Summary
NEH is an independent grant-making agency of the government dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The incumbent serves as an Information System Security Officer located in the Office of Information Technology (OIT), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). OIT is responsible for planning, developing, communicating, and coordinating NEH's information systems management activities.
This job is open to
The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Special authorities
Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed in another hiring path.
Clarification from the agency
This position is being filled using the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Delegated Direct-Hire Authority and is open to all U.S. citizens. Under this authority, competitive rating, ranking and veterans' preference procedures do not apply. All applicants who meet the basic qualification requirements will be forwarded to the Selecting Official for consideration.
Duties
- Coordinate and enforce cybersecurity policies for on-premise, hybrid, mobile, and cloud systems, working closely with the Chief Information Security Officer and OIT leadership.
- Ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability of NEH systems by implementing and maintaining security programs and tools across all platforms including continuous monitoring solutions.
- Assist with cybersecurity reviews and risk assessments for NEH systems and manage reporting and remediation for FISMA and related audits.
- Maintain and update security documentation and governance artifacts, including NIST SP 800-53 controls, system security plans, and IT security policies.
- Implement and evaluate security programs to minimize vulnerabilities, enforce backup procedures, and ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
- Advise staff on security issues and deliver IT security awareness training, while liaising with internal and external groups on audits and compliance matters.
- Promote best practices and emerging technologies in cybersecurity, develop metrics and dashboards, and recommend resources to strengthen NEH's security posture.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- U.S. Citizen
- Relevant experience and/or education
- Favorable background investigation
- Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with the Selective Service
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying.
At the GS-13 level Qualified candidates must possess:
1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level or equivalent experience.
Specialized experience is experience which is directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, for example: Specialized experience includes: (1) coordination, implementation, and enforcement of cybersecurity policies; (2) continuously monitors, periodically reviews, manages, and reports on IT systems, related tasks, processes, policies, and procedures; (3) develops policies, guidelines, training material, documentation, and technical drawings related to cybersecurity; (4) stays informed on government-wide laws, regulations, and guidelines related to cybersecurity including FISMA, NIST's Risk Management Framework, Special Publications SP-800-53, and CISA's Strategies, Models, and Pillars for Zero Trust; (5) provides cybersecurity coaching, advice, and instruction to organization staff.
As part of the online application process you will need to respond to a series of questions designed to assess your possession of the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or competencies:
- Customer Service
- Cybersecurity
- Project Management
- Technical Competence
- Written Communication
Additional information
1. If you are an eligible Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) applicant you may apply for special selection over other candidates for this position. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85 or above on the rating criteria for this position. ICTAP eligibles must submit one of the following as proof of eligibility for the special selection priority: a separation notice; a "Notice of Personnel Action" (SF-50) documenting separation; an agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated; an OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated; OR a Military Department or National Guard Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456.
2. If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you must attach a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must attach an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form.
3. If you are the spouse of a member of the armed forces on active duty, the spouse of a 100 percent disabled member of the armed forces, or the spouse of a deceased member of the armed forces, you may apply for consideration through the Military Spouse Noncompetitive Appointing Authority. You must meet certain criteria for each of these eligibility categories. Learn more about hiring options available to military spouses. Your eligibility does not entitle you to a job within the federal government. You must still apply and meet qualification standards and additional requirements, such as a background investigation.
4. If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/59 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.
5. You can apply for a non-competitive appointment if you meet the basic eligibility requirements and you are eligible for special appointment such as those authorized for the severely disabled; certain Vietnam era and disabled veterans; returned volunteers from the Peace Corps or Vista, etc. Please indicate the type of special appointment you are seeking, if any, on your application and follow all other instructions for applying shown in this announcement.
6. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review in our office, in other Federal agency personnel offices, and on OPM's web site at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.
7. This position may require completion of a 1-year probationary period.
8. This position may qualify for membership in the NEH American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 3403.
9. The Direct Hire Recruitment process does not add veterans' preference points, apply the "rule of three", or float veterans. All applicants will be ranked and placed in their corresponding categories based on their responses to the occupational assessment questionnaire.
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.
Review our 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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
- This position is processed under a Direct Hire authority; therefore, veteran's preference and Category Rating procedures do not apply.
Any exaggeration of an applicant's experience, false statements, or attempts to conceal information may be grounds for rating an applicant ineligible, not hiring the applicant, or for termination after he/she begins work. If a determination is made that in responding to the competency-based question an applicant has rated themselves higher than is evident in their resume, experience, and/or education, the applicant's score may be manually adjusted by a Human Resource Specialist.
INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS will receive a rating of IFM (ineligible due to missing forms). Requests for reconsideration will not be considered for applicants who fail to submit a complete application package. We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software, fax transmissions, etc.
Only send documentation as requested/required by this announcement and that directly supports your qualifications for this position.
Required Documents
All applicants are required to submit the following supporting document type(s):
Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We cannot assume you have performed the necessary experience required for this position regardless of your employment history or academic career.
To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the
USAJOBS online Resume Builder .
If you choose to use your own resume, you must ensure it contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position:
- Job title
- Name of employer
- Start and end dates (including the month and year)
- Hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. We will prorate part-time employment in crediting experience.
- The level and amount of experience-for instance, whether you served as a project manager or a team member helps to illustrate your level of experience.
- Examples of relevant experiences and accomplishments that prove you can perform the tasks at the level required for the job as stated in the job announcement. Your experience needs to address every required qualification.
- Series and grade or equivalent (if a federal position)
If the position has an education requirement you must include relevant transcripts. If you are qualifying on the basis of education, you must list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study and provide the relevant transcript. If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses in your resume. Detailed information regarding resume formats can be found at
USAJobs HelpCenter.
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
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/06/2026 to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
The applicant self assessment can be previewed here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12889913
Next steps
Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. If you are selected for an interview you will be contacted by the selecting official.