Cybersecurity Lead

The company is a leading Cybersecurity Architecture and Engineering, Critical Infrastructure and Operations, and Applications Development and Maintenance IT service provider headquartered in Dulles, Virginia with operations across the U.S. We provide innovative enterprise-wide solutions as well as targeted services addressing the complex challenges faced by our federal government clients. Our focus is on enabling our clients to deliver their mission most efficiently and effectively – anytime, anywhere, securely. We combine technical expertise, mission awareness, and an empowered workforce to produce meaningful results.

This is a contingent position based upon contract win.

The company is seeking a Cybersecurity Lead to join our team supporting the Department of Education’s (DoED) Federal Student Aid (FSA) Cybersecurity and Privacy Support Services (CPSS).

The Senior Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) Cybersecurity Lead provides senior technical, operational, and program leadership for FSA cybersecurity activities supporting Institutions of Higher Education that handle Federal Student Aid data. The Lead oversees and coordinates IHE cybersecurity compliance, breach and incident response, cyber risk management, remediation, audit oversight, technical guidance, and education-sector outreach. The position serves as a senior cybersecurity resource supporting FSA and participating institutions in protecting sensitive Federal information and addressing cybersecurity risks involving Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), Federal Tax Information (FTI), and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) .

This is a remote position.

Responsibilities

IHE Cybersecurity Program Leadership

• Provide senior technical and operational leadership for cybersecurity activities supporting IHEs that handle FSA information.

• Coordinate activities across the four primary FSA IHE cybersecurity workstreams:

• Breach Response & Remediation

• Cybersecurity Compliance & Audit Oversight

• Cybersecurity Threat Risk Management

• Communication Support & Education Sector Outreach

• Coordinate cybersecurity activities among FSA offices, FSA contractors, IHEs, and affiliated organizations.

• Achieve reporting and transparency metrics, to include compliance reporting, dashboard accuracy, and communication responsiveness.

• Achieve customer and stakeholder experience metrics, including stakeholder satisfaction, governance participation, and speed of access request fulfillment.

• Provide senior-level cybersecurity guidance to FSA stakeholders and participating institutions.

• Promote consistency and quality across compliance assessments, incident response, risk management, remediation, and cybersecurity outreach activities.

Incident & Breach Response

• Lead and coordinate incident-response and breach-management support for IHEs handling FSA information.

• Provide incident reporting and handling guidance to help IHEs appropriately contain, remediate, and recover from cybersecurity incidents.

• Coordinate remediation and response activities with reporting institutions.

• Oversee the categorization, analysis, documentation, tracking, and management of IHE cybersecurity cases through closure.

• Coordinate breach-response activities involving affected FSA offices, contractors, IHEs, and affiliated organizations.

• Evaluate incident information to identify cybersecurity risks, compliance concerns, and necessary remediation actions.

• Monitor corrective actions and remediation activities through resolution.

Cybersecurity Compliance & Assessment

• Lead and support cybersecurity compliance assessments of institutions and systems that handle FSA data.

• Evaluate the adequacy of administrative, technical, and physical safeguards and identify cybersecurity and compliance gaps.

• Oversee development of assessment plans addressing methodology, data collection, sampling, reporting timelines, and risk-rating methodology.

• Evaluate the existence and effectiveness of institutional information-security programs.

• Review cybersecurity compliance and audit information and assess corrective-action plans.

• Evaluate safeguards related to:

• Risk assessment

• Identity and access management

• Data classification and inventory

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest

• Multi-factor authentication

• Change management and secure development

• Logging, monitoring, and incident response

• Vendor and third-party risk

• Cybersecurity awareness and training

Governance, Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management

• Provide subject-matter expertise in interpreting cybersecurity and information-protection requirements applicable to institutions handling FSA data.

• Support implementation and interpretation of GLBA, NIST SP 800-53, NIST SP 800-171, OMB A-130, and ED/FSA cybersecurity requirements .

