Cybersecurity Specialist Job in Chicago, IL

Vacancy No. 260048SS-13067674-CS Department Railroad Retirement Board
Salary $0.00 to $0.00 Grade 00 to 00
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Part-time
Open Date 9/21/2026 Close Date 10/2/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Chicago, IL


Cybersecurity Specialist

Railroad Retirement Board

Summary

Make an impact while you learn. The Semester of Service Program offers students a volunteer project-based opportunity to support real Federal missions, gaining hands-on experience and valuable career-ready skills. Students must be enrolled at least half-time in an accredited institution with permission to participate. With this project, you'll support an Information Technology-based project.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Students enrolled or accepted for enrollment during the current or next upcoming semester in a degree-seeking program (diploma, certificate, etc.) in an Accredited/Qualifying Educational Institution, on full or half-time basis.

Duties

Project Overview:
The student intern- Cybersecurity Specialist will support the Railroad Retirement Board's cybersecurity program through a project focused on cybersecurity policy, compliance, and Security Operations Center (SOC) activities. The project provides hands-on experience supporting federal information security and cybersecurity risk management initiatives.

As a Cybersecurity Specialist, you will:

  • Assist with developing, reviewing, and documenting cybersecurity policies, procedures and guidance.
  • Support the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) with cybersecurity compliance and risk management activities.
  • Assist with Security Operation Center activities, including monitoring and documenting cybersecurity events and alerts.
  • Conduct research and analysis on federal cybersecurity requirements, emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and best practices.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen
  • Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service
  • All selectees must sign a Semester of Service Agreement.
  • Be enrolled not less than half-time in an accredited trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or other accredited educational institution.
  • Be in good academic standing as defined by your institution.
  • Commit to volunteering 8 – 20 hours per week for a minimum of 90 days.
  • Complete all required onboarding documentation assigned by the Federal agency and your academic institution.
  • Agree to volunteer. This position is unpaid. No compensation, stipends, or hiring preference will be granted from this work. You may use this volunteer experience to qualify for future jobs you choose to apply for.
  • Agree to understanding volunteers are not Federal employees.

Qualifications

Applicants will be considered based on their knowledge, skills or abilities related to project needs. Specifically, applicants should have:

  • Technical knowledge of basic cybersecurity and information security concepts and principles.
  • Technical knowledge of cybersecurity polices, standards, compliance, or risk management concepts.
  • Technical skills in analyzing cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities, or security-related information.

Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered. This job announcement may be used to fill one or more vacancies.

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION:
If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, click here.

Additional information

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.

This is an unpaid volunteer experience. Student volunteers are not considered Federal employees for any purpose other than injury compensation and laws related to the Federal Tort Claims Act, and service is not creditable for leave accrual or other employee benefits.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility and qualifications for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

You may view the questionnaire here:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13067674

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

  • Resume (two or fewer pages) showing:- Your work experience to include start and end dates.- Education information, such as the name of your school and dates of attendance.- Any knowledge, skills or abilities you've gained through education that relate to the project.
  • Transcripts: All applicants MUST furnish a copy of his/her college transcript(s) (unofficial copy is acceptable). Transcripts must include the name of the college or university, specific courses, and the number of semester/quarter hours currently enrolled. Applicants not currently enrolled must provide a student schedule for the upcoming semester/quarter verifying at least half-time enrollment status. If selected, applicants will be required to provide official college transcripts to verify educational qualifications prior to reporting for work.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

In accordance with the Merit Hiring Plan, only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.

Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.

We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume.
For additional guidance on what to include in your resume, please see USAJOBS Help.


Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

  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 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://usajobs.gov). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account at https://www.usajobs.gov. On the Home page, scroll down and locate your job application. Once the job has been located, click the "Track this application" link on the right under the application date. The page will refresh to display the Agency's Application Information page where you can scroll down and review any notifications the agency has sent you. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Agency contact information

RRB Human Resources
Phone
(312) 751-4580
Email
recruit@rrb.gov
Address
Railroad Retirement Board
844 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and possible referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.

Railroad Retirement Board

The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is an independent Federal agency established nearly 90 years ago under President Roosevelt's New Deal legislation. Created separate from (but similar to) the social security program for America's workforce, the RRB administers retirement, survivor, unemployment, and sickness benefits for railroad retirees, workers, and their families.

We are the only Federal agency headquartered in downtown Chicago, with 53 field offices nationwide. Our dedicated staff works across a variety of career fields, including information technology, benefit program operations, accounting, finance, and law. Whatever the job title, every position within the RRB contributes to our proud tradition of excellent customer service -- a hallmark of the RRB since its inception in 1935.

Whether you are just starting out or are an experienced professional seeking a career change, consider joining the RRB for challenging work that is truly meaningful.

Agency contact information

RRB Human Resources
Phone
(312) 751-4580
Email
recruit@rrb.gov
Address
Railroad Retirement Board
844 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Railroad Retirement Board, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.rrb.gov/index.php/OurAgency/AgencyOverview