Senior SOAR Engineer
5 days ago
Arlington
Job DescriptionDescription: Job Title: Senior SOAR Engineer Location: Arlington, VA Department: Cyber Security Services Reports To: Management FLSA Status: Full Time/Non-exempt Apavo is at the forefront of cybersecurity, providing services to military, defense, and critical infrastructure industries. Joining the Apavo team means becoming part of a company rooted in the principles of quality, and communication. We value positive, candid interactions and the belief that everyone has valuable contributions to make. Apavo stands out for its commitment to a work-life balance and fostering a growth mindset among all team members. If you are looking to make a meaningful impact in the cybersecurity world while growing professionally in a supportive environment, Apavo is the place for you. Job Purpose: The Senior SOAR Engineer supports a critical mission-focused role by designing, implementing, and optimizing Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) capabilities to enhance cyber defense operations. This role is responsible for leading the development of automated workflows, playbooks, and integrations that improve incident response efficiency, reduce analyst workload, and strengthen overall security posture. The Senior SOAR Engineer will collaborate closely with Security Operations Center (SOC) teams, threat intelligence, engineering, and system owners to ensure seamless integration of automation solutions within existing security architectures. In this role, you are expected to provide senior-level technical expertise in automation strategy, orchestration design, and response optimization. The Senior SOAR Engineer will drive continuous improvement of incident response processes by aligning automation initiatives with industry best practices, federal security standards, and mission requirements. This includes ensuring automation frameworks support compliance obligations, enhance visibility across enterprise systems, and provide measurable operational impact while maintaining alignment with organizational cybersecurity objectives. Duties & Responsibilities: Senior SOAR Engineer responsibilities include, but are not limited to: • Serve as the primary architect and technical expert for SOAR technologies (e.g., Palo Alto XSOAR, Splunk SOAR, IBM SOAR, Microsoft Sentinel automation)., • Lead design and development of new SOAR playbooks, integrations, automation, and workflows., • Maintain platform health, performance, scalability, and high availability., • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate business requirements into technical specifications., • Implement best practices for automation governance, version control, and deployment processes., • Mentor, support, and guide engineers through code reviews, technical discussions, and career development., • Build and optimize automated solutions for incident triage, enrichment, containment, remediation, and reporting., • Develop custom connectors and integrations via APIs, Python scripting, or vendor SDKs., • Identify repetitive SOC tasks and convert them into automation opportunities., • Ensure automations meet security, compliance, and operational requirements., • Enhance IR workflows with automated threat intelligence, vulnerability data, and detection signals., • Troubleshoot automation failures, workflow issues, and data ingestion problems., • Support major incident response activities by leveraging SOAR-driven orchestrations. Other: This is typical office or administrative work, and there is no exposure to adverse environmental conditions. This position requires sedentary work. Sedentary work is defined as: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met. Apavo Corporation provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees and strictly prohibits any type of harassment or discrimination in regards to race, religion, age, color, sex, disability status, national origin, genetics, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, gender expression, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected under federal, state, and/or local laws. Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), it is the policy of Apavo Corporation to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. The policy regarding requests for reasonable accommodation applies to all aspects of employment, including the application process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact Apavo Human Resources at or 571-407-0069 Employment with Apavo Corporation is on an at-will basis, meaning either you or the Company can terminate the employment relationship, at any time, for any or no reason, and with or without cause or notice. As an at-will employee, your employment with Apavo Corporation is not guaranteed for any length of time. Requirements: Qualifications: • Bachelors degree in information technology, Cyber Security, or other related fields., • 8+ years of professional experience in cybersecurity with at least 5+ years dedicated to SOAR engineering or automation, including 3+ years working in a classified and air-gapped environment and 2+ years in a technical leadership role., • DOD Top Secret clearance with the ability to obtain an SCI and CI Polygraph, • IAT III or higher-level certification required, • At least one of the following certifications: PCAP, PCPP, PCCSE, GCIH, GSOC, GMON, GCIA, GCDA, GCFA, or GCTI is preferred., • At least one platform-specific SOAR certification: XSOAR, Splunk, Sentinel is preferred., • Strong hands-on experience with at least one major SOAR platform (e.g., XSOAR, Splunk SOAR, IBM SOAR, Swimlane, Tines, Sentinel Logic Apps)., • Proficiency in Python for automation and integrations., • Deep understanding of system architecture, data structures, and algorithms., • Strong understanding of SOC operations, detection engineering, and IR processes., • Experience working with REST APIs, webhooks, JSON, YAML, and automation frameworks., • Advanced troubleshooting and problem-solving across complex enterprise networks., • Knowledge of classified/unclassified government network requirements, NIST, DISA STIGs, and other cybersecurity frameworks., • Effective collaboration with cross-functional teams, including security, systems engineering, and program management., • Experience with multiple operating systems (Windows, Linux, and MacOS)., • Deep understanding of common security technologies (EDR, SIEM, firewalls, TIPs, IAM, cloud security)., • Strong understanding of vulnerability requirements, system STIGing, RMF, and ATO life cycle best practices., • Familiarity with DevOps/GitOps tools (Git, CI/CD pipelines)., • Familiarity with SIEM and SOAR solutions (XSOAR, Swimlane, Splunk, Cortex XDR, QRadar, etc.)., • Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and cloud automation., • Knowledge of scripting beyond Python (PowerShell, Bash).