The MITRE Corporation logo

Personnel Security Specialist

The MITRE Corporation

McLean, VAJob$68–101K/yrSeen 2 days agoSeen in employer's feed 2 days ago

Most applications go out cold — see where you stand first. No sign-up to start.

Watch jobs like this.

Don't just apply. Show up ready.

Olive works from this exact posting.

At a glance

Compensation
$68–101K/yr
Location
McLean, VA
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.

Top Secret clearance

Job overview

The Personnel Security Specialist supports employees undergoing vetting by U.S. government agencies under agency-specific policies and procedures. The role manages personnel security cases and records, processes background investigations, follows up with sponsors, and coordinates revalidations and security documentation. It also maintains processing procedures and supports office security duties. The position requires on-site work five days a week and eligibility to obtain and maintain a Top Secret U.S. government security clearance.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

eAppSF86DISSNBISNISPOM RuleICD 704MultitaskingProblem SolvingAttention to DetailOral CommunicationWritten CommunicationAdaptabilityDiscretion

Qualifications

High School or Equivalent3 Years Related Experience or Associate Degree and 2 Years Experience or Equivalent CombinationTop Secret Clearance or EligibilityU.S. CitizenshipActive Top Secret ClearanceBachelor's Degree

Full job description

At MITRE, your passion fuels work that impacts our nation and improves lives. This is where your skills strengthen national security, cybersecurity, health, transportation, and citizen services. We’re a nonprofit engineering, applied research, and advanced technology organization working in the public interest. With objectivity and integrity at our core, we lead federally funded research and development centers for U.S. government agencies – collaborating with industry and academia to deliver integrated, high-impact solutions that advance our nation’s health, security, and prosperity. Our people tackle the toughest technical challenges, supported by competitive benefits, meaningful career development, and a culture of innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence. Choose MITRE for a career with purpose — and help shape the future.

Department Summary: A Personnel Security Specialist provides professional and agile support to employees undergoing vetting by various U.S. government agencies according to agency-specific policies and procedures. Other duties as assigned.

Roles & Responsibilities:

  • Utilize a robust MITRE-developed security database to manage cases under your purview, and maintain meticulous company personnel security records.

  • Utilize various government personnel security databases to perform submissions and status checks available to industry.

  • Screen and process employees and contingent workers for background investigations utilizing eApp and other tools.

  • Perform scheduled follow-ups to obtain case status with sponsors, update databases, and provide status updates to subjects to keep them well-informed.

  • Conduct project revalidations and prepare security documentation in coordination with project leaders, and provide periodic reports to management and stakeholders.

  • Maintain processing procedures and instructions to ensure relevancy and accuracy.

  • Establish and maintain an excellent working rapport with sponsor counterparts to ensure understanding and compliance of personnel security policy across a wide spectrum.

  • Perform general duties of the office (e.g., fingerprinting, periodic reviews, clearance upgrades/downgrades, site transfers, running reports, etc.), and the ability to work overtime as may be necessary.

Basic Qualifications:

  • Typically requires a minimum of 3 years of related experience with a high school diploma or equivalent in education, or 2 years’ experience and an associate degree, or equivalent combination of education and related work experience.

  • Working knowledge of eApp, SF86, Defense Information System for Security (DISS), National Background Investigation Services (NBIS), 32 CFR 117: The NISPOM Rule, and Intelligence Community Directive (ICD) 704 a plus.

  • Superb multi-tasking and problem-solving skills, attention to detail, excellent oral and written communication, and ability to grasp new concepts and adapt quickly.

  • Ability to exercise the utmost discretion in the handling of Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

  • Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Top Secret U.S Government issued Security Clearance. Per the U.S. Government’s eligibility requirements, you must be a U.S Citizen to be considered for a security clearance.

  • This position has an on-site requirement of 5 days a week on-site.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Active Top Secret security clearance.

  • Bachelor’s degree.

This requisition requires the candidate to have a minimum of the following clearance(s):

None

This requisition requires the hired candidate to have or obtain, within one year from the date of hire, the following clearance(s):

Top Secret

Salary compensation range and midpoint:

$67,600 - $84,500 - $101,400 Annual

Work Location Type:

Onsite

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local or international law.

MITRE intends to maintain a website that is fully accessible to all individuals. If you are unable to search or apply for jobs and would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of MITRE’s employment process, please email [email protected] for general support and [email protected] for intern positions. This service is for individuals requiring reasonable accommodation requests. Please note that vendor solicitations will not receive a reply.

Benefits information may be found here (https://careers.mitre.org/us/en/benefits) .

Copyright © 1997-2026, The MITRE Corporation. All rights reserved. MITRE is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation. Material on this site may be copied and distributed with permission only.

How this job compares

Set against the 605 open Security Specialist jobs on Olive Jobs, counted October 29, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$68–101K/yr
  • Virginia median$96–125K/yr44 salary ranges
  • US median$81–116K/yr347 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $85K, is 24% below the Virginia median midpoint ($111K) — in the lowest quarter of Security Specialist salary ranges in Virginia.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 72 open Security Specialist jobs in Virginia and 605 across the US. 1% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Virginia
Experience
This posting asks for at least 3 years of experience; Security Specialist postings that state a minimum ask for 4 years at the median (392 postings).
Education
116 of the 605 open Security Specialist jobs (19%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on October 29, 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.

Similar jobs, posted recently

Open roles like this one, listed in the last 30 days.

You've read the whole posting — now see how you match it.