This position is located in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Consular Systems and Technology (CA/CST). CA/CST provides a full range of information technology systems lifecycle development services from inception through deployment and support. CA/CST's functions emanate directly from Congressional mandates, Federal statutes and regulations, interagency agreements, and State Department policy and mission objectives.
Summary
This position is located in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Consular Systems and Technology (CA/CST). CA/CST provides a full range of information technology systems lifecycle development services from inception through deployment and support. CA/CST's functions emanate directly from Congressional mandates, Federal statutes and regulations, interagency agreements, and State Department policy and mission objectives.
All groups of qualified individuals.
"You are encouraged to read the entire announcement before you submit your application package. Your application may not get full consideration if you do not follow the instructions as outlined."
CA/CST plays a key role in supporting the CA mission by managing a broad range of IT functions that directly and significantly impact the operations of a major organizational component within the Department of State with global responsibilities. As a member of the CA/CST senior leadership team, the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) serves as the principal adviser to the CA Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs on all matters related to the protection of CA systems and data. In addition to advising and assisting the CA CIO in overseeing information risk management for the Bureau, the CISO is responsible for establishing and advancing the Consular Affairs vision in meeting evolving information security needs in a manner that balances usability, accessibility, privacy, and security. Additional responsibilities of the position include but are not limited to the following:
Manages the development, implementation, and maintenance of the Bureau of Consular Affairs information security and privacy policies, standards, guidelines, baselines, processes, and procedures in compliance with pertinent Federal regulations and standards.
Develops and leads the implementation of Consular Affairs incident response and investigation procedures. Oversees the creation of playbooks for incident responses, communication strategies, investigation and remediation of cybersecurity incidents impacting consular systems or data, and after-action analysis and lessons learned. Provides executive oversight for Consular Affairs' vulnerability analysis, risk identification, and incident response activities.
Serves as the preeminent expert on information security and Zero Trust principles for consular systems, networks, and data. As the SME in Zero Trust architectures and principles, guides bureau efforts in defining and designing zero trust requirements for consular systems. Provides authoritative guidance regarding prioritization of infrastructure investments that impact CA's cybersecurity posture, monitoring cybersecurity issues affecting the protection of the organization's information assets.
Partners with the Department's Office of the Enterprise Chief Information Security Office, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cyber and Technology Security, and the Deputy Chief Information Office for Cyber Operations in addressing an extremely broad and diverse range of cybersecurity related issues and in implementing enterprise level solutions. Provides senior-level expertise, insight, and innovation required to ensure the successful development, implementation, management, and maintenance of the information security systems, processes, and policies that are needed to effectively protect the full breadth of CA's global information assets, including large volumes of sensitive data.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
Requires a financial disclosure statement, OGE-278.
Verification of employment eligibility in the United States is required.
This position is a drug-testing designated position subject to random testing for illegal drug use. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's completion and favorable adjudication of a background security investigation. The Ethics in Government Act, PL 95-521 requires the applicant selected for this position submit a financial disclosure statement, OGE-278, prior to assuming the SL position, annually, and upon termination of employment.
Qualifications
Applicants MUST meet the qualification requirements described below:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Candidates’ resumes must demonstrate they have 10+ years of specialized experience in Cybersecurity work and 3+ years of leadership experience that is indicative of senior level capability and that is directly related to the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at or above the equivalent of the GS-15 grade level in the Federal service or its equivalent. There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the SL position.
IN ADDITION TO meeting the specialized experience listed above, applicants must also submit separate narrative statements covering the Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) listed below in order to receive consideration for the position. When addressing to the MTQs, you must clearly show that you possess the experience, knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of this position. Your narrative response to the MTQs should be clear and emphasize your level of responsibility, scope, and complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments with results of your actions, policy initiatives, and level of contacts. Include in your responses all efforts/accomplishments related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives. Your narrative response is limited to two (2) pages per MTQ.
For this position, applicants' experience and resume should explicitly demonstrate the following:
MTQ 1: Demonstrated ability to effectively manage an information security program including providing the strategic direction and a clear vision of the goals and objectives for the information security program that required an in-depth knowledge of automated information systems, enterprise networks, security monitoring, cloud solutions, application security and security architecture, as well as enterprise risk management and compliance with all relevant cybersecurity regulations and laws to include Executive Orders on Cybersecurity.
MTQ 2: Demonstrated broad knowledge and ability to effectively implement and manage a zero trust cybersecurity framework to assess, manage, and limit an organization’s cybersecurity risk and protect networks, data, and applications.
If you do not possess the mandatory technical qualifications described above, you WILL lose consideration for this position.
Applicants' failure to respond to the MTQ and exceeding required page limit will be marked “ineligible.”
Applicants who use "see resume" as a response will not receive consideration for the position.
Education
There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the SL position.
Additional information
SELECTIVE SERVICE - If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify at the time of appointment that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under Selective Service law.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION - This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at (202) 663-3474 or OAA@state.gov. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.
TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY - If eligible, telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY - The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.
EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PROGRAM (E-Verify) - U.S. law requires organizations to employ only individuals who may legally work in the United States - either U.S. citizens, or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization. This agency utilizes E-Verify to compare information from the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) records to confirm employment eligibility. If the employee’s information does not match DHS and/or SSA records, the employee is given an opportunity to resolve the problem. If eligibility cannot be verified, employment will be terminated.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your application will be evaluated and rated under the Category Rating and Selection procedures. Based on your responses to the job-specific self assessment questions, eligible candidates are initially placed for selection consideration into one of three pre-defined quality categories as described below:
Best Qualified - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications for the position, applicants must fully demonstrate proficiency in all major aspects of the position.
Well Qualified - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications for the position, applicants must demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all of the major aspects of the position.
Minimally Qualified - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications for the position, applicants must demonstrate a basic level of knowledge, skill, and ability of the position.
Applicants that score in the highly qualified category and that meet all basic eligibility and basic qualification requirements will be evaluated by a Qualifications Review Panel of senior officials. The Panel will determine the group of best qualified applicants for the position by assessing the applicants’ narrative responses to the Mandatory Technical Qualifications. Among the factors that the Panel will consider when assessing the narrative responses are education, training, experience, and demonstrated senior level qualities. Applicants determined to be best qualified will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration for the position.
Your resume serves as one of the bases for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. 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). Your resume must include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week. For assistance with creating a resume, please click here.
Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements and submit any required supporting documentation by the closing date of this announcement.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
All required documents listed below must be submitted to our automated system "Gateway to State" prior to the closing date of this announcement, which is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. See Step 3 under "How to Apply."
Resume
Mandatory Technical Qualification narrative statements (see Qualifications section)
Performance Appraisal (most recent – if current federal employee)
SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action - (if current federal employee)
PLEASE READ THE BELOW INSTRUCTIONS PRIOR TO SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION. INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL BE RATED AS “INELIGIBLE” AND WILL NOT RECEIVE FURTHER CONSIDERATION:
A completed informational questionnaire.
Applicants must complete the online questionnaire associated with this job announcement.
A resume of relevant experiences and accomplishments (not to exceed 5 pages). Please ensure your resume is uploaded with pages numbered, preferably in .pdf format. Failure to upload and number pages, including documents exceeding page limit will be marked “ineligible.”
Your resume serves as a basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience as it relates to this job opportunity. Your resume must demonstrate executive potential such as experiences, accomplishments, activities, recognition, and awards related to each MTQ and breadth and scope of professional accomplishments. 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). Your resume must include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and/or the number of hours worked/volunteered per week. For assistance with creating a resume, please click here. Please note that if a cover letter is submitted, it counts towards the 5-page limit.
Mandatory Technical Qualification (MTQ) statements are limited to a maximum of two pages per MTQ.Please ensure your MTQs are uploaded with pages numbered, preferably in .pdf format. Failure to upload and number pages, including documents exceeding page limits will be marked “ineligible.”
All applicants must submit written narrative statements describing your accomplishments against the MTQ. You are required to address the MTQ separately. When addressing the MTQ, applicants should include one or two notable examples (within last 10 years) using the Challenge-Context-Action-Result (CCAR) model:
- Challenge: Describe a specific problem or goal.
- Context: Talk about the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the environment in which you worked, to tackle a particular challenge (e.g., clients, co-workers, members of Congress, shrinking budget, low morale).
- Action: Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge.
- Result: Give specific examples of the results of your actions. These accomplishments demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills.
A performance appraisal for the most recent performance rating period. The performance appraisal will be used to validate that the candidate is in good performance standing and has not been recently placed on a performance improvement plan.
SF-50 (or equivalent) Notification of Personnel Action
If you are currently serving under a federal career or career conditional appointment, a career SES appointment, are eligible for reinstatement into the career SES, or have successfully completed an SES Candidate Development Program approved by OPM, you must submit an SF-50 that shows current series and grade level or proof of non-competitive eligibility, i.e., conversion to career SES SF-50 or SES Certificate. If you fail to do so, you will be rated as "ineligible." Do not submit cash or performance award SF-50.
Please carefully read all the instructions before you begin the application process.
To apply for this job opportunity, you must submit a resume and an on-line application through the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) application system, USAJOBS. This information will be transferred to the Department of State's Gateway to State Automated Application System.
You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the following four-step application process:
STEP 1: Select the "Apply On-line" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS.
STEP 2: Submit a detailed resume or any other written format you choose documenting your job-related qualifications, experience, and education (if applicable). Cover letter is optional. If you submit a cover letter, you must also submit a resume. Please see the “How You Will Be Evaluated” section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume.
STEP 3: Answer the job-specific self-assessment questions on-line through the Gateway to State automated application system. These questions will be used to evaluate your qualifications and experience for this job opportunity.
STEP 4: Submit all required documentation, applicable to you, listed in the Required Documents section of this job opportunity to the Department’s automated application system "Gateway to State" prior to the closing date of this announcement. For instructions on how to view the status of your supporting documentation, please click here.
