Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Deputy CISO

Summary

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).

Duties

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

Qualifications

These positions are in the Executive Track. DHS Cybersecurity Service employees start at career levels and salaries matching their experience and expertise. The Cybersecurity Executive career level calls for the following qualifications: Generally 15+ years of cybersecurity experience, typically no less than 8 years 5+ years in executive leadership. Proven ability to lead expansive, high-impact cybersecurity programs at enterprise-scale. An executive-level cybersecurity manager who serves as senior functional authority and oversees multiple, highly-visible Department-wide cybersecurity programs The Senior Cybersecurity Executive career level calls for the following qualifications: Generally 15+ years of cybersecurity experience; typically no less than 10 years 5+ years in executive leadership. Proven ability to lead expansive, high-impact cybersecurity programs at enterprise-scale. Seasoned executive ready to oversee national cybersecurity initiatives and multi-level organizations, reporting directly to presidential appointees. NOTE: Your resume must explicitly outline your cybersecurity experience. DHS Cybersecurity Service employees start at career levels and salaries matching their experience and expertise. 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.