Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Deputy CISO

About the role

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) is hiring for two premier executive leadership roles within the DHS Cybersecurity Service (DHS-CS): Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Deputy Chief Information Security Officer (DCISO).

What you will do

• The CISO and DCISO serve as the principal cybersecurity advisors to the Chief Information Officer (CIO), leading the statutory DHS Information Security Program.
• In these roles, you will architect the Department's information security strategy, ensure federal compliance (FISMA, OMB, Clinger-Cohen), and direct strategic planning and multi-year IT investments to safeguard national security.
• The CISO holds the ultimate accountability for department-wide cybersecurity strategy, governance, and enterprise risk management.
• The DCISO acts as the principal deputy and operational lead, directing Headquarters cybersecurity operations and ensuring the day-to-day protection of DHS information assets.
• In either capacity, you will apply technical executive leadership to: Advise senior DHS leadership and champion unified, risk-driven security programs across all DHS components.
• Oversee long-range planning and implementation of security engineering, risk operations, and cyber defense.
• Champion the adoption of emerging technologies, including AI, to proactively mitigate evolving threats.
• Build high-performing, multidisciplinary teams and forge critical partnerships with government, industry, and international stakeholders.
• Oversee the statutory DHS Information Security Program to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of national security systems.
• Successful candidates must demonstrate a proven track record of aligning engineering excellence with enterprise security objectives: Experience developing and refining secure systems, hardware, and software capabilities.
• Ability to build practical, scalable technical solutions while balancing lifecycle costs, federal acquisitions, and program budgets.
• Proven capability to establish engineering requirements that ensure seamless integration between internal and external systems.
• Strategic understanding of cyber risk, ensuring vulnerability and threat mitigation are integrated into every phase of the engineering lifecycle.
• Demonstrated expertise in identifying and adopting emerging technologies (e.g., cloud, mobile, AI) to meet complex organizational security needs.
• Expected Areas of Technical Evidence includes: Cybersecurity Hardware & Systems Engineering Secure Software & Application Design Cybersecurity Solutions Evaluation Technical Testing & Evaluation Processes

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.

How you will be evaluated

All applicants for the DHS Cybersecurity Service participate in a multi-phase assessment process tailored to their career track. Individuals applying to the Executive Track will undergo a structured interview, as detailed below. DHS will guide you through each step of the process via email.

Please monitor your inbox regularly to ensure you receive all communications. The Structured Interview This is a one-hour, panel interview with Component leadership. The discussion will focus on: Your Career: A review of your professional background and experience in cybersecurity.

Technical Expertise: An exploration of your deepest skills in specific cybersecurity specializations, which the DHS Cybersecurity Service refers to as "technical capabilities." You can learn more about these capabilities here.

Leadership Scenarios: You may be asked to respond to work-related scenarios to assess your ability to lead technical talent and manage cybersecurity-focused organizations. To learn about the assessment process for this Executive Track position, visit our portal and read the "Assessment Process" guide.

Documents you must provide

• To complete your application, you will need to submit the following documents.
• Resume: Before applying, we strongly recommend visiting our application portal to review the "Resume Tips" guide.
• This will help you prepare a resume that aligns with the DHS Cybersecurity Service standards. *Please include month and year when documenting your experience.
• Political Appointee Documentation (if applicable).
• Current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee employees must submit the following: A copy of your applicable SF-50.
• A statement detailing your most recent political appointment, including: Position title Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee) Agency Beginning and ending dates of the appointment

What to expect next

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 Interview If qualified, component staff will contact you to schedule a structured, in-person panel interview 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.(***).

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

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 - $221,500 Senior Cybersecurity Executive: $190,000 - $239,500 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.