Cybersecurity Engineering - Technical

At DHS Headquarters, the Cybersecurity Engineering - Technical role sits within the DHS Cybersecurity Service, delivering engineering expertise to fortify government systems. Based onsite in Chandler, AZ, the position collaborates with cybersecurity engineers, information security analysts, network engineers, and lead software developers to shape secure, scalable solutions that support critical national operations.

Responsibilities

• Perform software, hardware, and systems engineering to create and refine technical capabilities, ensuring full alignment with security objectives, principles, and processes.
• Identify and recommend methods for integrating promising technologies to meet organizational cybersecurity requirements, staying current on emerging tech and its applications to cloud and mobile environments.
• Develop practical solutions with full consideration of lifecycle costs, acquisitions, programs, management, and budgeting.
• Define engineering requirements and ensure interoperability of internal and external systems.
• Assist DHS leaders with design and implementation decisions related to cybersecurity.
• Research and evaluate current technologies to understand system or network capabilities and provide system security consultation and engineering to business owners, system owners, and developers.
• Maintain security process coordination within the Department's lifecycle management and governance processes.
• Apply cybersecurity functions such as encryption, access control, and identity management to reduce exploitation opportunities.
• Coordinate with systems architects and developers to oversee design solutions, system security controls, and countermeasures, including designing and developing new cybersecurity tools and technologies.
• Conduct risk analyses, feasibility studies, and trade-off analyses to develop and maintain functional requirements, specifications, and technical security baselines.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or national.
• You must be 18 years of age.
• Must be registered for the Selective Service (if you are a male).
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance. Security clearance levels may vary.
• Must be able to submit to a drug test and receive a negative result.
• Must be able to comply with ethics and standards of conduct requirements, including completing any applicable financial disclosure.
• May be required to serve a 3 year probationary period.
• Have between 5-15 years of cybersecurity work experience.
• Range from experienced cybersecurity professionals who apply technical expertise and independent judgement to perform cybersecurity work to recognized Federal cybersecurity technical authorities with uncommon technical expertise who advise on cybersecurity challenges impacting DHS and the Nation.
• Conduct software, hardware, and systems engineering to develop new and refine/enhance existing technical capabilities, ensuring full integration with security objectives, principles, and processes.
• Build practical solutions in full consideration of lifecycle costs, acquisitions, programs, and budget management.
• Identify engineering requirements for, and ensure interoperability of, internal and external systems.
• Demonstrate strategic risk understanding, considering the impact of security breaches or vulnerabilities in every aspect of the engineering process.
• Stay current on emerging technologies, and their applications to current and emerging business processes (e.g., cloud, mobile) to identify and recommend methods for incorporating promising technologies to meet organizational cybersecurity requirements.

THIS JOB IS OPEN TO

• The public
• U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Salary ranges by level: Senior Cybersecurity Specialist: 106,700 - 138,000; Staff Cybersecurity Specialist: 129,700 - 163,000; Principal Cybersecurity Specialist: 154,600 - 196,500; Senior Principal Cybersecurity Specialist: 170,600 - 214,500.
• In certain geographic areas, starting salaries may be higher due to local cybersecurity labor market supplements (for example, metro Washington, D.C., +10%).
• Actual salaries of individual employees may vary. For an overview of available salaries in the DHS Cybersecurity Service, see Resources.
• Benefits: DHS Cybersecurity Service employees receive a range of federal employment benefits designed to support professional and personal needs. Details are available in the application portal.
• Background Investigation: all selected applicants must undergo and successfully complete a background investigation for a security clearance as a condition of placement in this position. The review covers financial issues, criminal offenses, and other factors.
• Drug testing: DHS maintains a drug-free workplace and conducts random and other drug testing. Headquarters personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions are subject to random drug testing; all applicants tentatively selected for employment are tested with results required to be negative.