Technical assistance with your on-line application can be obtained by contacting the Help Desk at mgshelp@monster.com OR by calling (866) 656-6830 or (703) 269-4944 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET
ALTERNATE APPLICATION PROCEDURES
NOTE: If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package by fax. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET, at least two working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement.
NOTE: Paper applications and information sent by mail WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
U.S. Department of State
2401 E Street, N.W.
Room H-1104
Washington, District of Columbia 20520
United States
Next steps
After all application packages have been received, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. After we review and evaluate all applications, the most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews. After a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability and or security background investigation.
You will be notified up to four times during the hiring process:
1. Upon receipt of your application. 2. Upon minimum qualification determinations. 3. After the certificate is issued. 4. After final selection is made.
For instructions on how to view the status of your application, please click here.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
All required documents listed below must be submitted to our automated system "Gateway to State" prior to the closing date of this announcement, which is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. See Step 3 under "How to Apply."
Resume
Mandatory Technical Qualification narrative statements (see Qualifications section)
Performance Appraisal (most recent – if current federal employee)
SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action - (if current federal employee)
PLEASE READ THE BELOW INSTRUCTIONS PRIOR TO SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION. INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL BE RATED AS “INELIGIBLE” AND WILL NOT RECEIVE FURTHER CONSIDERATION:
A completed informational questionnaire.
Applicants must complete the online questionnaire associated with this job announcement.
A resume of relevant experiences and accomplishments (not to exceed 5 pages). Please ensure your resume is uploaded with pages numbered, preferably in .pdf format. Failure to upload and number pages, including documents exceeding page limit will be marked “ineligible.”
Your resume serves as a basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience as it relates to this job opportunity. Your resume must demonstrate executive potential such as experiences, accomplishments, activities, recognition, and awards related to each MTQ and breadth and scope of professional accomplishments. 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). Your resume must include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and/or the number of hours worked/volunteered per week. For assistance with creating a resume, please click here. Please note that if a cover letter is submitted, it counts towards the 5-page limit.
Mandatory Technical Qualification (MTQ) statements are limited to a maximum of two pages per MTQ.Please ensure your MTQs are uploaded with pages numbered, preferably in .pdf format. Failure to upload and number pages, including documents exceeding page limits will be marked “ineligible.”
All applicants must submit written narrative statements describing your accomplishments against the MTQ. You are required to address the MTQ separately. When addressing the MTQ, applicants should include one or two notable examples (within last 10 years) using the Challenge-Context-Action-Result (CCAR) model:
- Challenge: Describe a specific problem or goal.
- Context: Talk about the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the environment in which you worked, to tackle a particular challenge (e.g., clients, co-workers, members of Congress, shrinking budget, low morale).
- Action: Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge.
- Result: Give specific examples of the results of your actions. These accomplishments demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills.
A performance appraisal for the most recent performance rating period. The performance appraisal will be used to validate that the candidate is in good performance standing and has not been recently placed on a performance improvement plan.
SF-50 (or equivalent) Notification of Personnel Action
If you are currently serving under a federal career or career conditional appointment, a career SES appointment, are eligible for reinstatement into the career SES, or have successfully completed an SES Candidate Development Program approved by OPM, you must submit an SF-50 that shows current series and grade level or proof of non-competitive eligibility, i.e., conversion to career SES SF-50 or SES Certificate. If you fail to do so, you will be rated as "ineligible." Do not submit cash or performance award SF-50.
Please carefully read all the instructions before you begin the application process.
To apply for this job opportunity, you must submit a resume and an on-line application through the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) application system, USAJOBS. This information will be transferred to the Department of State's Gateway to State Automated Application System.
You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the following four-step application process:
STEP 1: Select the "Apply On-line" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS.
STEP 2: Submit a detailed resume or any other written format you choose documenting your job-related qualifications, experience, and education (if applicable). Cover letter is optional. If you submit a cover letter, you must also submit a resume. Please see the “How You Will Be Evaluated” section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume.
STEP 3: Answer the job-specific self-assessment questions on-line through the Gateway to State automated application system. These questions will be used to evaluate your qualifications and experience for this job opportunity.
STEP 4: Submit all required documentation, applicable to you, listed in the Required Documents section of this job opportunity to the Department’s automated application system "Gateway to State" prior to the closing date of this announcement. For instructions on how to view the status of your supporting documentation, please click here.
Technical assistance with your on-line application can be obtained by contacting the Help Desk at mgshelp@monster.com OR by calling (866) 656-6830 or (703) 269-4944 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET
ALTERNATE APPLICATION PROCEDURES
NOTE: If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package by fax. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET, at least two working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement.
NOTE: Paper applications and information sent by mail WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
U.S. Department of State
2401 E Street, N.W.
Room H-1104
Washington, District of Columbia 20520
United States
Next steps
After all application packages have been received, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. After we review and evaluate all applications, the most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews. After a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability and or security background investigation.
You will be notified up to four times during the hiring process:
1. Upon receipt of your application. 2. Upon minimum qualification determinations. 3. After the certificate is issued. 4. After final selection is made.
For instructions on how to view the status of your application, please click here.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
