Junior Cyber Engineer

SAIC is seeking a Cybersecurity Engineer Associate to support a critical U.S. government agency in the National Capital Region. This entry-level hybrid position is ideal for early-career professionals or recent graduates interested in launching a career in cybersecurity engineering. The associate will work under the guidance of senior engineers to support the implementation, maintenance, and optimization of cybersecurity tools across a variety of enterprise systems and cloud environments.

This is a great opportunity for someone who is technically curious, eager to learn, and excited to support real-world cybersecurity operations in a collaborative, mission-focused environment. The Cybersecurity Engineer Associate will gain hands-on experience across a wide range of security platforms and technologies that support threat detection, compliance, and infrastructure protection.

Responsibilities:

•       Assist with the configuration, deployment, and routine maintenance of cybersecurity tools including EDR, DLP, email/web filtering, firewalls, and identity solutions.

•       Support daily tool health checks and conduct basic troubleshooting tasks; escalate complex issues to senior staff or vendor support.

•       Participate in system upgrades and assist with integration efforts across cloud-native and hybrid IT environments.

•       Document standard operating procedures (SOPs), tool configurations, and system updates.

•       Support automation efforts by contributing to basic scripting tasks using PowerShell, Python, or Bash.

•       Collaborate with security operations, compliance, and IT teams to ensure tools meet monitoring and policy objectives.

•       Help identify and suggest improvements to existing workflows, processes, or documentation.

•       Support the creation and tuning of detection rules, alerts, or scripts to enhance accuracy and reduce false positives.

•       Stay current with cybersecurity trends, tool capabilities, and industry best practices.

Qualifications

Requirements:

•       Final-year student or recent graduate with a Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field – or equivalent hands-on experience via coursework, labs, or internships.

•       Foundational understanding of core cybersecurity concepts and security tool categories (endpoint, identity, network, cloud).

•       Basic knowledge of Windows and/or Linux system administration.

•       Introductory experience in scripting or automation using PowerShell, Python, or Bash.

•       Strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills.

•       Demonstrated ability to follow instructions and work effectively in a team-based technical environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

•       Exposure to SIEM or threat analytics platforms through labs, coursework, or internships.

•       Practical experience (lab-based or professional) supporting IT/security tools in an enterprise or government setting.

•       Basic cybersecurity certifications such as CompTIA Security+, Microsoft SC-900, or Splunk Fundamentals.

•       Motivation to pursue additional vendor-specific certifications related to enterprise cybersecurity tools.

Clearance Requirement:

All candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Public Trust clearance.

This hybrid role requires a minimum of three on-site days per week in Washington, DC.

Part-Time position Not to exceed 32 hours per week.

Target salary range: $40,001 - $80,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.