Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Deputy CISO

DHS Headquarters • Springfield, VA

3d • $176,000 - $239,500

About The Position

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Chief Information Officer is hiring for two executive leadership roles within the DHS Cybersecurity Service: Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Deputy Chief Information Security Officer (DCISO). Both roles serve as principal cybersecurity advisors to the Chief Information Officer and lead the statutory DHS Information Security Program. They shape the Department’s information security strategy, ensure federal compliance with FISMA, OMB, and Clinger-Cohen requirements, and direct strategic planning and multi-year IT investments to safeguard national security.

The CISO has ultimate accountability for department-wide cybersecurity strategy, governance, and enterprise risk management. The DCISO serves as principal deputy and operational lead, directing Headquarters cybersecurity operations and day-to-day protection of DHS information assets. In either role, the executive advises senior DHS leadership, advances unified risk-driven security programs across DHS components, oversees security engineering, risk operations, and cyber defense, promotes emerging technologies such as AI, and builds teams and partnerships across government, industry, and international stakeholders.

The roles require a record of aligning engineering excellence with enterprise security objectives, including developing secure systems, hardware, and software; creating practical, scalable technical solutions while balancing lifecycle costs, federal acquisitions, and budgets; establishing engineering requirements for system integration; embedding cyber risk and threat mitigation throughout the engineering lifecycle; and identifying emerging technologies such as cloud, mobile, and AI to meet organizational security needs. Relevant technical evidence includes cybersecurity hardware and systems engineering, secure software and application design, cybersecurity solutions evaluation, and technical testing and evaluation processes.

These are Executive Track positions. The Cybersecurity Executive career level generally calls for 15 or more years of cybersecurity experience (typically no fewer than 8) and at least 5 years in executive leadership. The Senior Cybersecurity Executive career level generally calls for 15 or more years of cybersecurity experience (typically no fewer than 10) and at least 5 years in executive leadership. Candidates must demonstrate the ability to lead expansive, high-impact cybersecurity programs at enterprise scale. Degrees are not required, though applicants will be asked about their education and areas of study.

Requirements

• U.S. citizen or national.
• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Must be registered for Selective Service if male.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI security clearance.
• Must submit to a drug test and receive a negative result.
• Must comply with ethics and standards of conduct requirements, including applicable financial disclosure.
• May be required to serve a three-year probationary period.
• Cybersecurity Executive level: generally 15 or more years of cybersecurity experience, typically no fewer than 8 years.
• Cybersecurity Executive level: at least 5 years of executive leadership experience.
• Senior Cybersecurity Executive level: generally 15 or more years of cybersecurity experience, typically no fewer than 10 years.
• Senior Cybersecurity Executive level: at least 5 years of executive leadership experience.
• Demonstrated ability to lead expansive, high-impact cybersecurity programs at enterprise scale.
• Cybersecurity experience must be explicitly outlined in the resume.
• Ability to build practical, scalable technical solutions while balancing lifecycle costs, federal acquisitions, and program budgets.
• Proven capability to establish engineering requirements supporting integration between internal and external systems.
• Strategic understanding of cyber risk and integration of vulnerability and threat mitigation throughout the engineering lifecycle.
• Demonstrated expertise in identifying and adopting emerging technologies to meet complex organizational security needs.

Responsibilities

• Serve as principal cybersecurity advisor to the DHS Chief Information Officer and lead the statutory DHS Information Security Program.
• Architect the Department’s information security strategy and ensure compliance with FISMA, OMB, and Clinger-Cohen requirements.
• Direct strategic planning and multi-year IT investments to safeguard national security.
• For the CISO role, provide department-wide accountability for cybersecurity strategy, governance, and enterprise risk management.
• For the DCISO role, direct Headquarters cybersecurity operations and day-to-day protection of DHS information assets.
• Advise senior DHS leadership and champion unified, risk-driven security programs across DHS components.
• Oversee long-range planning and implementation of security engineering, risk operations, and cyber defense.
• Champion adoption of emerging technologies, including AI, to proactively mitigate evolving threats.
• Build high-performing multidisciplinary teams and partnerships with government, industry, and international stakeholders.
• Ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of national security systems.
• Develop and refine secure systems, hardware, and software capabilities.
• Establish engineering requirements that enable seamless integration between internal and external systems.
• Integrate vulnerability and threat mitigation into every phase of the engineering lifecycle.
• Identify and adopt emerging technologies, including cloud, mobile, and AI, to address organizational security needs.

Benefits

• Federal employment benefits designed to support professional and personal lives; specific benefits are provided during the application process.
• Comprehensive federal employee benefits package available to employees and their families, subject to eligibility.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: No Education Listed