The posting
Nightwing provides technically advanced full-spectrum cyber, data operations, systems integration and intelligence mission support services to meet our customers’ most demanding challenges. Our capabilities include cyber space operations, cyber defense and resiliency, vulnerability research, ubiquitous technical surveillance, data intelligence, lifecycle mission enablement, and software modernization. Nightwing brings disruptive technologies, agility, and competitive offerings to customers in the intelligence community, defense, civil, and commercial markets.
We are seeking an exceptional Maintenance Lead to provide oversight and coordination of maintenance activities across Tier 1-4 support entities. This role requires a proven senior-level technical authority for break/fix operations who ensures seamless incident resolution and problem management processes across the contract while managing complex, large-scale operations supporting critical national security missions.
Nightwing delivers end-to-end secure IT services leveraging deep experience in Offensive Cyber Operations (OCO), Defensive Cyber Operations (DCO), Cyber Vulnerability Assessments (CVAs), and systems integration. As Maintenance Lead, you will ensure operational continuity of mission-critical systems, drive excellence in service delivery, and maintain the health of platforms supporting defensive cyber operations and threat detection in dynamic environments.
You will be responsible for maintaining operational availability of systems operating within accredited environments, ensuring compliance with DoD Information Assurance (IA) requirements, and supporting maintenance activities for systems with Authority to Operate (ATO). This includes overseeing break/fix operations that meet NIST SP 800-171 standards, implementing ITIL-based maintenance processes, and maintaining system readiness throughout the lifecycle.
This is a high-visibility, operationally critical leadership position requiring an individual who can lead maintenance teams supporting programs with 100+ FTEs, navigate 24/7/365 operational environments in mission settings, and drive organizational success through operational excellence, proactive maintenance, and disciplined service management. You will be accountable for the operational health and availability of systems supporting critical Intelligence Community operations.
Key Responsibilities
Maintenance Operations Leadership & Service Delivery
- Serve as the senior technical authority for all maintenance activities across Tier 1-4 support entities on the program portfolio
- Oversee and coordinate break/fix operations, preventive maintenance, and corrective actions for cybersecurity operations, detection platforms, and automation systems
- Monitor and ensure Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Operational Level Agreements (OLAs) are consistently met across all supported systems
- Manage incident escalation and resolution processes to ensure rapid restoration of service with minimal mission impact
- Coordinate maintenance activities across 24/7/365 operations supporting national security missions
- Drive proactive maintenance strategies that prevent system degradation and operational disruptions
- Establish and enforce maintenance standards, procedures, and best practices across all support tiers
Performance Monitoring & Metrics Management
- Track and report on maintenance metrics, KPIs, and SLA compliance including Mean Time to Repair (MTTR), Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), and availability percentages
- Generate regular status reports on maintenance operations, system health, and performance trends
- Identify trends through root cause analysis and implement preventive measures to reduce recurring incidents
- Support problem management processes to address systemic issues and technical debt
- Maintain configuration management databases (CMDB) and asset inventories
- Provide executive-level reporting on maintenance performance and operational readiness
- Interface directly with customer, mission partners, and other Intelligence Community stakeholders on maintenance matters
Information Assurance & System Maintenance
- Maintain operational responsibility for systems requiring Authority to Operate (ATO) within DoD and Intelligence Community environments
- Ensure all maintenance activities comply with DoD Information Assurance requirements and operational security standards
- Support continuous monitoring requirements for accredited systems during maintenance windows
- Coordinate with IA/IT personnel to ensure maintenance activities do not compromise system accreditation postures
- Develop and maintain maintenance documentation supporting ATO and accreditation processes
Process Improvement & ITSM Implementation
- Develop and maintain maintenance Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) aligned with ITIL or equivalent frameworks
- Develop and maintain MOA’s between other ecosystem partners and customers
- Implement best practices for incident management, problem management, and change management
- Drive continuous improvement of maintenance processes, tools, and operational procedures
- Ensure compliance with ITIL, COBIT, ISO 20000, and customer driven equivalent IT service management frameworks
- Lead post-incident reviews and corrective action planning
- Champion use of automation and orchestration to improve maintenance efficiency
- Support integration of maintenance activities with broader program execution and technical operations
Team Coordination & Vendor Management
- Lead, mentor, and develop maintenance teams and Tier 1-4 support personnel across multiple operational shifts
- Coordinate across contractor personnel, government counterparts, and vendor support organizations
- Ensure effective communication during planned maintenance windows and emergency maintenance activities
- Manage vendor and subcontractor performance related to maintenance and support services
- Support training and knowledge transfer initiatives to build organizational maintenance capability
- Conduct performance management and skills development for maintenance staff
- Foster collaborative, mission-focused maintenance culture emphasizing accountability, quality, and responsiveness
Technical Risk Management & Mission Continuity
- Identify, assess, and aggressively mitigate operational risks in mission environments where system downtime directly impacts mission effectiveness
- Develop and implement technical contingency plans and disaster recovery procedures to ensure mission continuity
- Ensure redundancy, failover capabilities, and backup systems are operational and tested
- Navigate technical, schedule, and resource constraints while maintaining unwavering mission focus
- Support crisis management during major outages, security incidents, or performance degradation
- Balance emergency maintenance demands with planned maintenance schedules and operational tempo
