Okay, I've searched for IT Director roles in Columbia, MD requiring active Top Secret TS/SCI clearance with polygraph, full-time employment, 15+ years of systems administration experience, and expertise in VMware and AWS. I have found 27 positions matching your criteria.

Sure. Here's the analysis:

Job Analysis:

The IT Director role at Visionist is fundamentally about blending hands-on technical expertise with strong leadership in a highly sensitive and mission-critical environment. The successful candidate will be responsible for leading a team of corporate systems administrators, ensuring their performance aligns with both operational and strategic goals, while simultaneously maintaining an active technical role themselves. Given the active Top Secret (TS/SCI) clearance requirement and the classified nature of the work, the role demands not only technical prowess across Linux, Windows, virtualization, and cloud platforms but also deep familiarity with compliance frameworks, such as CMMC (NIST SP 800-171), and security in classified IT environments. The candidate will manage complex IT infrastructures, including network switching/routing, storage, and virtualization environments, balancing daily operational support with forward-looking projects and risk management. They must translate evolving business and mission needs into effective IT solutions that enhance organizational capability, often collaborating cross-functionally with leadership and external stakeholders. Success in this position looks like smoothly running IT operations that enable Visionist’s intelligence mission while delivering efficiency, security, and continual process improvements. Strong budget management, vendor negotiation, and clear communication with leadership are key, reflecting a role that requires autonomy, strategic vision, and resilience to problems inherent in fast-paced, multi-priority federal contracting environments.

Company Analysis:

Visionist stands out as a dynamic, mid-sized employee-owned company deeply embedded within the U.S. Intelligence Community, focused on high-impact, sensitive cyber and software analysis projects. Its unique positioning as both a stable and growing firm—with large prime contracts—creates an environment that demands agility, innovation, and a mission-driven mindset. The culture prioritizes people, reflected by its rare employee ownership model (ESOP), strong internal growth opportunities, and an emphasis on work-life balance combined with a close-knit, family-like atmosphere. This combination suggests Visionist values both individual contribution and collaborative engagement. The IT Director role sits at a critical nexus within this context: the candidate must thrive in both technical and leadership capacities while embracing the company’s stability and its commitment to the mission of national security. Given the flat leadership style and open-door policy, there is likely ample opportunity for visibility and impact, though the security and sensitivity of the work will require discretion and alignment with stringent regulatory standards. Strategically, this role supports Visionist’s continued operational excellence and technological edge, critical for sustaining its reputation and contracting success in an intensely competitive and highly regulated industry sector.

Absolutely. Here are some mock interview questions that could come up:

• Behavioral: Tell me about a time when you had to lead a technical team through a significant IT infrastructure upgrade while minimizing operational disruptions. How did you ensure success?
• Behavioral: Describe a situation where you identified inefficiencies in IT processes. How did you approach implementing improvements, and what was the outcome?
• Behavioral: Can you give an example of how you managed competing priorities in a fast-paced environment with high stakes? How did you maintain focus?
• Behavioral: Share an experience where you had to present complex technical information to non-technical leadership or external stakeholders. How did you tailor your communication?
• Technical: How do you approach designing and configuring a secure virtualization environment (e.g., VMware) in a classified setting to ensure compliance and performance?
• Technical: Explain your experience with managing cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCCHigh. How do you balance cloud benefits with security requirements in a sensitive environment?
• Technical: What strategies do you use for monitoring and optimizing network switching and routing infrastructure to support a large multi-user organization?
• Technical: Describe your familiarity with CMMC (NIST SP 800-171) compliance requirements and how you have operationalized these standards in previous roles.
• Situational: Imagine a vendor contract is nearing expiration but the vendor’s deliverables have been inconsistent and problematic. How would you handle the contract renewal negotiation?
• Situational: You discover a security vulnerability within the IT infrastructure that has potential operational impact but limited immediate visibility. How do you proceed with mitigation and communication?
• Situational: If incident response and remediation efforts conflict with scheduled major system upgrades, how would you prioritize and coordinate these activities?
• Company Fit: What about Visionist’s mission and employee ownership model resonates most with your career goals and leadership style?
• Company Fit: How do you see your leadership contributing to the growth and culture Visionist promotes, especially given its emphasis on internal growth and mission focus?
• Candidate Questions: Can you describe the key IT challenges Visionist is currently facing and how this role will directly address them?
• Candidate Questions: How does Visionist support ongoing professional development and certifications, especially around emerging technologies and compliance standards?
• Candidate Questions: Could you share more about the interaction between the IT Director and senior leadership, and what decision-making autonomy this role typically has?