This position is located in the Cybersecurity Group within the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), Office of the Managing Director(OMD), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), located in Washington, DC.
RELOCATION EXPENSES WILL NOT BE PAID.
THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT MAY BE USED TO FILL ADDITIONAL POSITIONS WITHIN 90 DAYS.
Summary
This position is located in the Cybersecurity Group within the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), Office of the Managing Director(OMD), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), located in Washington, DC.
RELOCATION EXPENSES WILL NOT BE PAID.
THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT MAY BE USED TO FILL ADDITIONAL POSITIONS WITHIN 90 DAYS.
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC - Open to all U.S. Citizens. Individuals who typically apply for positions under other authorities may also apply competitively to this position. (e.g. VRA, Schedule A, Peace Corps, Students, Recent Graduates, Military Spouses, National Guard, Indian Preference, Land Management, Family of Overseas Employees, Federal Employees, Agency Employees, ICTAP) Non-citizens may be eligible for this excepted service position under certain circumstances.
The incumbent serves as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), reporting directly to the Chief Information Officer (CIO) in the OCIO organization. As the CISO and Group Lead for Cybersecurity and Information Assurance, the incumbent provides executive leadership, strategy, technical direction, and authority for all information security functions across all 19 FCC bureaus and offices to include:
Provides direct oversight, technical leadership, and administrative management of four critical sub-unit leads: the Lead Security Operations Manager, the Lead for Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), the Lead Security Engineer, and the Lead for Incident Response.
Establishes, maintains, and enforces the FCC's Enterprise Information Security Strategy, including the integration of emerging technology risk domains such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) systems into the agency's overall security posture.
Serves as the principal, authoritative advisor to the CIO, Managing Director, and Chairman on all matters concerning cybersecurity risk, systemic vulnerabilities, threat landscapes, AI-related security risks, and regulatory security compliance.
Represents the FCC on interagency cybersecurity councils, including OMB, CISA, and White House cyber roundtables, contributing subject-matter expertise on AI governance, Zero Trust implementation, and vulnerability management best practices.
Synthesizes complex, technical risk data, including vulnerability scan results, threat intelligence, and identity/access risk indicators, into executive-level decision memos and risk-acceptance briefs for agency leadership.
Provides ultimate oversight for the FCC's 24/7/365 Security Operations Center (SOC), including oversight of SIEM platforms (e.g., Splunk) for continuous monitoring, log correlation, and threat detection across enterprise systems.
Directs the agency's enterprise vulnerability management program, ensuring timely identification, prioritization, and remediation of vulnerabilities to continuously reduce the agency's attack surface.
Oversees enterprise identity and access management (IAM) programs, including administration and governance of platforms such as Okta, to ensure secure authentication, privileged access controls, and alignment with ICAM and Zero Trust Architecture principles.
Establishes and enforces AI security governance protocols, including risk assessments for AI/ML system deployments, safeguards against adversarial machine learning and data poisoning, and oversight of third-party AI tool usage in alignment with NIST AI RMF and applicable OMB guidance.
Formulates and issues agency-wide Information Security Policies, Handbooks, and Rules of Behavior in strict alignment with FISMA, NIST guidelines (including NIST SP 800-53 and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework), and applicable Executive Orders.
Leads the development and execution of the cybersecurity group's annual operating budget, prioritizing investments — including tooling for vulnerability management, SIEM, IAM, and AI security, using Capital Planning and Investment Control (CPIC) protocols to balance defense expenditures against mission requirements.
Suitable for employment as determined by a background investigation.
Serve a probationary period of one year, if applicable.
Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.
Financial disclosure statement may be required upon assuming the position.
Resume must not exceed two pages and must meet resume format criteria.
Drug Testing Required.
Suitable for employment as determined by a background investigation.
Security Clearance Required
Please note your resume must thoroughly support your responses to the vacancy questions. Your resume is an integral part of the process for determining if you meet the basic qualifications of the position and determining if you are to be among the best qualified.
