Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Deputy CISO

Summary

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) is hiring for two premier executive leadership roles within the DHS Cybersecurity Service (DHS-CS): Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Deputy Chief Information Security Officer (DCISO).

Duties

The CISO and DCISO serve as the principal cybersecurity advisors to the Chief Information Officer (CIO), leading the statutory DHS Information Security Program. In these roles, you will architect the Department's information security strategy, ensure federal compliance (FISMA, OMB, Clinger-Cohen), and direct strategic planning and multi-year IT investments to safeguard national security. The CISO holds the ultimate accountability for department-wide cybersecurity strategy, governance, and enterprise risk management. The DCISO acts as the principal deputy and operational lead, directing Headquarters cybersecurity operations and ensuring the day-to-day protection of DHS information assets. In either capacity, you will apply technical executive leadership to: Advise senior DHS leadership and champion unified, risk-driven security programs across all DHS components. Oversee long-range planning and implementation of security engineering, risk operations, and cyber defense. Champion the adoption of emerging technologies, including AI, to proactively mitigate evolving threats. Build high-performing, multidisciplinary teams and forge critical partnerships with government, industry, and international stakeholders. Oversee the statutory DHS Information Security Program to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of national security systems. Successful candidates must demonstrate a proven track record of aligning engineering excellence with enterprise security objectives: Experience developing and refining secure systems, hardware, and software capabilities. Ability to build practical, scalable technical solutions while balancing lifecycle costs, federal acquisitions, and program budgets. Proven capability to establish engineering requirements that ensure seamless integration between internal and external systems. Strategic understanding of cyber risk, ensuring vulnerability and threat mitigation are integrated into every phase of the engineering lifecycle. Demonstrated expertise in identifying and adopting emerging technologies (e.g., cloud, mobile, AI) to meet complex organizational security needs. Expected Areas of Technical Evidence includes: Cybersecurity Hardware & Systems Engineering Secure Software & Application Design Cybersecurity Solutions Evaluation Technical Testing & Evaluation Processes

Qualifications

These positions are in the Executive Track. DHS Cybersecurity Service employees start at career levels and salaries matching their experience and expertise. The Cybersecurity Executive career level calls for the following qualifications: Generally 15+ years of cybersecurity experience, typically no less than 8 years 5+ years in executive leadership. Proven ability to lead expansive, high-impact cybersecurity programs at enterprise-scale. An executive-level cybersecurity manager who serves as senior functional authority and oversees multiple, highly-visible Department-wide cybersecurity programs The Senior Cybersecurity Executive career level calls for the following qualifications: Generally 15+ years of cybersecurity experience; typically no less than 10 years 5+ years in executive leadership. Proven ability to lead expansive, high-impact cybersecurity programs at enterprise-scale. Seasoned executive ready to oversee national cybersecurity initiatives and multi-level organizations, reporting directly to presidential appointees. NOTE: Your resume must explicitly outline your cybersecurity experience. DHS Cybersecurity Service employees start at career levels and salaries matching their experience and expertise. To learn more about DHS Cybersecurity Service career tracks and levels, visit our application portal.

Evaluations

All applicants for the DHS Cybersecurity Service participate in a multi-phase assessment process tailored to their career track. Individuals applying to the Executive Track will undergo a structured interview, as detailed below. DHS will guide you through each step of the process via email. Please monitor your inbox regularly to ensure you receive all communications. The Structured Interview This is a one-hour, panel interview with Component leadership. The discussion will focus on: Your Career: A review of your professional background and experience in cybersecurity. Technical Expertise: An exploration of your deepest skills in specific cybersecurity specializations, which the DHS Cybersecurity Service refers to as "technical capabilities." You can learn more about these capabilities here. Leadership Scenarios: You may be asked to respond to work-related scenarios to assess your ability to lead technical talent and manage cybersecurity-focused organizations. To learn about the assessment process for this Executive Track position, visit our portal and read the "Assessment Process" guide.

How to apply To apply for this position, please follow these steps: Click the Apply Online button. Complete the online questionnaire and attach all required documentation. Click the Submit Application button to finalize your submission. Deadline for Consideration Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. Selection Process Once submitted, your resume will be reviewed by a subject matter expert to verify you meet the minimum qualifications. Qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. If you are selected to move forward, Component staff will contact you to schedule a structured, in-person panel interview. Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing online assessments on the USA HIRE platform, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the online assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the online assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the online assessments. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for online assessments here: http://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire.

Other information Salary: Listed salary ranges reflects typical starting salaries available to employees in most of the United States across applicable career levels. Within the provided range, average salaries vary for each career level. Cybersecurity Executive: $176,000 - $221,500 Senior Cybersecurity Executive: $190,000 - $239,500 In some geographic areas, average starting salaries will be higher because of a local cybersecurity labor market supplement (e.g., metro Washington, D.C. +10%). Actual salaries of individual employees may be higher or lower than provided figures. For an overview of the salaries available in the DHS Cybersecurity Service, visit Resources. Benefits: DHS Cybersecurity Service employees receive a range of federal employment benefits designed to support their professional and personal lives. To learn more about benefits, visit our application portal. More information about the specific benefits available to you will be provided as you progress through the application process. Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of its mission, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requires each and every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully complete a background investigation for a security clearance as a condition of placement in this position. This review includes financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs. Pursuant to Executive Order 12564 and DHS policy, DHS is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and, therefore, conducts random and other drug testing of its employees in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. Headquarters personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions are subject to random drug testing and all applicants tentatively selected for employment at DHS Headquarters are subject to drug testing resulting in a negative test result.