[Hiring] Application Security Program Manager @Knowledge Services

Role Description

Knowledge Services is seeking an Application Security Program Manager (remote) for a contract through the end of June 2027 (likely for extension) with the State of Maine Office of Technology. Applicants are able to work remotely provided they reside in the EST or CST time zones. Please note that we cannot accept any candidates requiring C2C or those requiring sponsorship for a work visa.

Application Security Program Manager Responsibilities:

• Support the Information Security Office in transitioning the State’s secure software development lifecycle (SSDLC) from a near-complete modernization project to a sustained operating program.
• Coordinate the people, decisions, workflows, and measures needed to make application security practices workable across State technology teams.
• Shift effort to adoption, performance, risk reduction, and continuous improvement across the broader application security portfolio.
• Work with Vulnerability Management, Security Architecture, Governance Risk and Compliance (GRC), Application Development, GitHub Governance, infrastructure and platform teams, agency product owners, and vendors.
• Drive follow-through, program adoption, and accountability across stakeholders; elevate decisions to the appropriate owner.
• Oversee application security efforts across multiple teams and drive program improvements to strengthen the State of Maine’s security posture.
• Seek a self-motivated individual who thrives in fast-paced environments and has demonstrable experience in application security leadership.

What Will You Do?

• Coordinate transition from project deliverables to owned processes, including named owners, documented handoffs, decision paths, service expectations, and a practical operating cadence.
• Maintain the program roadmap, priorities, dependencies, risks, and improvement backlog.
• Work with accountable teams to validate and improve the application risk profile, security requirements, design review, scanning, finding triage, remediation, exception, and release workflows.
• Ensure guidance reflects real tools and different applications and vendor models.
• Plan rollout waves with development and platform partners; support security champions, training, office hours, and clear developer-facing guidance.
• Gather feedback and remove barriers that prevent teams from applying the workflow consistently.
• Help product and development teams turn findings into risk-ranked plans with owners, target dates, and closure evidence.
• Track coverage gaps, aging findings, blockers, and escalations while the responsible teams perform remediation and verification.
• Facilitate working groups and leadership reviews, maintain an accurate responsibility model, and route design questions to Security Architecture and policy, exception, and risk decisions through GRC and authorized Information Security Office leadership.
• Define useful measures with data owners; coordinate trustworthy reporting on application coverage, adoption, remediation, exceptions, and control performance.
• Coordinate related initiatives in repository governance, security tooling, platform integration, third-party application security, and developer enablement.
• Surface capacity, funding, and service dependencies; prepare concise options and recommendations for leadership.

What Makes This Job Unique?

• Make a Difference: The scope of this position impacts the trajectory of application security in the State of Maine, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of critical systems.
• Show Your Strength: A chance to apply your expertise in application security and demonstrate your capabilities.
• Experience in State Government: Opportunity to work within a large IT enterprise supporting critical State applications.
• Selfless Service: Play a pivotal role in safeguarding the State’s critical systems, contributing to the public good by protecting citizens' data and ensuring the secure operation of essential government services.

Why Will You Love It Here?

• Culture that fosters success and allows you to play a key role in maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the State of Maine’s applications and systems.
• Immersion in rapidly evolving issues of state government and a fast-moving organization full of opportunity.
• Collaboration with talented peers and exposure to creative problem-solving approaches.
• Opportunities to tackle unique and complex projects in application security.

Qualifications

• 8 to 10 years of experience in leadership roles and cybersecurity program management, and change agent roles, improving application security program maturity.
• Experience improving application security program maturity.
• Stakeholder Management and Organizational Change Management Leadership.
• Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC).

Requirements

• Certification - Code and dependency scanning.
• Strong facilitation, writing, and stakeholder communication skills.
• Substantial experience managing complex technology, cybersecurity, or application security programs across multiple teams, with demonstrated delivery through influence and shared accountability.
• Working knowledge of software delivery and application security concepts, including security requirements, code and dependency scanning, vulnerability management, remediation, and risk treatment.
• Ability to translate technical and policy issues into clear actions, owners, decisions, and management reporting.
• Experience establishing repeatable processes, coordinating organizational change, using measures to improve performance, and managing competing priorities in an evolving program.
• Experience implementing, operationalizing, or governing Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC) practices across multiple development teams.

Company Description

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or disability.