IT Cybersecurity Engineer at Vulcan Elements in Research Triangle Park, NC
- Company: Vulcan Elements
- Location: Research Triangle Park, NC
- Posted: Sep 24, 2026
- Type: Full-time
- Experience: 3+ years
Overview
As an IT Cybersecurity Engineer, you will be a hands-on member of our security team, responsible for deploying, tuning, and operating the tools and controls that protect Vulcan Elements’ IT environment. You will also support our NIST SP 800-53 (Low-Impact Baseline) assessment and Plan of Action and …
Job description
- As an IT Cybersecurity Engineer, you will be a hands-on member of our security team, responsible for deploying, tuning, and operating the tools and controls that protect Vulcan Elements’ IT environment. You will also support our NIST SP 800-53 (Low-Impact Baseline) assessment and Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M, working alongside our external compliance partner and our existing NIST SP 800-171/CMMC program. This role is a strong fit for someone who wants to build and run real security tooling day to day while also gaining exposure to federal compliance frameworks in a regulated manufacturing environment.
Responsibilities
- Deploy, configure, and operate core security tooling including SIEM, endpoint detection and response (EDR), vulnerability scanning, and email/web security controls.
- Administer and harden identity systems (Active Directory/Entra ID), and enforce MFA, least-privilege access, just-in-time access, and Conditional Access policies across IT systems.
- Run regular vulnerability scans, prioritize findings, and drive remediation with system owners; track exceptions and compensating controls.
- Monitor security alerts, investigate and triage incidents, and lead or support incident response and root cause analysis for IT systems.
- Support the assessment of IT controls against the NIST SP 800-53 Low-Impact Baseline, help build and maintain the System Security Plan (SSP), and contribute to the Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M).
- Coordinate with our external CMMC compliance partner to keep IT security controls consistent across NIST SP 800-171 (CMMC Level 2) and NIST SP 800-53, avoiding duplicate or conflicting work.
- Own patch management and secure configuration baselines for servers, endpoints, and network devices.
- Provide security review and input on new IT systems, applications, and vendor tools before they go into production.
- Maintain security procedures, playbooks, network/data flow diagrams, and audit evidence.
- Support delivery of security awareness training to personnel with access to CUI or other sensitive systems.
- Partner with Automation, Engineering, and OT teams to build security into new production lines and control system upgrades from the start.
- Responsibilities and tasks outlined are not exhaustive and may change as determined by the needs of the business.
Requirements
- 3+ years of hands-on IT security engineering experience (security operations, security engineering, or systems administration with a strong security focus).
- Strong knowledge of Azure Active Directory/Entra ID and Windows/endpoint security hardening.
- Working knowledge of NIST SP 800-53 and/or NIST SP 800-171/CMMC; experience contributing to a System Security Plan (SSP) or POA&M is a strong plus.
- Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities.
- Working knowledge of ISA/IEC 62443, NIST SP 800-82, and NIST SP 800-53; experience contributing to an SSP or POA&M for OT systems is a strong plus.
- Prior experience in a defense contractor, federal contractor, or CHIPS/DoD-funded environment.
- CompTIA Security+, GSEC, CySA+, or similar; CCP (Certified CMMC Professional) a plus.
Skills
Required
- SIEM
- Endpoint detection and response (EDR)
- Vulnerability scanning
- Email/web security controls
- Active Directory/Entra ID
- MFA
- Least-privilege access
- Just-in-time access
- Conditional Access policies
- Windows/endpoint security hardening
- NIST SP 800-53
- NIST SP 800-171/CMMC
Preferred
- ISA/IEC 62443
- NIST SP 800-82
- CompTIA Security+
- GSEC
- CySA+
- CCP (Certified CMMC Professional)
About Vulcan Elements
Vulcan Elements is manufacturing American rare-earth permanent magnets for a secure, resilient future. With a focus on national security and economic resiliency, we serve critical industries such as defense, aerospace, and automotive powering a high-technology future. Vulcan Elements is building a team of ambitious professionals committed to Mission Focus, Technical Excellence and Integrity.