Senior Elastic Defend Architect with Security Clearance

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking a Sr. Elastic Defend Architect to support a high-visibility federal cybersecurity program within a leading Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) in Colorado Springs, CO. This senior-level role focuses on architecting and deploying advanced endpoint security capabilities using Elastic Defend, Elastic Security, and Elasticsearch. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in endpoint detection and response (EDR), scalable Elastic Security architectures, and high-performance Elasticsearch environments. You will collaborate with cross-functional engineering, SOC, IR, and cloud teams to build and optimize mission-critical Elastic Defend solutions. The position is contingent upon additional funding. Responsibilities of the Sr. Elastic Defend Architect include:Architect, design, and deploy Elastic Defend across large, distributed enterprise environmentsConfigure and manage Fleet Servers, agent enrollment workflows, endpoint policies, and security integrationsDesign and maintain scalable Elasticsearch clusters supporting Elastic Security workloadsBuild and optimize ingestion pipelines for endpoint telemetry, audit logs, alerts, and security-relevant dataImprove Elastic Security performance through index management, ILM tuning, ECS mapping, and ingest pipeline enhancementsDevelop and maintain observability frameworks using Kibana and related toolingImplement logging, metrics, and tracing systems for real-time monitoring and detectionAnalyze and visualize datasets to support threat hunting, anomaly detection, and operational insightsTroubleshoot Elastic Defend agent behavior, endpoint policy issues, and integration failuresEnsure data integrity, security, and compliance across all Elastic Security componentsCollaborate with SOC, Incident Response, DevOps, cloud, and platform engineering teamsProvide technical guidance, mentoring, and subject-matter expertise to internal teams and stakeholdersDocument architectures, runbooks, deployment patterns, and best practicesStay current on emerging Elastic Security capabilities, endpoint threat trends, and cybersecurity technologies Qualifications for the Sr. Elastic Defend Architect include:Active Secret clearance (minimum)Valid U.S. PassportOutstanding written and verbal communication skillsAbility and willingness to support domestic or international on-site travel as neededExperience demonstrating proficiency in:Elastic Security / Elastic Defend architecture or administrationElasticsearch cluster design, scaling, and performance optimizationSIEM and EDR concepts across platforms such as Elastic, Splunk, QRadar, LogRhythm, or SentinelLinux/Unix systems, networking fundamentals, and cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP)Scripting languages such as Python, PowerShell, or BashModern threat landscapes, endpoint attack techniques, and defensive controls Preferred Qualifications:Certifications such as:Elastic Certified EngineerElastic Certified AnalystElastic Security EngineerExperience with DevOps/SRE methodologies (automation, CI/CD, IaC, configuration management)Familiarity with search/indexing technologies such as Solr or LuceneBackground supporting large-scale, mission-critical cybersecurity environments Position Details:Location: Colorado Springs, COSchedule: On-site, 4–5 days per weekCollaboration with SOC, IR, cloud, DevOps, and platform engineering teamsPosition is contingent upon additional funding Compensation for the Sr. Elastic Defend Architect includes:Salary Range: $150,000 – $200,000Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K, PTO, Sick Leave (as required), Holidays