Security Engineering Accreditation Lead, Defense

Applied Intuition, Inc. is powering the future of physical AI. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion, the Silicon Valley company is creating the digital infrastructure needed to bring intelligence to every moving machine on the planet. Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining and agriculture industries in three core areas: tools and infrastructure, operating systems, and autonomy. Eighteen of the top 20 global automakers, as well as the United States military and its allies, trust the company’s solutions to deliver physical intelligence. Applied Intuition is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices in Washington, D.C.; San Diego; Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; Ann Arbor, Michigan; London; Stuttgart; Munich; Stockholm; Bangalore; Seoul; and Tokyo. Learn more at applied.co .

We are an in-office company, and our expectation is that full-time employees primarily work from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week. However, we also recognize the importance of flexibility and trust our employees to manage their schedules responsibly. This may include occasional remote work, starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier when needed to accommodate family commitments. This in-office expectation does not apply to contractor positions

About the role

We are seeking an Accreditation Lead to own the authorization portfolio for our government and defense programs. This is a decision-making role. You will decide how each program gets authorized, bring a clear plan to government sponsors and authorizing officials, and hold engineering teams to the requirements needed to get there and stay there.

The portfolio spans cloud environments across FedRAMP and DoD Impact Level requirements, program authorizations for deployed systems, encrypted communications, and CMMC. The Accreditation Lead will require a security clearance and works closely with our ISSM for classified systems, our platform and DevSecOps engineers, and program leadership.

At Applied Intuition, you will:

• Own the accreditation portfolio across our government programs: which authorizations each program needs, in what order, and whether it authorizes directly or inherits from an existing authorization

• Make and own authorization decisions, including approach, scope, sequencing, and risk recommendations to leadership

• Bring a clear plan to government sponsors and authorizing officials: propose the approach, negotiate scope and timelines, and drive agreement rather than waiting for direction

• Serve as ISSM of record for cloud and program authorizations under RMF, owning system security plans, POA&Ms, and authorization packages

• Maintain software approvals and authorizations on partner and customer platforms, including renewals and new releases

• Set security requirements for engineering teams early, hold teams to them through design and delivery, and make the call when trade-offs are needed

• Coordinate authorizations for deployed systems and their connections, including encrypted links and interconnection agreements with customer and partner systems

• Partner with our ISSM for classified systems so cloud, program, and classified authorizations stay consistent

• Serve as the primary interface for CMMC Level 2 assessments, including assessor coordination, POA&M adjudication, and support for annual affirmation

• Manage third-party assessors and support contractors from kickoff through authorization

• Own continuous monitoring after authorization, using machine-readable evidence produced by the delivery pipeline wherever possible

• Maintain the authorization calendar across programs, including renewals, assessments, and dependencies, and brief leadership and customers on status and risk in plain terms

• Serve as a documented backup for authorization activity and participate in the security on-call rotation as it is established

We're looking for someone who has:

• A Bachelor's degree in Cyber Security, Information Systems, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent hands-on experience

• A minimum of 8 years of experience in system authorization or security compliance, with at least 3 leading authorizations across multiple programs at once

• Led at least one FedRAMP or DoD IL4 or IL5 authorization from initiation through authorization

• Experience authorizing deployed or tactical systems under RMF, working directly with program authorizing officials

• A track record of owning authorization decisions and defending them with authorizing officials, sponsors, and program offices

• Experience driving engineering teams to adopt security requirements, including making and defending trade-off decisions

• Deep working knowledge of RMF (NIST SP 800-37), NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 baselines, the DoD Cloud Computing Security Requirements Guide, and eMASS

• Working knowledge of NSA Commercial Solutions for Classified or other approved encryption architectures

• Working knowledge of NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC Level 2 obligations

• Experience managing third-party assessors and support contractors

• DoD 8140 qualification for an ISSM role (for example, CISSP or CISM), or the ability to obtain it within six months of hire

• The judgment to know when to push, when to compromise, and when to escalate, with government customers and with engineers

Security Requirements:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen

• Must hold or be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance

For more information about U.S. security clearances: click here .

Nice to have:

• Experience authorizing classified cloud environments

• Experience as an ISSM on maritime, uncrewed, or autonomy programs

• Participation in the FedRAMP 20x pilot or similar automation-first authorization efforts

• Experience building an authorization program where none existed before

• Familiarity with continuous ATO approaches and DoD risk management modernization efforts

• Certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CGRC, or CCSP

• An active Top Secret clearance

Compensation at Applied Intuition for eligible roles includes base salary, equity, and benefits. Base salary is a single component of the total compensation package, which may also include equity in the form of options and/or restricted stock units, comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverage, 401k retirement benefits with employer match, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off. Note that benefits are subject to change and may vary based on jurisdiction of employment.

Applied Intuition pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum intended target base salary for new hire salaries for the position. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, interview performance, and the level and scope of the position.

Don’t meet every single requirement? If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.