Clarification from the agency

All groups of qualified individuals.

The Executive Director, Information Security Policy and Strategy reports to the VA Deputy Chief Information Officer (DCIO) for Information Security, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).

The responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Provides supervisory oversight for development and promulgation of agency-wide information security/cybersecurity strategy and policy to ensure all VA information systems maintain an appropriate level of confidentiality, integrity, and availability, and is accountable for long-term strategies to address data security and privacy, ensuring compliance with Federal statute/regulations and comprehensively protecting the VA's $4B (annual) globally distributed IT environment supporting approx. 350K VA employees and servicing 20M US Veterans.
• Directs publishing of CS policy, processes, programs, architecture, security control implementation and assessment procedures, security design, security encryption, data file monitoring, and regulating access to safeguard information and providing immediate and continuous CS risk insight.
• Leverages analysis, forensics and reverse engineering to monitor and diagnose malware events, viruses, and critical risks and vulnerability issues, and advises the DCIO/CISO on innovative recommendations for solutions, including hardware and software programs that can help strengthen CS to mitigate risk of future breaches.
• The incumbent oversees development of information security metrics, reports, and dashboards, and serves as the executive level responsible entity for VA information security policy and strategy governance/oversight (including FISMA reporting), representing OIT and VA with external organizations including OMB, Congress, the White House, commercial entities, etc. at key meetings and strategic efforts.
• Leads policy and strategy efforts to codify CS skills and proficiency needed to meet the agile, multi-functional, and dynamic CS workforce requirements in a complex, fast-paced, transformative IT environment.
• Speaks on behalf of the DCIO, for Information Security/CISO, in their absence.

Conditions of employment

• US citizenship is required.
• One year probationary period required for initial SES appointment.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Successful completion of background investigation and drug screening.
• Public Financial Disclosure Report (SF-278) is required.
• May be subject to reassignment geographically or organizationally.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications, applicant must possess the following technical and executive core qualifications. These qualifications would typically be gained through progressively responsible management or executive level assignments such as director of a regional office, medical facility or program manager. An individual's total experience, education and volunteer work experience must demonstrate the ability to perform the duties of the position.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g. Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

MANDATORY EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): All applicants must submit a written narrative response to the following ECQs. Your narrative must address each ECQ separately. Additional information on ECQs is available at: http://www.opm.gov/ses/recruitment/qualify.asp. Applicants are encouraged to follow the Challenge, Context, Action and Results model outlined in the guide. It is recommended that you draft your ECQs in a Word document and then upload into the system.

1. Leading Change: The ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.

2. Leading People: The ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.

3. Results Driven: The ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.

4. Business Acumen: The ability to manage human, financial and information resources strategically.

5. Building Coalitions: The ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, state and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals.

TECHNICAL QUALIFICATION (TQ)s: In addition, all applicants must submit a written narrative response to the following TQ(s). Please give examples and explain how often you used your skills, the complexity of the knowledge possessed, the level of people you interacted with, the sensitivity of the issues you handled managing a large public or private sector organization that administers complex, rules-based benefits or services, etc. It is recommended that you draft your TQ(s) in a word document and then upload into the system.

TQ1: Ability to plan, design, develop, coordinate, publish, and manage enterprise-wide cybersecurity policies and strategies to safeguard an organization's information and information technology and conduct proper information security risk management, as well as devise and implement subsequent governance, oversight, and reporting activities/mechanisms for published policies and strategies.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Step 1: ECQ qualifications

Step 2: Technical Qualification(s)

Step 3: VA Executive Resources Board

Step 4: Nominating Organization may conduct interviews

Step 5: Approval by the Selecting Official (may include additional screening)

Step 6: OPM Qualifications Review Board certification