Qualifications
Interested candidates should be passionate about the ideals of our American republic, committed to upholding the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution, and committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government. Hiring decisions will not be based on race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.
Applicants must meet eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Time in grade restrictions do not apply to Direct Hire procedures.
SME REVIEW
Individuals must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the competencies listed below. SME's will be conducting a scored structured resume review to determine if candidate's resumes demonstrate all required competencies as outlined below. To be eligible for referral to the selecting official, candidates must receive a score of at least 75.56.
Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
Customer Service - Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.
Decision Making - Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change.
Information Management - Identifies a need for and knows where or how to gather information; organizes and maintains information or information management systems.
Interpersonal Skills - Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations
Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations
Teamwork - Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals.
Technical Competence – Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.
Cyber-Expert knowledge of Federal cyber and cybersecurity policy, procedures, and guidelines, cyber and cybersecurity concepts, terms, and technical aspects.
Advice-Expert ability to provide advice, guidance, and recommendations to senior management on critical policy issues; make decisions or recommendations that significantly influence important Commission IT and Cybersecurity policies or programs.
IT Principles-Skill in applying advanced IT principles, concepts, methods, standards, and practices sufficient to accomplish assignments such as develop and interpret policies, procedures, and strategies governing the planning and delivery of IT services throughout the agency.
AND
GS-15
In order to be deemed as qualified, candidates must have one year of specialized experience which is equivalent to the GS-14 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as follows:
• Demonstrated experience implementing and maintaining compliance with FISMA, FedRAMP, and NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF), including NIST SP 800-37, 800-53, and 800-171 • Experience managing Authorization to Operate (ATO) processes, including Security Assessment and Authorization (SA&A) packages. • Experience with CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) requirements, if applicable to the agency. • Experience managing Plans of Action and Milestones (POA&Ms) and reporting to CISA/OMB. • Experience working with Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program requirements. • Experience developing or implementing AI governance frameworks aligned with NIST AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF) and OMB M-24-10. • Experience overseeing Security Operations Center (SOC) functions, including detection engineering and incident triage. • Experience leading enterprise vulnerability management programs, including use of tools such as Tenable. • Experience reducing organizational attack surface through patch management, configuration hardening, and risk-based prioritization. • Experience implementing Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) principles across network, identity, and data layers. • Experience securing FedRAMP-authorized cloud environments (AWS GovCloud, Azure Government, or similar). • Experience with cloud security posture management (CSPM) and container/Kubernetes security. • Experience coordinating with CISA, US-CERT, and other federal partners on incident reporting and response. • Experience developing and testing incident response plans, tabletop exercises, and continuity of operations (COOP) planning. • Experience leading cross-functional security teams and managing federal IT security budgets. • Experience developing agency/company-wide cybersecurity strategy, policy, and workforce training programs. • Experience presenting risk posture and compliance status to agency leadership, Inspectors General, or GAO auditors or similar.
PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: 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.
Education
Any/all educational requirements (if applicable) are listed and outlined within the "Qualifications" section.
Other: - Before hiring, an agency will ask you to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. The agency will also ask you to sign and certify the accuracy of all the information in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be fired after you begin work; or you may be fined or jailed. If you are a male over age 18 who was born after December 31, 1959, you must have registered with the Selective Service System (or have an exemption) to be eligible for a Federal job.
- If applicable, you will be required to serve a trial period of one year.
- In order for you to be employed at the FCC, there are certain Commission and Federal laws governing the financial interests of you and members of your immediate family. If selected for the position, you must submit a financial disclosure statement upon assuming the position.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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.
The FCC offers a wide range of employee benefits, including:
Health Insurance Life Insurance Dental & Vision Insurance Flexible Spending Accounts Long-Term Care Insurance Holidays and Leave Retirement Thrift Savings Plan Transit Benefit Alternative Work Schedule Telecommuting
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.
As this position is being advertised under DEU and Merit Promotion hiring procedures, applicants will be rated on the extent and quality of experience and education relevant to the duties of the position using the hiring procedures outlined below.
