What is a Security Engineer at Acara Solutions?

As a Security Engineer (officially titled Cybersecurity Systems Engineer) at Acara Solutions, you will be stepping into a mission-critical role supporting a key defense client in Binghamton, NY. This is a highly specialized, direct-hire position where your work directly protects advanced military and defense programs from sophisticated cyber threats. You will serve as an Information Systems Security Engineer (ISSE), acting as the bridge between complex systems engineering and rigorous Department of Defense (DoD) security compliance.

Your impact in this role extends far beyond standard enterprise IT. You will be operating in air-gapped, classified, and highly secure environments where traditional internet-connected security paradigms do not apply. By collaborating with cross-functional engineering teams, you will embed security into the architecture of advanced defense systems, ensuring that products are resilient, compliant, and capable of executing their missions without compromise.

This role requires a unique blend of deep technical networking knowledge, systems engineering discipline, and mastery of DoD risk management frameworks. You will be tackling high-stakes challenges, from performing system-level trade studies to managing continuous monitoring tools across isolated networks. Expect a rigorous, challenging, and deeply rewarding environment where your expertise directly contributes to national security capabilities.

Common Interview Questions

The questions you face will be highly technical and deeply rooted in DoD engineering practices. While the exact questions will vary based on the specific program you are interviewing for, the following examples illustrate the patterns and depth of knowledge the interview panel expects.

RMF and Compliance Scenarios

These questions test your ability to navigate DoD bureaucracy while maintaining strong security postures.

• Walk me through the steps you take to transition a system from DIACAP to RMF, or how you initiate a new RMF package from scratch.
• How do you handle a situation where a required NIST 800-53 control fundamentally breaks a legacy military application?
• Explain your methodology for keeping a POA&M actionable and ensuring milestones are met by the engineering team.
• Describe your experience preparing for and participating in a Security Control Assessor (SCA) evaluation.

Systems Engineering and Architecture

These questions evaluate your ability to think like an engineer and integrate security into complex hardware/software systems.

• Describe a time you had to perform a trade study to choose between two competing security architectures. What metrics did you use?
• How do you allocate high-level JSIG requirements down to individual software and hardware components?
• What are the unique cybersecurity challenges when designing systems that must comply with MIL-STD-461 (Electromagnetic Interference)?
• How do you approach securing Open Mission Systems (OMS) or similar open architectures against insider threats?

Technical Troubleshooting and Operations

These questions assess your hands-on skills with isolated networks and DoD-mandated tools.

• Explain the process of updating Nessus/ACAS vulnerability signatures on a completely air-gapped network.
• You notice a sudden spike in dropped packets on a firewall securing a classified enclave. How do you use Splunk to investigate the root cause?
• Write a pseudo-code PowerShell or Bash script that checks a list of servers for a specific unauthorized registry key or file.
• How do you configure and tune HBSS to prevent it from consuming too many resources on constrained tactical hardware?

Getting Ready for Your Interviews

Preparation for this role requires a strategic approach. Your interviewers will be looking for a seamless blend of traditional systems engineering principles and advanced cybersecurity expertise. Focus your preparation on the following key evaluation criteria:

DoD Cybersecurity and Compliance Mastery Your foundational knowledge of defense-specific security frameworks is paramount. Interviewers will evaluate your hands-on experience with the Risk Management Framework (RMF), NIST 800-53, and JSIG. You can demonstrate strength here by fluently discussing how you have developed and maintained critical security documentation, such as System Security Plans (SSPs) and Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&Ms).

Systems Engineering and Architecture Because this role requires a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering and extensive systems experience, you will be evaluated on your ability to apply systems engineering practices to cybersecurity. Interviewers will look for your ability to perform system-level analyses, conduct trade studies, and allocate functional security requirements down to the subsystem level.

Vulnerability Management in Secure Environments You will be tested on your practical ability to secure and monitor isolated networks. Strong candidates will clearly articulate their experience using DoD-standard compliance and vulnerability assessment tools (like ACAS, Nessus, and HBSS) and explain how they correlate log data using tools like Splunk in environments with no direct internet access.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Leadership As an ISSE, you must influence multidisciplinary teams to adopt secure architectures. Interviewers will assess your communication skills, your ability to translate complex customer needs into achievable technical requirements, and your track record of mitigating programmatic risks without stalling development.

Interview Process Overview

The interview process for a senior cleared defense role through Acara Solutions is thorough, structured, and highly focused on technical validation and compliance verification. Your journey will typically begin with an initial screening by an Acara Solutions recruiter, who will verify your baseline qualifications, including your active DoD Secret Clearance, degree requirements, and years of experience. Because these are hard requirements, this stage is critical for establishing your eligibility.

