Principal Engineer

Position Title: Principal Engineer
Position Type: Full-time, Remote
Location: Tampa, FL (Preferred)
Clearance: (At Minimum) Secret
Travel: Approximately 10%

Waypoint's client is seeking a Principal Engineer to support U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) initiatives focused on cybersecurity, platform engineering, automation, and AI-enabled capabilities. This senior-level role operates at the intersection of hands-on engineering, technical leadership, and program support, providing architectural guidance, engineering direction, and technical oversight across mission-critical environments.
The selected candidate will lead key technical efforts involving cybersecurity engineering, cloud and hybrid infrastructure, automation, data analytics, and emerging AI capabilities. This role requires a strong background in secure enterprise environments and experience supporting highly regulated federal, defense, or intelligence community programs.

Responsibilities:
Cybersecurity Engineering & Architecture
Design and implement cybersecurity solutions across cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments.
Provide subject matter expertise in Zero Trust Architecture, Identity and Access Management (IAM), and system hardening.
Support incident response, vulnerability management, and security operations activities.
Ensure engineering solutions align with NIST 800-53, RMF, STIGs, FedRAMP principles, and contractual requirements.
Platform Engineering & Automation
Develop and maintain automation tools and scripts supporting security operations and infrastructure management.
Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) solutions and scalable platform architectures.
Integrate security controls into CI/CD pipelines and DevSecOps workflows.
Support cloud platform optimization and operational automation initiatives.
AI, Data Engineering & Analytics
Develop and support data pipelines for security and operational analytics.
Contribute to anomaly detection, reporting, and advanced analytics capabilities.
Support integration of AI/ML-enabled features into cybersecurity and operational workflows.
Leverage data-driven approaches to improve system performance and operational visibility.
Program Support & Technical Leadership
Serve as a senior technical advisor supporting architecture and engineering decisions.
Translate program requirements into actionable engineering tasks and technical solutions.
Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership across project teams.
Collaborate with program managers, stakeholders, and technical teams to drive successful delivery execution.
Operational Support & Continuous Improvement
Analyze system performance, security metrics, and operational data to identify risks and improvement opportunities.
Maintain technical documentation and support compliance audits and assessments.
Identify operational inefficiencies and contribute to corrective actions and process improvements.

Required:
U.S. Citizenship
Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field (or equivalent experience)
10+ years of experience in cybersecurity, information security, or systems engineering
3-5 years of experience in a senior, lead, principal, or technical leadership role
Strong experience securing enterprise systems in DoD, Federal Civilian, or Intelligence Community environments
Experience implementing and supporting NIST 800-53, RMF, STIGs, FedRAMP controls, and compliance frameworks
Experience supporting Authority to Operate (ATO), system accreditation, and audit activities
Experience with Identity and Access Management (IAM), Zero Trust Architecture, and enterprise security controls
Experience with cloud security architectures and cloud-native security services
Experience supporting automation, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), and DevSecOps initiatives
Familiarity with FAR/DFARS requirements and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) handling requirements
AWS Security Specialty, Azure SC-100, or equivalent cloud security certification
One or more of the following certifications: CISSP, CISM, GCIH, OSCP, GIAC, or equivalent

Desired:
Master's degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field
Experience supporting DoD, DHS, Intelligence Community (IC), Special Operations Forces (SOF), or Combatant Command programs
Experience with DevSecOps pipelines, CI/CD automation, and Infrastructure as Code technologies
Experience supporting continuous monitoring and audit readiness programs within RMF environments
Experience with AI/ML integration, security analytics, and data engineering initiatives
Familiarity with Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) environments
Experience coordinating technical efforts across multiple programs and organizations
Experience supporting cloud platforms such as AWS and Azure in highly regulated environments
Experience influencing enterprise architecture decisions and technical modernization efforts within large-scale federal programs