At the time of application, applicants have the option of answering the following four short, free-response essay questions.
1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience. 2. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes. 3. How would you help advance the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired. 4. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.
Applicants will be required to certify that they are using their own words, and did not use a consultant or AI (such as a large language model [LLM]). The responses to each question cannot exceed 200 words per question.
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.
The FCC offers a wide range of employee benefits, including:
Health Insurance Life Insurance Dental & Vision Insurance Flexible Spending Accounts Long-Term Care Insurance Holidays and Leave Retirement Thrift Savings Plan Transit Benefit Alternative Work Schedule Telecommuting
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.
***Your resume must clearly document how you meet the specialized experience in order to meet the minimum qualification requirements for this vacancy. Some positions require supplemental document(s). All required supporting documents MUST be received by midnight U.S. Eastern Time of the closing date of the announcement, as specified in this announcement. If you do not submit a required document (e.g. transcripts, etc.) your application will be considered incomplete and you will not receive further consideration. Once you apply to this vacancy you will be prompted by the system to upload the documents. If you are unable to upload the required documentation, contact the HR Specialist listed on the vacancy announcement prior to 5:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.***
Resumes must include all of the following information outlined below:
Contact Information
Name and how best to contact you, including email address and phone number.
Relevant Work Experience
Job Title and Employer (including series and grade for any Federal positions)
Start and end dates with month/year (e.g., 05/2019 –08/2022)
The number of hours you worked per week
Ensure work experience descriptions are aligned with the job announcement and address all required qualifications. Brief descriptions should demonstrate your ability to perform the tasks at the required level as stated in the job announcement.
Resumes must be formatted as outlined above. If the two page resume criteria and/or the resume formatting requirement is not met candidates will be rated as ineligible and will not be referred for hiring consideration.
The FCC is providing the following applicant resume resources:
Required Documentation for CTAP and ICTAP eligibles
1. An SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, or other official documentation, which shows that you were declared displaced or surplus while serving as a career or career conditional competitive service employee, in tenure group 1 or 2, OR are a current or former Executive Branch agency employee in the excepted service serving on an appointment without time limit, at grade levels GS-15 or equivalent and below, and who has been conferred noncompetitive appointment eligibility and special selection priority by statute for positions in the competitive service. 2. An SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, or other official documentation which shows the position you may be or are being separated from has the same or higher promotion potential as that of the vacancy.
Additionally for CTAP eligibles
A copy of your Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice; - A notice of proposed removal for declining a directed reassignment or transfer of function outside the local commuting area; - A Certificate of Expected Separation; your agency's certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice of eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice).
Additionally for ICTAP eligibles
- A copy of your RIF separation notice, a notice of proposed removal for declining a directed reassignment or transfer of function outside the local commuting area; - An OPM notice that your disability annuity has been (or will be) terminated; - Certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or - Certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for a disability retirement and will receive the special OPM annuity. - A copy of a current (or last) performance rating of record of at least fully successful or equivalent (not required if you are an ICTAP eligible due to compensable injury or disability retirement).
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
As outlined in the "Required Documents Details" section of the announcement, resumes must meet be no longer than two pages in length and must meet the resume formatting requirements.
Your application, including resume, all supplemental documents, registration information and answers to job specific questions must be received no later than midnight U.S. Eastern time of the closing date. For more information on applying federal jobs, please check this webpage: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/process
If applying online poses a hardship, you may contact either the HR Specialist listed on the vacancy announcement or you may contact the Apply Government Solutions help desk (prior to the closing date of the vacancy announcement) via e-mail at fedhirehelp@applygovernment.com or you may reach them directly at 866-656-6831. The Apply Government Solutions Help Desk is available Monday-Friday 7:00 am to 7:00 pm EST. NOTE: To be considered for an announced vacancy in the area of consideration within which the employee is eligible to compete, the employee must apply online using the Commission’s automated recruitment system. Employees must submit all necessary application materials identified in the announcement by the specified closing date.
