Cybersecurity Executives Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. 26-12950279-CBWQ Department DHS Headquarters
Salary $176,000.00 to $238,200.00 Grade 00 to 00
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 5/5/2026 Close Date 5/19/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is recruiting professionals to support a range of executive roles within the United States Secret Service (USSS), Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), including Executive Director of Cyber, Infrastructure, Platforms, and Mission Delivery. All positions are in the DHS Cybersecurity Service.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Duties

The Executives are responsible for implementing the programs necessary to align the United States Secret Service Information Technology (IT) personnel, resources, and assets. This includes all systems and infrastructure that support Department-wide missions and activities, required to lead a unified DHS effort to prevent and deter terrorist attacks.

As a Cybersecurity Executive in the DHS Cybersecurity Service, you will lead and oversee multifaceted aspects of the United States Secret Service mission, programs, and personnel. You will apply your technical executive leadership expertise to:

  • Ensure day-to-day operational synchronicity within the agency to implement and manage programs necessary to align US Secret Service IT personnel, resources and assets or detect and evict adversaries from U.S. networks.
  • Provide strategic oversight for developing, exercising, and coordinating execution of operational plans, including supporting the development of the OCIO Strategic Plan.
  • Formulate programs, priorities, and policies supporting the OCIO's objectives.
  • Guide leaders and teams within and across US Secret Service to meet operational compliance requirements, steward agency finances, and effectively manage, reduce, and mitigate increasing cybersecurity risks.
  • Develop and maintain incident response plans, ensuring rapid detection, containment, and mitigation of cyber incidents.
  • Supervise and assign work to be accomplished by subordinates leading large growing teams in dynamic environments working to reduce the prevalence of vulnerabilities and exploitable conditions that are most likely to be used by malicious actors to achieve their goals. This includes planning and establishing work schedules, determining performance standards, and evaluating work performance, counseling employees on work and administrative matters, selecting candidates for vacancies, resolving complaints, effecting disciplinary actions, promoting employee development, and ensures that subordinates comply with laws, regulations, and DHS policies pertaining to ethics, security, travel, safety, procurement, fiscal management, and other areas, as appropriate.
  • Advise senior USSS leaders with decision-making related to a variety of information technology priorities.
  • Oversee the development, implementation, and management of policies, standards, and guidance in accordance with federal laws, regulations, and DHS Directives.
  • Manage operational partnerships with Federal, State, local, territorial, tribal government partners, international, and industry stakeholders, integrating requisite operational capabilities, resources, and processes for meeting specific mission needs and expand USSS cybersecurity capabilities, technical products, and guidance.
  • Serve as a Directorate representative in meetings with senior officials, local governments, and senior executives in the public and private sectors.
  • Determine scope of change needed to maintain security authentication technology for appropriateness and compliance to allow for a secure and trusted computing environment.
  • Ensure Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) compliance for the Office. Controls allocation of resources and budget formulation for the integration of security programs across disciplines.
  • Lead the evaluation of the agency mission, goals, and plans to develop an IT architecture plan.
  • Develop long-range plans identifying and evaluating new information technologies to improve productivity, reliability, and resource utilization for information systems, modifying organizational structure(s) accordingly to coincide and accommodate IT infrastructure support goals and objectives.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen or national.
  • You must be 18 years of age.
  • Must be registered for the Selective Service (if you are a male).
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI security clearance.
  • Must be able to submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.
  • Must be able to comply with ethics and standards of conduct requirements, including completing a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE278) upon entry, and annually thereafter.
  • May be required to serve a 3 year probationary period.
  • Submit a credit check after a conditional offer of employment has been accepted.
  • May be subject to submit a Counterintelligence (CI) polygraph examination prior to your appointment.

Qualifications

These opportunities are in the Executive Track. DHS Cybersecurity Service employees start at career levels and salaries matching their experience and expertise.

Cybersecurity Executives generally have 15+ years of cybersecurity work experience and 5+ years of leadership experience and are either:

  • Capable of serving as an executive-level cybersecurity manager who serves as a Component senior functional authority--or DHS-wide leader--and oversees multiple, highly visible Component or DHS cybersecurity programs; or
  • Capable of serving as a seasoned cybersecurity executive who serves as a DHS-wide cybersecurity leader overseeing expansive, national cybersecurity programs, and multiple multi-level organizations as direct reports to presidential appointees.
DHS Cybersecurity Service employees start at career levels and salaries matching their experience and expertise. In recruiting for this opportunity, DHS may hire employees at higher or lower career levels and associated salaries. To learn more about DHS Cybersecurity Service career tracks and levels, visit our application portal.

