Cybersecurity Director

Guidehouse offers an environment built for senior leaders who want to shape enterprise cybersecurity work across federal environments. In this onsite role in Arlington, VA, you will lead engagements and strategic initiatives spanning cyber governance, risk management, compliance, practice growth, and thought leadership aligned to federal cybersecurity frameworks.

What you’ll do

• Lead enterprise-level cyber advisory engagements, ensuring alignment with EO 14028, OMB guidance, CISA directives, and NIST frameworks.
• Drive business development and capture activities to expand cybersecurity offerings, including proposal leadership, client relationship management, and revenue growth.
• Oversee delivery of major cybersecurity engagements, focusing on quality, scalability, and adherence to federal cybersecurity standards.
• Provide thought leadership through publications, conferences, and industry forums to strengthen the organization’s presence in cybersecurity services.
• Develop and execute cybersecurity policies, services, and solutions aligned to EO 14028, OMB guidance, CISA directives, and NIST frameworks.
• Advise executive leadership (CISO, CIO, CDO) and interagency partners on cybersecurity strategy and risk posture.
• Combine cybersecurity technical expertise with IT, data, and AI competencies to advance risk management approaches for clients and prospective clients.
• Integrate Zero Trust principles into enterprise services and support system adoption in line with NIST SP 800-207, CISA, DOW and IC frameworks, including approaches for the Zero Trust Maturity Model.
• Define and monitor KPIs, maturity models, and compliance metrics to improve operational effectiveness and risk reduction, such as decreasing time for vulnerability patching, increasing speed of Mean Time to Recover, and supporting continuous monitoring and continuous Authority to Operate initiatives.
• Drive practice growth through business development, proposal leadership, and client engagement, translating mission risk into AI-enabled controls, analytics, and automation, while stewarding solutions to optimize outcomes and margin.
• Mentor multi-disciplinary teams, build communities of practice, and embed learning loops to foster a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.

What you’ll need

• 10+ years of overall relevant work experience.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.
• Active and maintained “SECRET” (or higher) federal security clearance.
• Experience in cybersecurity risk management and governance, including multiple years in senior leadership roles.
• Federal experience at the department level working on cybersecurity programs.
• Comprehensive understanding of federal IT/security and privacy procedures and techniques.
• Ability to influence an AI-first, data-driven mindset and drive a culture of collaboration, innovation, and best practices.
• Proven track record leading capture, building pipeline, increasing win-rate across federal segments, and meeting yearly targets (for example, bookings and utilization).
• Demonstrated ability to lead large, multidisciplinary teams and deliver complex cybersecurity programs.
• Strong communication skills for engaging audiences from C-suite executives to technical specialists.
• US Citizenship required. Sponsorship is not eligible for this position.

Technologies and frameworks

• EO 14028, OMB guidance, CISA directives, NIST frameworks
• NIST SP 800-207, Zero Trust Maturity Model
• Mean Time to Recover, continuous monitoring, continuous Authority to Operate
• AI-enabled controls

Benefits

• Medical, Rx, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Personal and Family Sick Time & Company Paid Holidays
• Position may be eligible for a discretionary variable incentive bonus
• Parental Leave and Adoption Assistance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Basic Life & Supplemental Life
• Health Savings Account, Dental/Vision & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Student Loan PayDown
• Tuition Reimbursement, Personal Development & Learning Opportunities
• Skills Development & Certifications
• Employee Referral Program
• Corporate Sponsored Events & Community Outreach
• Emergency Back-Up Childcare Program
• Mobility Stipend

Travel required: up to 25%

Clearance required: Active Secret

What would be nice to have

• Successfully meeting or exceeding Business Development targets in the range of $10M - $15M USD
• Cybersecurity experience in Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, Department of War, or the Intelligence community
• Master’s Degree
• Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
• Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)