CDAO - Directorate of Scaled Capabilities (I&P) - Cybersecurity Lead

Under Secretary of War for Research & Engineering • Arlington, VA

1d • $169,279 - $197,200 • Onsite

About The Position

The Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) is a Principal Staff Assistant (PSA) responsible for the acceleration of the adoption of data, analytics, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to generate decision advantage across the Department of Defense (DoD). The Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC), Defense Digital Services (DDS), Chief Data Office (CDO), and forward-leaning programs of record including Advana have officially joined together to form one organization‚ the CDAO! The CDAO is established to enable the Military Departments and Services, Joint Staff, Combatant Commands (CCMDs), Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), and other DoD Components, to swiftly introduce new capabilities and effectively experiment with new operational concepts in support of DoD's warfighting missions.

The Cybersecurity Lead for the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO), Directorate of Scaled Capabilities – Infrastructure & Platforms Division, serves as the senior technical and governance authority responsible for protecting, authorizing, and sustaining the cybersecurity posture of the Department’s most critical digital, cloud, and platform-based capabilities. This role leads the end-to-end cybersecurity portfolio supporting enterprise-scale infrastructure that enables AI, data, and mission systems across the DoD.

The incumbent directs and integrates cybersecurity risk management, security architecture, and engineering across all CDAO-managed platforms, ensuring compliance with DoD and Federal cybersecurity policy while enabling rapid mission delivery. This position provides authoritative oversight of Risk Management Framework (RMF), vulnerability management, POA&M governance, and security design decisions, embedding cybersecurity into every stage of platform development, deployment, and sustainment.

This position is a DoD Cyber Excepted Service (CES) personnel system position in the Excepted Service under 10 U.S.C. 1599f and does not convey eligibility to be converted to the Competitive Service. This position sits in Washington, DC. The pay grade for this role is GG-2210-15.

This role will close for submissions on January 13th, 2026 at 11:59:59pm.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Candidate is encouraged to provide e-portfolio, project samples, Github, etc. to their submission package.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration
• This position is subject to provisions of the WHS/OSD Priority Placement Program (please see details below)
• Applicants for employment are covered by federal laws and Presidential Executive Orders designed to safeguard federal employees and job applicants from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors
• A three-year trial period may be required if not previously completed a trial or probationary period in the excepted or competitive service
• Must be determined suitable for federal employment.
• Required to participate in the direct deposit program.
• This position is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing.
• We may use this announcement to fill additional vacancies within 90 days of the closing date.
• Recruitment, relocation, or retention incentives may be authorized based on the availability of funds.
• This position is being recruited under 10 USC 1599f into the Cyber Excepted Service and does NOT convey eligibility to be converted to the Competitive Service.
• For more information on the Cyber Excepted Service Personnel System, click here https://public.cyber.mil/cw/dod-cyber-excepted-service-ces/
• This position requires a Top Secret/ Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) security clearance.
• Because this position is in the Cyber Excepted Service, Veterans' Preference will be applied to preference-eligible candidates, as defined by Section 2108 of the Title 5 U.S.C. in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction
• If you are a veteran claiming veteran's preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you must submit documents verifying your eligibility with your application package.
• This position may require work other than normal duty hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and/or holidays and/or mandatory overtime.
• This position may occasionally require travel away from the normal duty station via military or commercial aircraft.

Responsibilities

• Directs and/or carries out a wide variety of risk analysis, cybersecurity design, security architecture, security engineering, technical writing or contributing to system cybersecurity policy, vulnerability management, and leads the CDAO Authorizing Official briefs to meet the needs of the Directorate programs to reduce overall residual risk and maintain cybersecurity authorizations.
• Ensures the Directorate ecosystem follows the Department of Defense (DoD) risk management framework (RMF), NIST 800-53 security control family, continuity plans, incident management and incident response, vulnerability management, data integrity, data sharing agreements, system authorizations, and other mandated DoD compliance policies and reporting.
• Participates in top-level decision-making regarding courses of action that will improve the system security and integrity of data collection, distribution, and management. Participates in reviews and assessments for all security related items to include Plans of Actions and Milestones (POA&M), cybersecurity change requests, security briefs, and zero trust architecture.

What This Job Offers

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