Watermark Culture
At Watermark, we understand the critical importance of our clients' success, whether they're commercial entities or government agencies. We're committed to delivering meaningful work that aligns with national security objectives. Our team of professionals is not only highly skilled but also passionate about the work they do. We recognize that the clients we serve have missions larger than any individual or company, and this perspective drives our dedication to providing exceptional customer support.
Empowering our employees to work efficiently and creatively is central to our culture. We believe in minimizing bureaucratic processes to allow our team members to focus on their work effectively. In recognition of their contributions, we offer competitive pay, excellent benefits, and opportunities for professional growth, including tuition reimbursement of up to $5,250 per calendar year for education courses at accredited institutions. Feel free to inquire about our tuition reimbursement requirements.
Watermark's core values are the foundation of our welcoming and supportive culture. These values guide our actions and interactions, ensuring that we uphold the highest standards in everything we do.
Watermark's Core Values
Perspective: We prioritize our clients' missions above all else. Recognizing the significance of our clients' work, we value the expertise and dedication of our team members in enabling mission execution. Our focus is on people and results, placing importance on community engagement and giving back.
Passion: We are passionate about meeting our clients' needs with subject matter expertise and professionalism. Our commitment extends to community engagement efforts, especially in supporting veterans and providing educational opportunities to underserved communities.
Communication: Building relationships based on trust, honesty, and transparency is at the heart of our approach. We listen actively to understand and prioritize accessibility and availability for our clients and team members.
Integrity and Ethics: We uphold the highest ethical standards in all aspects of our work. Respect, dignity, and accountability guide our interactions with clients and team members, even in challenging situations.
Balance: We promote a healthy work-life balance to ensure our team members can deliver their best work. Our priorities include faith, family, health, work, and community, and we support each other as the Watermark family.
“What do I like best about working at Watermark? I love working with a team of some of the best and brightest minds in their fields, making a positive impact to maintain our nation’s defense, supporting military veterans like myself, and having visible company leadership that gives so much back to helping their employees and local communities!”
“When I came on board everyone was welcoming. As months passed, I realized how fortunate I am to be a part of such a diverse group of individuals. Watermark is my second family. They are there to celebrate my accomplishments and there to lend me encouraging words during moments of bereavement. There is no other place I rather be.”
“One of many things I appreciate about working at Watermark is knowing that I’m empowered to make decisions necessary to get the job done. If I run into a challenge, rest assured that I will receive immediate support from management to resolve the issue. Watermark’s leadership encourages me in a way so that they’re almost like family.”
Awards and Recognitions
Our awards, recognitions, and certifications reflect our unwavering commitment to excellence in security, risk management, and mission support. As a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), we take pride in the trust placed in us by our federal, state, and commercial clients, and in the independent credentials that validate our performance, quality, and integrity. This section highlights the industry certifications we maintain, the formal recognitions we have earned from government and industry partners, and the milestones that demonstrate our proven track record in delivering complex, high-consequence services. Together, these achievements underscore our dedication to ethical practices, continuous improvement, and resilient solutions that safeguard our clients’ people, assets, and missions.
Certifications
-
CMMI Maturity Level 2, known as the "Managed" stage, represents the shift from unpredictable, reactive processes to structured, repeatable project management. At this level, projects are planned, performed, measured, and controlled at the project level, ensuring deliverables are consistently produced on time and within budget. n Level 2, organizations establish basic management controls. The core process areas emphasize:
Requirements Management: Documenting, analyzing, and tracking product and project requirements.
Project Planning: Defining the scope, estimating effort and costs, and scheduling tasks.
Project Monitoring and Tracking: Keeping an eye on actual performance and progress against the documented plan.
Supplier Agreement Management: Ensuring the quality and reliability of products or services acquired from third parties.
Measurement and Analysis: Using basic metrics to guide project management decisions.
Process and Product Quality Assurance: Verifying that processes and deliverables adhere to standards.
Configuration Management: Controlling changes to work products (e.g., documents, code, or hardware) to maintain integrity.
-
ISO 9001 is the world's most recognized standard for Quality Management Systems (QMS). It provides a framework for organizations to ensure their products and services consistently meet customer and regulatory requirements, while driving continual improvement and operational efficiency.
-
The HIRE Vets Medallion Award, administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, recognizes employers of all sizes for excellence in recruiting, hiring, and retaining military veterans. Based on criteria from the 2017 HIRE Vets Act, the program awards Platinum or Gold tiers to companies based on veteran hiring percentages, retention, and support programs, with applications accepted annually between January and April.
Learn more about HIRE Vets here: https://www.hirevets.gov/ -
The HIRE Vets Medallion Award, administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, recognizes employers of all sizes for excellence in recruiting, hiring, and retaining military veterans. Based on criteria from the 2017 HIRE Vets Act, the program awards Platinum or Gold tiers to companies based on veteran hiring percentages, retention, and support programs, with applications accepted annually between January and April.
Learn more about HIRE Vets here: https://www.hirevets.gov/ -
Inc. Best Workplaces awards the company cultures that thrive in the face of adversity. Cultures that redefine the workplace and continue to enrich it. Cultures that foster employee growth and advancement at all levels. Cultures that make their company truly worthy of being named one of Inc.’s Best Workplaces.
Learn more about Inc. 5000’s Best Places to Work Award here: https://inc-bestworkplaces.secure-platform.com/a/ -
The Washington Post’s 2025 Top Workplaces awards honored 250 outstanding employers in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region. The list is categorized by company size and based entirely on anonymous employee feedback detailing workplace culture, compensation, and leadership.
-
honors the top 100 employers in the Greater Washington, D.C. area that cultivate exceptional, people-centric workplace cultures. Winners are chosen exclusively through anonymous, quantitative employee surveys administered by Quantum Workplace. These surveys assess key components such as communication, team dynamics, trust in leadership, benefits, and manager effectiveness.
-
The 2018 Inc. 5000 highlighted the fastest-growing private companies in America, with the Washington, D.C. region dominated by high-growth firms in government services, cybersecurity, and IT. Vienna-based DGC International led the local area at No. 11, contributing to a regional trend of significant job creation and high-percentage growth.
Learn more about the fastest growing companies here: https://www.inc.com/inc5000/index.html