Following the initial screen, you will move into technical and hiring manager interviews with the client team. These sessions are designed to probe your depth of knowledge in both systems engineering and cybersecurity. Expect panel interviews featuring senior engineers and program managers who will present you with realistic scenarios involving air-gapped networks, RMF compliance hurdles, and system architecture design. The pace is deliberate, and the focus is heavily weighted toward your practical experience in the DoD space.

The process is designed to be highly collaborative but rigorous. The hiring team values candidates who rely on data, adhere to strict methodologies, and maintain a security-first mindset without compromising system performance.

The visual timeline above outlines the typical progression from the initial recruiter screen through the technical panels and final clearance validation. Use this to plan your preparation, ensuring you have your security documentation examples ready for the technical rounds and your clearance details prepared for the final verification steps.

Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

To succeed in your interviews, you must demonstrate deep proficiency across several highly technical domains. The hiring team will evaluate your ability to handle the specific tools, frameworks, and constraints of defense contracting.

Risk Management Framework (RMF) and Compliance

This is the cornerstone of the ISSE role. You must prove that you can navigate the complex bureaucracy of DoD security while implementing practical technical controls. Interviewers want to see that you do not just view compliance as a checklist, but as a continuous lifecycle. Strong performance means you can discuss the entire RMF lifecycle, from system categorization to continuous monitoring.

Be ready to go over:

• NIST 800-53 & JSIG – Selecting, implementing, and assessing security controls for classified systems.
• Security Documentation – Authoring and updating SSPs, Security Assessment Reports (SARs), and POA&Ms.
• Continuous Monitoring – Establishing processes to ensure systems remain compliant over time.
• Advanced concepts – Navigating Special Access Program (SAP) requirements and tailoring controls for non-standard military systems.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk us through your process for developing an SSP for a newly architected, air-gapped system."
• "How do you prioritize and manage findings in a POA&M when program deadlines are tight?"
• "Describe a time you had to tailor NIST 800-53 controls for a system that could not support standard IT security agents."

Systems Engineering and Architecture

Because this role sits at the intersection of electrical engineering and cybersecurity, you will be evaluated on your ability to integrate security into the broader system development life cycle (SDLC). You must show that you understand how hardware, software, and networking interact in complex defense platforms.

Be ready to go over:

• Trade Studies – Conducting analyses to balance security requirements with system performance, weight, or power constraints.
• Requirements Allocation – Translating high-level customer security needs into specific, testable subsystem requirements.
• Military Standards – Designing systems that comply with MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461, and MIL-STD-704.
• Advanced concepts – Familiarity with open system architectures like OMS/UCI, CMOSS, or JADC2.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Explain how you would conduct a trade study to select a firewall solution for a constrained tactical environment."
• "How do you ensure that security requirements are properly allocated and tracked through the system development life cycle?"
• "Describe your experience working with open system architectures and how you secure them."

Network Security and Vulnerability Management

You must demonstrate hands-on capability in securing, monitoring, and defending isolated networks. Interviewers will assess your familiarity with the specific toolsets mandated by the DoD and your ability to script and automate routine security tasks.

Be ready to go over:

• DoD Tooling – Practical experience deploying and managing ACAS, Tenable, Nessus, SCAP, and HBSS.
• SIEM and Log Correlation – Using Splunk, ePO, or ESS to monitor events and identify threats in environments without cloud connectivity.
• Network Fundamentals – Deep understanding of TCP/IP, DNS, NetBIOS, switching, and firewalls.
• Automation – Using Bash or PowerShell to automate compliance checks or log aggregation.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "How do you deploy and update ACAS plugins on a network that has absolutely no internet access?"
• "Walk me through a Bash or PowerShell script you wrote to automate a tedious vulnerability assessment task."
• "If Splunk alerts you to anomalous NetBIOS traffic on a classified network, what steps do you take to investigate and mitigate?"

Key Responsibilities

As a Cybersecurity Systems Engineer, your day-to-day operations will revolve around ensuring the security and compliance of advanced defense systems. You will serve as the primary Information Systems Security Engineer (ISSE) for your assigned programs, acting as the definitive technical authority on cyber risk.

A significant portion of your time will be spent collaborating with cross-functional engineering teams—including electrical, software, and mechanical engineers—to establish secure architecture content. You will provide critical analysis and design input during the early stages of the system development life cycle, ensuring that security is built-in rather than bolted on. This involves translating complex customer needs into achievable capabilities and conducting trade studies to resolve engineering conflicts.

You will also be responsible for the tactical execution of security assessments. This includes running continuous monitoring tools like ACAS and HBSS, correlating log data in Splunk, and mitigating identified vulnerabilities. Because you will be working in air-gapped and highly secure environments, you will frequently need to engineer creative solutions for installing upgrades, monitoring system health, and resolving configuration issues without relying on cloud-based or internet-connected resources. Throughout all these tasks, you will meticulously maintain the required RMF documentation, including SSPs and POA&Ms, to ensure continuous authorization to operate.