Qualified applicants may be further reviewed and rated by Subject Matter Experts to determine the validity of on-line question.
The Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) are programs designed to afford selection priority to well-qualified Federal employees who meet the definition of a “surplus” or “displaced” employee.
To be eligible for consideration under CTAP, you must be a current FCC employee who has received an official notice stating that your position is no longer needed, or that you will be separated by reduction in force (RIF).
To be eligible for consideration under ICTAP, you must be one of the following:
Be a displaced Federal employee and have a current duty station within the local commuting area of this vacancy. You must submit a copy of the appropriate documentation such as a RIF separation notice, a letter from OPM or your agency documenting your priority consideration status with your application package.
The following categories of candidates are considered displaced Employees: • Current or former career or career-conditional (tenure group I or II) competitive service employees who: 1. Received a specific RIF separation notice; or 2. Separated because of a compensable injury, whose compensation has been terminated, and whose former agency certifies that it is unable to place; or 3. Retired with a disability and whose disability annuity has been or is being terminated; or 4. Upon receipt of a RIF separation notice retired on the effective date of the RIF and submits a Standard Form 50 that indicates "Retirement in lieu of RIF", or 5. Retired under the discontinued service retirement option, or 6. Was separated because he/she declined a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area. • Former Military Reserve or National Guard Technicians who are receiving a special Office of Personnel Management (OPM) disability retirement annuity under section 337 (h) or 8456 of title 5 United States Code. • Be applying for a position at or below the grade level of the position from which you have been separated. The position must not have a greater promotion potential than the position from which you were separated. • Have a current (or last) performance rating of record of at least fully successful or equivalent. This must be submitted with your application package. (This requirement does not apply to candidates who are eligible due to compensable injury or disability retirement. • Occupy or be displaced from a position in the same local commuting area of the position for which you are requesting priority consideration.
NOTE: To be considered for an announced vacancy in the area of consideration within which the employee is eligible to compete, the employee must apply online using the Commission’s automated recruitment system. Employees must submit all necessary application materials identified in the announcement by the specified closing date.
Federal Communications Commission
45 L Street NE
Washington, District of Columbia 20554
United States
Next steps
Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications to determine your ranking. The best-qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview. You will be notified of the outcome.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
***Your resume must clearly document how you meet the specialized experience in order to meet the minimum qualification requirements for this vacancy. Some positions require supplemental document(s). All required supporting documents MUST be received by midnight U.S. Eastern Time of the closing date of the announcement, as specified in this announcement. If you do not submit a required document (e.g. transcripts, etc.) your application will be considered incomplete and you will not receive further consideration. Once you apply to this vacancy you will be prompted by the system to upload the documents. If you are unable to upload the required documentation, contact the HR Specialist listed on the vacancy announcement prior to 5:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.***
Resumes must include all of the following information outlined below:
Contact Information
Name and how best to contact you, including email address and phone number.
Relevant Work Experience
Job Title and Employer (including series and grade for any Federal positions)
Start and end dates with month/year (e.g., 05/2019 –08/2022)
The number of hours you worked per week
Ensure work experience descriptions are aligned with the job announcement and address all required qualifications. Brief descriptions should demonstrate your ability to perform the tasks at the required level as stated in the job announcement.
Resumes must be formatted as outlined above. If the two page resume criteria and/or the resume formatting requirement is not met candidates will be rated as ineligible and will not be referred for hiring consideration.
The FCC is providing the following applicant resume resources:
Required Documentation for CTAP and ICTAP eligibles
1. An SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, or other official documentation, which shows that you were declared displaced or surplus while serving as a career or career conditional competitive service employee, in tenure group 1 or 2, OR are a current or former Executive Branch agency employee in the excepted service serving on an appointment without time limit, at grade levels GS-15 or equivalent and below, and who has been conferred noncompetitive appointment eligibility and special selection priority by statute for positions in the competitive service. 2. An SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, or other official documentation which shows the position you may be or are being separated from has the same or higher promotion potential as that of the vacancy.
