Zero Trust Architect

At Accenture Federal Services, nothing matters more than helping the US federal government make the nation stronger and safer and life better for people. Our 13,000+ people are united in a shared purpose to pursue the limitless potential of technology and ingenuity for clients across defense, national security, public safety, civilian, and military health organizations. Join Accenture Federal Services, a technology company within global Accenture. Recognized as a Glassdoor Top 100 Best Place to Work, we offer a collaborative and caring community where you feel like you belong and are empowered to grow, learn and thrive through hands-on experience, certifications, industry training and more. Join us to drive positive, lasting change that moves missions and the government forward! Job Description: The Zero Trust Architect is responsible for ensuring the security and integrity of IT infrastructure and systems by designing, implementing, and maintaining advanced security measures to protect data, systems, and networks from threats. This role leads the design and deployment of Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), ensuring verification of every access request and guaranteeing that only authorized users and devices are permitted into networks, systems, and applications. The Zero Trust Architect also develops and implements mechanisms to enforce strict least‑privilege access, ensuring the minimum necessary permissions are granted across the environment. The Work: Design, implement, and maintain enterprise‑level cybersecurity controls to protect IT systems, networks, and data. Lead the architecture, implementation, and continuous improvement of Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) across the organization. Establish and enforce continuous verification mechanisms for user and device access requests. Develop and implement processes for enforcing least‑privilege access for all identities and endpoints. Conduct risk assessments, vulnerability assessments, and penetration testing to improve security posture. Utilize security tools such as firewalls, IDS/IPS, antivirus platforms, encryption systems, and identity‑driven controls. Identify security gaps, design mitigation strategies, and support secure system architecture development. Provide expert‑level guidance on ZTA principles, methodologies, frameworks, and best practices. Collaborate closely with IT, security, leadership, and cross‑functional teams to support secure system operations. Prepare technical documentation, architecture diagrams, and security plans to support compliance and governance efforts. Here's what you need: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, IT, Cybersecurity, or a related field; or 4 years additional equivalent work experience. Experience in Zero Trust security principles, models, and frameworks. Experience performing risk assessments, vulnerability assessments, and penetration testing. Bonus points if you have: Industry certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CEH, CySA+, or other relevant credentials. Familiarity with federal cybersecurity standards, policies, and governance frameworks. Security Clearance: Must be a US citizen (No Dual Citizenship) Must possess an active Secret clearance As required by local law, Accenture Federal Services provides reasonable ranges of compensation for hired roles based on labor costs in the states of California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Washington, Vermont, the District of Columbia, and the city of Cleveland . The base pay range for this position in these locations is shown below. Compensation for roles at Accenture Federal Services varies depending on a wide array of factors, including but not limited to office location, role, skill set, and level of experience. Accenture Federal Services offers a wide variety of benefits. You can find more information on benefits here. We accept applications on an on-going basis and there is no fixed deadline to apply. ... (truncated, view full listing at source)