Role Requirements & Qualifications

To be competitive for this specific role through Acara Solutions, you must meet a strict set of baseline qualifications dictated by the defense client, alongside several highly desirable preferred skills.

• Must-have technical skills – A Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering is strictly required. You must also have a minimum of 8 years of systems experience, with at least 8 years operating specifically within the DoD space. Deep knowledge of Systems Engineering practices, TCP/IP networking, and vulnerability assessment tools is essential.
• Must-have clearances – An Active DoD Secret Clearance is required at the time of hire. You must be legally authorized to work in the United States, and F-1 OPT STEM status is not accepted for this role.
• Nice-to-have skills – Current Special Access Program (SAP) access is highly preferred. Experience with Open Mission Systems (OMS/UCI), familiarization with open system architectures (CMOSS, JADC2), and working knowledge of MIL-STDs (810, 461, 704) or ARINC/RTCA standards will significantly differentiate you.
• Soft skills – You must possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills. The ability to interface effectively with all levels of employees, management, and government stakeholders is critical. Strong critical thinking, logical reasoning, and the ability to predict programmatic risks are also heavily evaluated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a 9/80 work week, and how does it impact my schedule? A 9/80 schedule means you will work 80 hours over 9 days instead of the traditional 10 days. Typically, this involves working 9-hour days Monday through Thursday, and working 8 hours on one Friday, while taking the alternating Friday off. It offers a great work-life balance with a three-day weekend every other week.

Q: Is there any flexibility for remote work in this role? Due to the nature of the work involving classified, air-gapped environments and Special Access Programs (SAP), this is an onsite role in Binghamton, NY. Remote work is generally not possible when handling classified DoD systems and hardware.

Q: How deep into Electrical Engineering will the technical interview go? While the title is Cybersecurity Systems Engineer, the requirement for an EE degree means you should be comfortable discussing hardware-level security, signal interference (MIL-STD-461), and power constraints (MIL-STD-704). You won't necessarily be designing circuits, but you must understand how hardware design impacts overall system security.

Q: What if I have a Secret clearance but it is currently inactive? The job description explicitly states that an Active DoD Secret Clearance is required at the time of hire. If your clearance has lapsed or is inactive, you may not meet the baseline qualifications for this specific requisition, though you should clarify your exact status with the Acara Solutions recruiter.

Q: How much preparation time should I dedicate to the RMF and JSIG frameworks? A significant amount. Even if your background is highly technical, defense contractors need engineers who speak the language of DoD compliance fluently. Review your past SSPs and POA&Ms so you can speak about them in detail during the interview.

Other General Tips

• Speak the DoD Language: Ensure you are comfortable using acronyms correctly (ISSE, ACAS, JSIG, POA&M, CMOSS). Interviewers in defense contracting look for candidates who already understand the culture and terminology of the military space.

• Structure Answers with the STAR Method: When asked behavioral or scenario-based questions, use the Situation, Task, Action, Result framework. Be highly specific about your individual contribution, especially when discussing large cross-functional engineering projects.
• Emphasize Air-Gapped Experience: Standard enterprise IT security relies heavily on cloud analytics and automated internet updates. Constantly remind your interviewers that you know how to operate, patch, and monitor systems when the internet is completely unavailable.

• Highlight Cross-Functional Empathy: Security engineers in the DoD space often have to tell developers "no." Highlight your ability to work collaboratively with electrical and software engineers to find secure workarounds rather than just acting as a compliance roadblock.

Summary & Next Steps

Securing the Cybersecurity Systems Engineer role through Acara Solutions is a unique opportunity to apply your electrical engineering background and deep cybersecurity expertise to systems that actively defend national security. This role in Binghamton, NY, places you at the critical intersection of advanced hardware design and rigorous DoD compliance, offering a challenging, high-impact career path for a seasoned defense professional.

The compensation data above reflects the highly specialized nature of this role. The strong salary range accounts for the strict requirements of an active clearance, an engineering degree, and extensive DoD experience. Use this information to confidently navigate compensation discussions with your recruiter.

To succeed, focus your preparation on demonstrating a seamless integration of systems engineering principles with RMF compliance and tactical vulnerability management. Review your past projects, practice articulating your trade study methodologies, and ensure you can confidently discuss securing air-gapped architectures. With focused preparation and a clear demonstration of your technical leadership, you are well-positioned to excel in this interview process. Explore additional resources and technical deep-dives to refine your narrative, and step into your interviews ready to showcase your expertise.