• Identify cybersecurity risks, compliance deficiencies, and control weaknesses affecting the protection of FSA information.

• Provide actionable risk-mitigation and remediation recommendations.

• Support IHE corrective-action planning and track identified issues toward resolution.

• Ensure assessment and incident-response work products meet applicable Departmental data-handling and CUI protection requirements.

• Support risk-management strategies associated with GLBA audit activities.

IHE Cybersecurity Advisory & Outreach

• Provide cybersecurity consulting, threat advisories, and remediation support to Title IV institutions.

• Serve as a senior cybersecurity resource for IHEs addressing significant cybersecurity risks, compliance issues, incidents, and remediation challenges.

• Support cybersecurity awareness campaigns tailored to threats affecting the education sector.

• Support cybersecurity tabletop exercises with participating IHEs.

• Provide technical input supporting information security, privacy, outreach, and communication activities.

• Collaborate with FSA communications and cybersecurity stakeholders on outreach initiatives that help institutions understand cybersecurity risks and protective measures.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Information Security, Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Assurance, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related discipline; equivalent relevant experience may be considered where permitted.

• 10+ years of cybersecurity experience, with experience in areas such as cybersecurity leadership, incident response, cybersecurity compliance, security assessments, risk management, or Federal information security.

• Senior industry professional certification such as a CISSP or equivalent.

• Must be able to get a 6c Public Trust. An active Secret level clearance or above is preferred.

• Demonstrated experience leading or coordinating complex cybersecurity activities across multiple stakeholder groups.

• Experience with cybersecurity compliance assessments, incident response, risk management, and remediation.

• Knowledge of GLBA, NIST SP 800-53, NIST SP 800-171, and applicable Federal cybersecurity requirements.

• Experience assessing security controls and identifying administrative, technical, and physical cybersecurity deficiencies.

• Experience advising stakeholders on corrective actions and cybersecurity remediation strategies.

• Ability to analyze complex cybersecurity incidents, risks, assessment findings, and compliance issues.

• Strong leadership, technical writing, analytical, communication, presentation, and stakeholder-management skills.

• U.S. Citizenship is required.

Compensation

Salary Range: TBD

The company salary range for this position is a general guideline only. It represents an estimated range for this position and is just one piece of our total compensation package.

Salary at the company is determined by various factors, including but not limited to location, work schedule, the candidate’s combination of education, knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience, as well as contract-specific affordability, market data and business considerations.

In addition to a competitive salary, the company offers benefits including a certification incentive program, PTO, floating federal holiday options, several insurance options including HMO and High Deductible plans with Health Savings Accounts [HSAs], Flex Spending Accounts [FSAs], Full Dental Plans, Vision, ST/LT Disability, Life Insurance, and 401k matched.

What We Can Offer You

• At the company, we go B.I.G. (beginning in GRATITUDE) by recognizing all we have and giving back to our employees, families, and communities. It instills a positive mindset that permeates all we do. By beginning in gratitude, the company can continue to spread living in gratitude each day.

• Great Benefits: Several insurance options including HMO and High Deductible plans with Health Savings Accounts [HSAs], Flex Spending Accounts [FSAs], Full Dental Plans, ST/LT Disability, Life Insurance, floating federal holiday options, and 401k matched

• Certificate Incentive Program: To promote professional development, we recognize and reward employees who obtain new certifications aligned with business needs.

• Flexible Work Environment

The company is an established ISO 9001:2015 and ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certified small business and appraised at CMMI Level 3 for Services and Development. We possess a common vision of excellence and foster a collaborative team culture built upon individual performance and accountability. We invest in our people and systems to create value for our clients. It is the company Way. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with exceptional people and give back to the communities we serve. Our employees value the flexibility at the company that allows them to balance quality work and their personal lives.

The company is a participating E-Verify Employer.

U.S. Citizenship is required for most positions.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled.

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