Basic Qualifications:

• 8+ years of cybersecurity experience.

• 4+ years of direct vulnerability management experience in a federal or large enterprise environment.

• 3+ years leading vulnerability analysts, remediation programs, or enterprise vulnerability management initiatives.

• Deep hands-on expertise with Tenable.sc, Tenable.io, and Nessus.

• Experience implementing or significantly improving a Vulnerability Management or Exposure Management capability.

• Experience with ServiceNow Vulnerability Response and CMDB integrations.

• Experience using CISA KEV, EPSS, threat intelligence, asset criticality, and attack path analysis to prioritize vulnerabilities.

• Experience supporting AWS, Azure, or hybrid cloud environments.

• Experience working with Security Operations and Incident Response teams to identify and rapidly remediate actively exploited vulnerabilities.

• Experience briefing technical teams, executives, and federal stakeholders.

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer; may occasionally require standing or moving about the office for extended periods.

• Must pass pre-employment qualifications of Cherokee Federal.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in one or more of the following areas is highly desired:

• SafeBreach, AttackIQ, Pentera, XM Cyber, Wiz, Prisma Cloud, or AppScan.

• Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS).

• Continuous Control Validation (CCV).

• External Attack Surface Management (EASM).

• Kubernetes security.

• Detection engineering.

• Preferred certifications include CISSP, GCIH, CySA+, Security+, Tenable Certified Professional, AWS Security Specialty, and ServiceNow Vulnerability Response Certification.

Work Environment:

Work is performed primarily in a climate-controlled environment.

Company Information:

Behind every government mission stands skilled, mission-driven talent: people whose expertise and dedication turn complex challenges into successful outcomes. Criterion Systems, part of Cherokee Federal, the federal contracting division of Cherokee Nation Businesses, is that team. We modernize aging systems, deliver care where it’s needed most, and keep missions supplied, staffed, and moving across defense, intelligence, and civilian agencies. For more than 60 federal clients, we take on the work others won’t, and deliver where it counts. If that’s the kind of work you’re looking for, you’ve found your team. Learn more at cherokee-federal.com.

#CherokeeFederal #LI-SM2

Cherokee Federal is a military friendly employer. Veterans and active military transitioning to civilian status are encouraged to apply.

Legal Disclaimer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to protected veteran status, disability or any other status protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Many of our job openings require access to government buildings or military installations. Candidates must pass pre-employment qualifications of Cherokee Federal.

For applicants located in Colorado, New York, California, Washington, Illinois, Hawaii, Massachusetts, or other states with pay transparency requirements: the estimated annual salary range for this position is $165,000 – $170,000. Actual compensation varies based on qualifications, experience, and location.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement

Cherokee Federal is a federal contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA). As required by VEVRAA, we take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified protected veterans. Protected veterans are encouraged to self-identify during the application process.

Cherokee Federal takes affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. Qualified individuals with disabilities are encouraged to self-identify during the application process.

Reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities or those with sincerely held religious beliefs. To request an accommodation in the application or interview process, please contact Human Resources at [email protected].