Role Description
Triple Point Security is seeking a Continuity of Operations (COOP) and Contingency Planning Specialist to support continuity, contingency, and business impact analysis activities across our federal client engagements, with a primary focus on a large NIH cybersecurity program. Working within a team of cybersecurity and Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) professionals, the specialist will:
-
Develop, maintain, and test Business Impact Analyses (BIAs), contingency plans, and COOP documentation in accordance with NIST SP 800-34.
-
Support recovery planning for mission-critical federal systems.
-
Work within an integrated Risk Management Framework (RMF) team.
Qualifications
-
Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, Information Systems, Information Technology, Emergency Management, Computer Science, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
-
4 to 7 years of experience in continuity of operations, contingency planning, business impact analysis, information security, or risk management.
-
Demonstrated experience developing and maintaining Business Impact Analyses (BIAs), including system criticality tiering and recovery metrics such as Recovery Time Objective (RTO), Recovery Point Objective (RPO), and Maximum Tolerable Downtime (MTD).
-
Experience developing, maintaining, and testing Contingency Plans and COOP artifacts in accordance with NIST SP 800-34.
-
Experience planning and facilitating contingency plan tests and tabletop exercises, and documenting results and after-action corrective actions.
-
Working knowledge of the Authorization to Operate (ATO) process and the Risk Management Framework (RMF).
-
Strong understanding of NIST SP 800-53 (particularly CP controls), FISMA, and federal information security and continuity requirements.
-
Ability to interpret system criticality and recovery requirements and to communicate gaps, risks, and recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
-
Experience collaborating with system owners, ISSOs, security teams, and program stakeholders to develop and validate continuity documentation.
-
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce clear, audit-ready documentation.
-
Must be a U.S. citizen and able to obtain and maintain a federal Public Trust or suitability determination.
Requirements
-
Continuity-specific certification such as FEMA Professional Continuity Practitioner (PCP), DRI Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) or Associate (ABCP), or similar.
-
Familiarity with federal continuity guidance, including Federal Continuity Directive 1 (FCD-1) and NIST SP 800-34.
-
Experience supporting federal ATO packages and validating supporting artifacts such as contingency plans, BIAs, policies, procedures, and system inventories.
-
Understanding of cloud continuity and disaster recovery considerations in AWS, Azure, or GCP.
-
Experience with governance, risk, and compliance tools or authorization repositories used to manage security and continuity artifacts.
-
Experience working within or supporting federal agencies, federally funded programs, or federal health environments (for example, HHS or NIH).
-
Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CGRC, or Security+.
Clearance and Certifications
-
Active federal Public Trust preferred.
-
Must be a U.S. citizen and able to obtain and maintain a federal Public Trust or suitability determination. (This role does not require a security clearance.)
-
CompTIA Security+ or equivalent baseline certification: Preferred.
-
Continuity certification (FEMA PCP, DRI CBCP or ABCP, or similar): Preferred.
-
CGRC or CISSP: A plus for candidates at the upper end of the experience range.
Responsibilities
-
Develop, maintain, and test Business Impact Analyses (BIAs), contingency plans, and COOP documentation for federal systems in accordance with NIST SP 800-34.
-
Define and apply consistent BIA metrics, including criticality tiers, RTO, RPO, and MTD.
-
Plan, facilitate, and document contingency plan tests, tabletop exercises, and training.
-
Support recovery planning for mission-critical systems and align continuity activities with federal, agency, and NIST requirements.
-
Support ATO and continuous monitoring activities as they relate to contingency planning.
-
Collaborate with system owners, ISSOs, program staff, and project managers to implement continuity and contingency requirements.
-
Provide program and operational support, including status reporting and stakeholder coordination.
-
Communicate continuity and recovery information effectively to technical, operational, and leadership audiences.
Skills
The ideal candidate is detail-oriented and organized, comfortable moving between continuity and contingency planning, compliance support, and client-facing deliverable production. They bring a strong foundational understanding of federal continuity and security frameworks and are motivated to deepen their expertise across Triple Point's service areas.