Additionally for CTAP eligibles
A copy of your Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice; - A notice of proposed removal for declining a directed reassignment or transfer of function outside the local commuting area; - A Certificate of Expected Separation; your agency's certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice of eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice).
Additionally for ICTAP eligibles
- A copy of your RIF separation notice, a notice of proposed removal for declining a directed reassignment or transfer of function outside the local commuting area; - An OPM notice that your disability annuity has been (or will be) terminated; - Certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or - Certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for a disability retirement and will receive the special OPM annuity. - A copy of a current (or last) performance rating of record of at least fully successful or equivalent (not required if you are an ICTAP eligible due to compensable injury or disability retirement).
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
As outlined in the "Required Documents Details" section of the announcement, resumes must meet be no longer than two pages in length and must meet the resume formatting requirements.
Your application, including resume, all supplemental documents, registration information and answers to job specific questions must be received no later than midnight U.S. Eastern time of the closing date. For more information on applying federal jobs, please check this webpage: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/process
If applying online poses a hardship, you may contact either the HR Specialist listed on the vacancy announcement or you may contact the Apply Government Solutions help desk (prior to the closing date of the vacancy announcement) via e-mail at fedhirehelp@applygovernment.com or you may reach them directly at 866-656-6831. The Apply Government Solutions Help Desk is available Monday-Friday 7:00 am to 7:00 pm EST. NOTE: To be considered for an announced vacancy in the area of consideration within which the employee is eligible to compete, the employee must apply online using the Commission’s automated recruitment system. Employees must submit all necessary application materials identified in the announcement by the specified closing date.
Qualified applicants may be further reviewed and rated by Subject Matter Experts to determine the validity of on-line question.
The Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) are programs designed to afford selection priority to well-qualified Federal employees who meet the definition of a “surplus” or “displaced” employee.
To be eligible for consideration under CTAP, you must be a current FCC employee who has received an official notice stating that your position is no longer needed, or that you will be separated by reduction in force (RIF).
To be eligible for consideration under ICTAP, you must be one of the following:
Be a displaced Federal employee and have a current duty station within the local commuting area of this vacancy. You must submit a copy of the appropriate documentation such as a RIF separation notice, a letter from OPM or your agency documenting your priority consideration status with your application package.
The following categories of candidates are considered displaced Employees: • Current or former career or career-conditional (tenure group I or II) competitive service employees who: 1. Received a specific RIF separation notice; or 2. Separated because of a compensable injury, whose compensation has been terminated, and whose former agency certifies that it is unable to place; or 3. Retired with a disability and whose disability annuity has been or is being terminated; or 4. Upon receipt of a RIF separation notice retired on the effective date of the RIF and submits a Standard Form 50 that indicates "Retirement in lieu of RIF", or 5. Retired under the discontinued service retirement option, or 6. Was separated because he/she declined a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area. • Former Military Reserve or National Guard Technicians who are receiving a special Office of Personnel Management (OPM) disability retirement annuity under section 337 (h) or 8456 of title 5 United States Code. • Be applying for a position at or below the grade level of the position from which you have been separated. The position must not have a greater promotion potential than the position from which you were separated. • Have a current (or last) performance rating of record of at least fully successful or equivalent. This must be submitted with your application package. (This requirement does not apply to candidates who are eligible due to compensable injury or disability retirement. • Occupy or be displaced from a position in the same local commuting area of the position for which you are requesting priority consideration.
NOTE: To be considered for an announced vacancy in the area of consideration within which the employee is eligible to compete, the employee must apply online using the Commission’s automated recruitment system. Employees must submit all necessary application materials identified in the announcement by the specified closing date.
Federal Communications Commission
45 L Street NE
Washington, District of Columbia 20554
United States
Next steps
Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications to determine your ranking. The best-qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview. You will be notified of the outcome.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
