Application Security Architect
DataStaff, Inc. is currently seeking an Application Security Architect for a long-term contract opportunity with one of our direct clients in Richmond, VA.
*This is a hybrid position and will be expected to work onsite 4 days per week (local candidates only)
Job Description:
Our client is seeking an Application Security Architect to define, embed, and oversee application security strategies across enterprise IT initiatives.
This role will be responsible for the solution of Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC) across a hybrid ecosystem, spanning complex web applications, Agentic AI solutions, cloud-native solutions, enterprise GIS platforms, low-code no-code and create patterns. Lead the data protection strategy, data governance frameworks, and privacy posture across our state-wide transportation ecosystem. Define how structured, unstructured, and spatial data (GIS) are classified, encrypted, stored, and accessed across cloud data platforms. support architecture, development, and cybersecurity teams to perform threat modeling, secure architectural designs and ensure compliance with security standards.
Responsibilities
- Define application-security architecture principles, standards, patterns, reference implementations, and guardrails for web, mobile, API, microservice, and cloud-native systems.
- Perform architecture and design reviews, identify trust boundaries, attack paths, data flows, security gaps, and compensating controls.
- Lead or facilitate threat modeling for new applications, major features, integrations, and high-risk changes.
- Establish repeatable security requirements for authentication, authorization, session management, encryption, secrets management, logging, privacy, API protection, and data protection.
- Partner with software engineers to integrate security throughout the SDLC, including code review, CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure as code, testing, release approval, and production monitoring.
- Evaluate and guide use of security tools such as SAST, DAST, software composition analysis, container/image scanning, API security testing, secret scanning, and runtime protection.
- Define a vulnerability-management approach for applications and dependencies, including severity criteria, remediation SLAs, exception processes, and verification of fixes.
- Assess third-party libraries, open-source dependencies, SaaS integrations, and vendor-provided components for security risk.
- Design identity and access-control patterns, including least privilege, MFA/SSO integration, service-to-service authentication, RBAC/ABAC, and privileged-access controls.
- Work with cloud and platform teams to secure application hosting environments, including Kubernetes, serverless, containers, CI/CD, cloud IAM, network segmentation, and secrets storage.
- Advise incident-response teams on application-layer threats and contribute to root-cause analysis and security improvements after incidents.
- Maintain architecture documentation, security decision patterns, risk registers, and exception documentation.
Knowledge and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, cybersecurity, engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience) is required.
- Certifications such as CISSP, CSSLP, CCSP, GIAC, or relevant vendor credentials are highly desired.
- Strong understanding of secure software-development principles and common application risks, including the OWASP Top 10, insecure authorization, injection, deserialization and API abuse.
- Design and implement end-to-end security architectures for data-at-rest, in-transit, and in-use across Azure, SQL Server, Dynamics 365, Power Platform, and ArcGIS platforms, utilizing automated classification (e.g., Microsoft Purview), robust encryption, DLP rules, and privacy risk assessments (DPIAs) to protect sensitive state transportation and infrastructure assets.
- Enforce granular data access controls (including RBAC, Row-Level Security, Column-Level Encryption, and dynamic masking) and establish centralized database audit logging and activity monitoring pipelines to ensure strict alignment with VITA SEC 530 security standards.
- Demonstrated experience with threat modeling and security architecture reviews.
- Working knowledge of secure coding in one or more common ecosystems, such as Java, .NET, JavaScript/TypeScript, Python platforms.
- Ability to explain technical risks and tradeoffs clearly to engineers, product managers, executives, and nontechnical stakeholders.
Required Skills:
- 10 Years - Software engineering, application security, security engineering, or related technical roles
- 6 Years - Experience in designing and implementing security architecture for IT systems
- 6 Years - Secure software-development principles and common risks, including the OWASP Top 10, insecure authorization, injection, deserialization and API abuse
- 6 Years - Design and implement end-to-end security architectures for data-at-rest, in-transit, and in-use for full MS stack (Azure, O365, Power Platform, D365)
- 6 Years - Demonstrated experience with threat modeling and security architecture reviews
- 6 Years - Experience securing APIs, web applications, distributed systems, cloud platforms, CI/CD pipelines, and containerized workloads
- 6 Years - Experience with identity, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, SAML, JWTs, authorization design, PKI/TLS, encryption, and secrets-management practices
- 10 Years - Strong written communication skills, including ability to create architecture diagrams, standards, risk assessments, and actionable remediation plans
Desired Skills:
- 6 Years - Experience in a regulated environment such as financial services, healthcare, government, or payments
- 6 Years - Experience conducting or coordinating penetration testing and translating results into durable architectural improvements
- 4 Years - Experience implementing DevSecOps programs and security automation at scale
- 4 Years - Familiarity with privacy engineering, data classification, and compliance frameworks
- 2 Years - Experience with security architectures in Esri's ArcGIS platform
This opportunity is available on a corp-to-corp basis or as a W2 position with a competitive benefits package. DataStaff, Inc. offers medical, dental, and vision coverage options as well as paid vacation, sick and holiday leave. As many of our opportunities are long-term, we also have a 401K program available for employees after 6 months.