Remote Cybersecurity and AI Authorization Lead (VA ESOM)

OverviewThank you for considering IT Concepts dba Kentro, where innovation drives opportunity and collaboration leads to success. Our dynamic community of experts is fully committed to advancing our customers' missions, fostering professional growth, and making a positive impact on our communities. By joining our supportive community, you will find that Kentro is dedicated to your personal and professional development. Together, we can drive meaningful change, spark innovation, and achieve extraordinary milestones.Kentro is seeking a Cybersecurity and AI Authorization Lead to serve as the senior cybersecurity authority and leads the AI and automation workstream. As senior cyber authority, the Lead advises ATO Managers, ISOs, and the AODR on complex authorization scenarios, validates control inheritance design across area segments, and ensures that processes, training, and reporting accurately reflect federal cybersecurity policy and best practice. As AI & Automation Lead, the role leads the AI Opportunity Assessment, designs and pilots AI-enabled process improvements, and scales AI capabilities across the enterprise — identifying standardization opportunities and labor reduction initiatives that deliver measurable enterprise value while preserving security, compliance, and federal AI policy integrity.Location: This position can be performed remotely within the United States and will support Eastern Time working hours.ResponsibilitiesSenior Cybersecurity AuthorityProvide senior cybersecurity subject matter expertise to the Support Cell, ATO Managers, ISOs, EndPoint Engineering, and the AODR.Validate and advise on the inheritance of common controls and the flow of inherited controls into area segments within the CAM Module.Review and approve security-relevant SOPs, transition plan content, training materials, AI pilot designs, and reporting to ensure technical accuracy and policy alignment.Provide senior technical authority on RMF activities including categorization, control selection, implementation, assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring as represented in the CAM Module.Support complex or escalated ATO matters and act as a trusted advisor to ATO Managers on risk acceptance and POA&M decisioning.Liaise with the AODR and security leadership on policy interpretation, control implementation strategy, and emerging cybersecurity requirements.AI & Automation LeadershipLead the AI Opportunity Assessment to identify high-value AI and automation use cases.Design and execute AI pilots, including evaluation criteria, success metrics, and risk controls.Identify standardization opportunities where AI and automation can reduce variability and labor across all VA Areas.Lead labor reduction initiatives, partnering with the Reporting & Metrics Lead to quantify and report benefits.Ensure AI use cases comply with applicable federal AI policy, NIST AI RMF guidance, security controls, and privacy requirements.Partner with the ServiceNow Integration Lead to operationalize AI and automation within the ServiceNow ecosystem (CAM, HAM, SAM, CMDB).Provide senior technical expertise on automation architecture, AI tooling, and integration with CAM workflows.Cross-Team Integration & MentorshipMentor junior team members and analysts on technical RMF, CAM, and AI/automation topics.Coordinate with the ServiceNow Integration Lead and Reporting & Metrics Lead to ensure dashboards and reports accurately represent control posture, authorization status, and AI/automation benefits.Participate in Support Cell governance forums and represent the team in cross-stakeholder cybersecurity discussions.QualificationsMaster's degree in Cybersecurity, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related technical field. An additional 10 years of experience may be substituted for the degree requirement for a total of 20+ years of experience.10+ years of cybersecurity experience, including at least 5 years in RMF / ATO roles and at least 3 years in automation, AI/ML, or RPA.Deep, hands-on knowledge of NIST SP 800-37, NIST SP 800-53, FISMA, and the control inheritance model.Working knowledge of federal AI policy, including the NIST AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF).Demonstrated experience advising senior leaders on authorization decisions and risk posture.Hands-on experience implementing AI or automation in regulated environments.Working knowledge of ServiceNow GRC, IRM, or CAM modules.Strong design and architecture skills.CISSP, CISM, or CGRC (formerly CAP) certification. Preferred Qualifications: AI/ML credentials (e.g., Microsoft AI certifications, Google Cloud Professional ML Engineer, AWS ML Specialty).ServiceNow automation / AIOps experience.Prior VA or federal civilian agency RMF experience.Experience designing or operating common control provider programs.Familiarity with VA-specific RMF artifacts and processes.Clearance Requirement:US Citizen or Green card holderWilling and able to obtain and maintain Public Trust Clearance Mus