Detection Engineer

Accenture Federal Services· Arlington, VA· 58283426 - AFS IT Security

Posted 2026-10-12

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At Accenture Federal Services, nothing matters more than helping the US federal government make the nation stronger and safer and life better for people. Our 13,000+ people are united in a shared purpose to pursue the limitless potential of technology and ingenuity for clients across defense, national security, public safety, civilian, and military health organizations.

Join Accenture Federal Services, a technology company within global Accenture. Recognized as a Glassdoor Top 100 Best Place to Work, we offer a collaborative and caring community where you feel like you belong and are empowered to grow, learn and thrive through hands-on experience, certifications, industry training and more.

Join us to drive positive, lasting change that moves missions and the government forward!

The Detection Engineer will work on the Cyber Incident Response Team (CIRT) within the Information Security organization.

Responsibilities include:

Design, engineer, and implement security detection initiatives under the cybersecurity team lead.
Develop new detection logic for SIEM (Microsoft Sentinel) and network security platforms (Cisco FirePower, IDS/IPS), incorporating AI-driven tooling where applicable.
Write and optimize KQL queries for Sentinel to improve detection fidelity and reduce false positives.
Tune detection sets to raise security-relevant events for triage and response teams.
Maintain version control of detection logic using Git and GitHub workflows for collaborative development and auditability.
Bridge the gap between network engineering and cybersecurity teams to advocate for secure network designs and maximize security device capabilities.
Conduct technical briefings to enhance team awareness of network architecture and detection strategies.
Collaborate with operations and management to recommend improvements to security posture and ensure compliance with industry and federal standards (e.g., NIST, CISA).

What You Need:

U.S. Citizenship required
Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, or related field (or equivalent experience)
6 + years experience in information security or equivalent combination of education and work experience
2+ years experience performing event and log analysis across enterprise security tools (AV, IDS/IPS, Firewalls, Active Directory, Web Proxies, DLP, SIEM)
Hands-on experience with:
- Microsoft Sentinel & KQL (minimum 1 year)
- Cisco FirePower and IDS/IPS configuration (minimum 1 year)
- SIEM platforms (Sentinel preferred)
- Detection engineering: designing and tuning signatures for IoCs and IoAs
- Packet and malware analysis using tools like Wireshark
- Git and GitHub for detection code version control and collaborative workflows
- Scripting and parsing (regex, PowerShell, Python, grep, sed, awk)
- TCP/IP, application layer protocols, and Windows/Linux internals
- MITRE ATT&CK framework for detection mapping

Bonus If You Have:

Threat hunting and automation experience
Familiarity with cloud security monitoring (Azure, AWS)
Certifications such as GIAC GCIA, GCED, or Microsoft Security Operations Analyst Associate

As required by local law, Accenture Federal Services provides reasonable ranges of compensation for hired roles based on labor costs in the states of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia. The base pay range for this position in these locations is shown below. Compensation for roles at Accenture Federal Services varies depending on a wide array of factors, including but not limited to office location, role, skill set, and level of experience. Accenture Federal Services offers a wide variety of benefits. You can find more information on benefits here. We accept applications on an on-going basis and there is no fixed deadline to apply.

The pay range for the states of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia is:

$91,300—$221,100 USD

What We Believe

As a company wholly dedicated to serving the US federal government, we bring together the best talent to help reinvent how federal agencies operate and deliver greater value for their mission and the American people. We have an unwavering commitment to creating a culture in which all our people are respected, feel a sense of belonging, and have equal opportunity. As a business imperative, every person at Accenture Federal Services has the responsibility to create and sustain a culture where everyone feels welcomed and included. This is grounded in our core values and our experience that hiring and developing great people who reflect different perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds is key to driving innovation and delivering the results that our clients and the country count on.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

We believe that no one should be discriminated against because of their differences. All employment decisions shall be made without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status or any other basis as protected by federal, state, or local law. Our rich diversity makes us more innovative, more competitive, and more creative, which helps us better serve our clients and our communities. For details, view a copy of the Accenture Federal Services Equal Opportunity Policy Statement.

Accenture Federal Services is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Additionally, as an Affirmative Action Employer for Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities, Accenture Federal Services is committed to providing veteran employment opportunities to our service men and women.

Requesting An Accommodation

Accenture Federal Services is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities or religious observances, including reasonable accommodation when needed. If you are hired by Accenture Federal Services and require accommodation to perform the essential functions of your role, you will be asked to participate in our reasonable accommodation process. Accommodations made to facilitate the recruiting process are not a guarantee of future or continued accommodations once hired.

If you are being considered for employment opportunities with Accenture Federal Services and need an accommodation for a disability or religious observance during the interview process or for the job you are interviewing for, please speak with your recruiter.

Other Employment Statements

Applicants for employment in the US must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States.

Candidates who are currently employed by a client of Accenture Federal Services or an affiliated Accenture business may not be eligible for consideration.

Job candidates will not be obligated to disclose sealed or expunged records of conviction or arrest as part of the hiring process.

The Company will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. Additionally, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the Company's legal duty to furnish information.

California requires additional notifications for applicants and employees. If you are a California resident, live in or plan to work from Los Angeles County upon being hired for this position, please click here for additional important information.

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