- Coordinate maintenance windows to minimize impact on 24/7/365 operations
Required Qualifications
Education & Certification
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Engineering, IT, or related STEM field
- At least one: CISSP, CISM, CCISO, GCDA, Security+ CE, CySA+, or equivalent certification
Experience
Maintenance & Operations Leadership (One of the following):
- 10+ years maintenance and operations experience with demonstrated leadership of large-scale IT operations and maintenance teams
- 8+ years leading maintenance operations for programs of similar size and scope (100+ FTEs, $50M+ budgets)
- 10+ years managing break/fix operations and service delivery for systems supporting national security missions
Domain Experience (One of the following):
- 5-8 years cybersecurity, SOC, or cyber incident response experience with operational focus
- 5-8 years detection engineering and automation maintenance and support experience
- 5-8 years IT services operations and maintenance with Intelligence Community customers
Technical Knowledge
- Deep understanding of IT service management principles and maintenance operations for enterprise-scale systems
- Demonstrated experience with programs of similar size and scope supporting Intelligence Community missions
- Extensive knowledge of incident management, problem management, and change management processes
- Strong understanding of SLA management, OLA coordination, and service delivery metrics
- Experience managing 24/7/365 operations supporting mission-critical systems
- Working knowledge of cybersecurity operations platforms including SIEM (Splunk, Elastic), SOAR, detection frameworks
- Familiarity with ticketing systems (ServiceNow, Remedy, Jira Service Management) and ITSM tools
- Understanding of configuration management, asset management, and inventory control processes
- Knowledge of maintenance best practices for both hardware and software systems
Leadership & Stakeholder Management
- Exceptional coordination and communication skills with proven ability to manage across multiple support tiers and vendor organizations
- Demonstrated success in mission environments requiring rapid incident response and restoration
- Track record of SLA achievement and operational excellence driving customer satisfaction
- Strong operational presence with ability to brief senior military and civilian leadership during outages or incidents
- Experience managing in matrixed organizations with multiple stakeholders and competing priorities
- Proven ability to manage under pressure during critical incidents and system outages
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience within Intelligence Community and mission partner environments
- ITIL Foundation, ITIL Practitioner, or ITIL Expert certification
- Advanced degrees and certifications in IT process improvement and/or capability frameworks (e.g., ITIL, COBIT, ISO 20000, CISSP, Agile/SAFe)
- Multiple advanced certifications: CISSP, CISM, GIAC certifications
- Experience managing maintenance for security operations centers (SOCs) or threat detection programs with 24/7/365 operations
- Background in systems administration, network operations, or infrastructure management
- Experience with cloud operations (AWS, Azure, GCP) and hybrid infrastructure maintenance
- Prior military or intelligence community operations or technical leadership experience
- Experience supporting classified programs at TS/SCI level with special access programs (SAP)
- Experience with DevOps/DevSecOps practices and infrastructure-as-code maintenance
Success Metrics
- System availability meeting or exceeding SLAs (99.9999%+ uptime for critical systems)
- SLA and OLA compliance consistently achieving contractual performance targets
- Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) continuously improving through process optimization
- Customer satisfaction with maintenance services and incident response (CPARS ratings of Very Good or Exceptional)
- Incident response time meeting or exceeding contractual requirements
- Preventive maintenance effectiveness reducing unplanned outages and emergency maintenance
- Problem management addressing root causes and reducing recurring incidents
- Team performance including response times, resolution rates, and knowledge base contributions
Why Nightwing
- Lead mission-critical maintenance operations directly supporting Intelligence Community operations and national security objectives
- Exercise full operational authority with meaningful impact on system availability, mission effectiveness, and operational readiness
- Build and lead high-performing maintenance teams of talented professionals supporting cutting-edge cyber and intelligence systems
- Partner directly with senior government customers in the Intelligence Community on programs of strategic importance
- Operate in environments where your operational leadership and decisions truly matter to mission success
- Competitive compensation with performance-based incentives tied to operational performance and SLA achievement
- Opportunity to work on challenging operational problems supporting critical national security missions
Why Nightwing
- Lead mission-critical engineering efforts directly supporting Intelligence Community operations and national security objectives
- Exercise full technical authority with meaningful impact on system architecture, capabilities, and mission effectiveness
- Build and lead high-performing engineering teams of talented professionals in cutting-edge cyber and intelligence domains
- Partner directly with senior government customers in the Intelligence Community on programs of strategic importance
- Operate in environments where your technical leadership, decisions, and innovations truly matter to mission success
- Competitive compensation with performance-based incentives tied to technical delivery and innovation
- Access to cutting-edge technologies and opportunities to work on challenging technical problems
At Nightwing, we value collaboration and teamwork. You'll have the opportunity to work alongside talented individuals who are passionate about what they do. Together, we'll leverage our collective expertise to drive innovation, solve complex problems, and deliver exceptional results for our clients.
Thank you for considering joining us as we embark on this new journey and shape the future of cybersecurity and intelligence together as part of the Nightwing team.
Salary & Benefits
The salary associated with this position ($147,000-$296,000) is commensurate with the selected candidate’s qualifications, years of relevant experience, and demonstrated level of expertise. Compensation will be determined based on these factors to ensure alignment with skills, responsibilities, and market standards.
Nightwing offers medical, vision and dental insurance coverage in addition to a 401k plan, PTO, Holidays, and additional insurances.
Nightwing is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class.
