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Cyber Defense Analyst

SAIC

Washington, DCJob$120–160K/yrSeen 1w agoSeen in employer's feed 5 days ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$120–160K/yr
Location
Washington, DC
Work Authorization
US work authorization required

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

IAT Level IIITS/SCI clearance

Job overview

SAIC seeks a Cyber Defense Analyst to join a joint Contractor-Government Cyber Protection Team supporting a customer at Ft. Meade, Maryland. The role focuses on intrusion detection systems, network sensors, threat analysis, malware triage, threat hunting, and cyber threat emulation. Candidates need a BS and nine years of experience, or four additional years in lieu of a degree, along with an active TS/SCI clearance with CI Poly and IAT Level III certification.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Digital ForensicsIncident ResponseThreat InvestigationSOC Response ProceduresVulnerability IdentificationProactive Cyber DefenseGIACOffensive SecurityZero Trust ArchitectureICS/SCADA

Qualifications

BS+9 or 4 Additional YearsWindows, Linux, and Network DevicesTS/SCI With CI PolyIAT Level III

Full job description

Description

SAIC is seeking a candidate to fill a Cyber Defense Analyst position on a joint Contractor-Government Cyber Protection Team with our customer at Ft. Meade, MD .

Job Duties:

  • Configuration, management, and optimization of intrusion detection systems for both host and network.

  • Integrate and manage network sensors.

  • Conduct threat analysis utilizing various sources to identify threats.

  • Configuration, management and optimization of intrusion detection systems.

  • Configuration and design of deployable network kits that include switches, routers, taps, hypervisors and network storage devices to ensure seamless integration and optimal performance.

  • Malware triage.

  • Cyber threat emulation to assess defensive posture and capabilities while in a controlled environment.

  • Threat hunting to identify advanced persistent threats.

  • Technical writing in support of findings and providing security recommendations in order to secure networks .

Qualifications

Required Education and Experience:

  • BS and nine (9) years or more experience; four (4) years additional in lieu of degree.

  • Digital Forensics of Windows, Linux and networking devices.

  • Incident Response Team Experience: Proven experience leading or supporting the detection, containment, and recovery of cybersecurity incidents in complex environments.

  • Security Operations Center Analyst Tier 2 and 3 Expertise: Demonstrated ability to investigate advanced threats, manage escalated incidents, and develop and refine SOC response procedures.

  • Cyber Protection Team Knowledge: Practical experience identifying vulnerabilities and implementing proactive measures to defend systems, networks, and data against evolving cyber threats.

Required Security Clearance:

  • Must has an active TS/SCI with a CI Poly (poly must have been completed within the last 5 years.)

Required Certification:

  • Information Assurance Technical (IAT) Level III.

Desired Certification/Skills:

  • Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC), Offensive Security.

  • Zero Trust Architecture.

  • ICS/SCADA.

Target salary range: $120,001 - $160,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.

REQNUMBER: 2617957

SAIC is a premier technology integrator, solving our nation's most complex modernization and systems engineering challenges across the defense, space, federal civilian, and intelligence markets. Our robust portfolio of offerings includes high-end solutions in systems engineering and integration; enterprise IT, including cloud services; cyber; software; advanced analytics and simulation; and training. We are a team of 23,000 strong driven by mission, united purpose, and inspired by opportunity. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $6.5 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For information on the benefits SAIC offers, see Working at SAIC. EOE AA M/F/Vet/Disability

How this job compares

Set against the 1,116 open Cybersecurity Analyst jobs on Olive Jobs, counted October 27, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$120–160K/yr
  • US median$102–173K/yr840 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $140K, is close to the US median midpoint ($140K) — in the middle half of Cybersecurity Analyst salary ranges across the US.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 26 open Cybersecurity Analyst jobs in Washington, D.C. and 1,116 across the US. 3% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Experience
This posting asks for at least 9 years of experience — more than three in four Cybersecurity Analyst postings that state a minimum ask for (median 5 years, across 917 postings).
Education
250 of the 1,116 open Cybersecurity Analyst jobs (22%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on October 27, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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