Education

Degrees are not required for jobs in the DHS Cybersecurity Service, but DHS is interested in your level of education and the topics you studied. As you submit initial application information, you will be asked questions about your education.

Additional 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 - $238,200

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

All DHS Cybersecurity Service applicants participate in a multi-phase assessment process, which varies by career track. For the Executive Career Track, applicants participate in a two-phase assessment process:

  • You must successfully complete Phase I to be invited to advance to Phase II.
  • The total time commitment for both phases is approximately 4 hours (many applicants require less time!).
  • Before each phase, DHS will e-mail you instructions and information to help you prepare.
  • Monitor your e-mail to ensure you have plenty of time to complete assessments prior to any deadlines or request an extension, if necessary.
PHASE I: ONLINE ASSESSMENTS
  • Unproctored - you choose the time and location.
  • Includes three assessments: (1) an executive work simulation that you will have up to 4 hours to complete; (2) an executive situational judgement test that you will have up to 3 hours to complete; and (3) a leadership behavioral index test that you will have unlimited time to complete.
  • The three assessments take about 3.5 hours (on average) to complete.
  • No knowledge of DHS is required for these assessments.
  • Requires a computer with audio (speakers or headphones) and a reliable internet connection.
PHASE II: STRUCTURED INTERVIEW
  • Online video or in-person interview - you coordinate with DHS to schedule
  • 1 hour to complete
  • Discuss your cybersecurity career journey, including the cybersecurity specializations (called technical capabilities in the DHS Cybersecurity Service; visit here to learn more about the technical capabilities) in which you have the most expertise and experience.
  • Provide your responses to interview questions, including work-related scenarios to assess your capability to lead technical cybersecurity talent and cybersecurity-focused organizations.
NOTE: Your resume must explicitly outline your cybersecurity experience.

To learn about the assessment process for this Executive Track position, visit our portal and read the "Assessment Process" guide.

Required Documents

  1. Your resume. To help you prepare your resume before applying to the DHS Cybersecurity Service, visit our application portal and read the "Resume Tips" guide.
  2. If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the online assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here.
  3. If you are a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee please submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:- Position title- Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee)- Agency- Beginning and ending dates of appointment

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online questionnaire, required assessments, and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 05/19/2026 to receive consideration. The application process will follow the bullets outlined below.

  1. To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
  2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
  3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
  4. After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA HIRE platform. This message will be delivered via email notification.
  5. If you are asked to take the online assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning online assessments. Note: set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.

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.

Agency contact information

DHS Cybersecurity Service Talent Team
Email
dhscsapplicants@hq.dhs.gov
Address
Cybersecurity Talent Management System
245 Murray Lane SW
Washington, DC 20528
US

Next steps

The DHS Cybersecurity Service application process is designed to both prioritize fairness to all applicants and identify qualified candidates to join the DHS Cybersecurity Service. Successful applicants proceed through the following steps and will receive notifications as each step is completed: Submit Initial Information

  • Upload resume
  • Answer questions about your expertise and experience
Assessment + Interview
  • Complete multi-phase assessment process
  • Interview with the team you might join
Tentative Job Offer + Background Investigation
  • Receive a tentative job offer, including your compensation and benefits package
  • Receive an invitation to start the background investigation process
Final Job Offer + Start Date
  • Receive a final job offer
  • Determine your start date
We will notify you by email after each of these steps has been completed. Your status will also be updated on USAJOBS throughout the process. To check your status, log on to your USAJOBS account, click on "Application Status," and then click "More Information."

Note: If you successfully complete the application process and receive a tentative DHS Cybersecurity Service job offer, applicable employment eligibility requirements, including those you must comply with throughout your appointment at DHS, will be communicated to you in writing.

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U. S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U. S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.(http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify).

To learn more about DHS Cybersecurity Service employment eligibility, visit our application portal.

DHS Headquarters

Every day, DHS Cybersecurity Service employees are on the front line - protecting the systems, networks, and information Americans rely on. To learn more about the DHS cybersecurity mission, visit our application portal.

Agency contact information

DHS Cybersecurity Service Talent Team
Email
dhscsapplicants@hq.dhs.gov
Address
Cybersecurity Talent Management System
245 Murray Lane SW
Washington, DC 20528
US