This position is in the U.S. Department of Education (ED), Federal Student Aid (FSA), Technology Operations Division (TOD). The Technology Operations Division provides information technology operations services for all FSA systems, promoting the effective and secure use of technology to achieve FSA’s strategic objectives through sound planning, investments, integrated technology architectures and standards, effective systems development, production support, and cybersecurity services.
This job is open to
The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Clarification from the agency
This announcement is open to all U.S. Citizens. This is an excepted service position. All applicants who meet the qualification requirements will be forwarded to the selecting official for further consideration. Category Rating, Schedule A and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.
Duties
APPLICATION LIMIT: This vacancy announcement is limited to the first 200 applications received and will close at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the day that we receive the 200 application, or at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the listed closing date, whichever occurs first.
This position is eligible for Remote/Virtual work. However, this position may fall under the Presidential Memorandum titled “Return to In-Person Work” which will require you to go into the office if you are located within 50 miles of a Department of Education facility in these locations: Washington, DC, Dallas, TX, San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, Kansas City, MO, Chicago, Il, Atlanta, GA, Philadelphia, PA, New York City, NY, and location is negotiable. Actual salary will be based on location of selectee. Locality pay tables available at www.opm.gov .
We encourage you to read this entire vacancy announcement prior to submitting your application.
As a Chief Information Security Officer AD-2210-00 (Senior Manager), you will be responsible for:
- Serving as the principal advisor to leadership and acts as an Authorizing Official (AO) / Designated Representative under FISMA, establishing agency-wide IT security policies, managing enterprise cyber risk, and aligning security strategies with Department and OMB mandates.
- Directing Security Operations Center (SOC) capabilities-including SIEM, network forensics, automated surveillance, and threat intelligence-to detect, analyze, and mitigate cyber threats, expedite incident response, and protect high-value assets and sensitive PII.
- Overseeing vulnerability management, Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM), and Authority to Operate (ATO) processes across cloud/data center hosting environments and enterprise applications, while enforcing strict cybersecurity contract standards across thousands of external partners and contractors.
- Leading cybersecurity audit response and remediation across OIG, DHS, and federal oversight bodies; manages security budgets and contractor performance; and provides comprehensive executive supervision, mentorship, and workforce planning for assigned cybersecurity personnel.
- Serving as the liaison and overseer of all FISMA, Financial, Office of the Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security, and other security audits.
Requirements
Condition of Employment:
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a probationary period or trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: – your performance and conduct; – the needs and interests of the agency; – whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and – whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period OR trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Remove the Key Requirements that are not applicable:
Key Requirements:
- Must be a US Citizen.
- Males 18 and over must be registered with the Selective Service.
- Must complete a Background Investigation and Fingerprint check.
- May be required to successfully complete a two-year trial period.
- Must be determined suitable for federal employment.
- Relocation expenses will not be paid.
- You may be subject to serve a one-year supervisory probationary period.
- This position is subject to drug testing.
You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement.
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. We will consider all qualifying experience, including any volunteer experience.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualification Requirements
You may meet the minimum qualifications for the AD-00 (Senior Manager), if you possess the specialize experience, education, or a combination of the two.
Specialized Experience for the AD-00-(GS-15 equivalent) One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a AD-00 (GS-14 equivalent) performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments:
1. Experience leading enterprise-wide information security programs, including strategic planning, policy development, and advising on security risks, resources, and mission requirements aligned with Federal or industry standards and mandates (e.g., FISMA, OMB A-130, NIST).
2.Experience directing and advising on enterprise risk management, security authorizations, and secure IT acquisitions compliance with security regulations, including applying RMF and SCRM to assess and mitigate risks across various IT, cloud, and vendor environments.
3. Experience providing strategic leadership and oversight of enterprise SOC and incident management programs containing critical cyber threats, including develop critical threat response, mitigation, incident response, and required reporting procedures.
Basic Experience Requirements Example (Supervisory IT Positions ):
Applicants may qualify by meeting or exceeding the minimum proficiency level established for each of the required competencies, in addition to meeting the specialized experience requirement as demonstrated through the assessment of skills. You must possess IT-related experience (paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training (e.g., IT certification), as appropriate) demonstrating each of the ten competencies listed below.
- Accountability-Holds self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results. Determines objectives, sets priorities, and delegates work. Accepts responsibility for mistakes. Complies with established control systems and rules. 2. Customer Service– Anticipates and meets the needs of both internal and external customers. Delivers high-quality products and services; is committed to continuous improvement. 3. Decisiveness– Makes well-informed, effective, and timely decisions, even when data are limited or solutions produce unpleasant consequences; perceives the impact and implications of decisions. 4. Flexibility– Is open to change and new information; rapidly adapts to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles. 5. Integrity/Honesty– Behaves in an honest, fair, and ethical manner. Shows consistency in words and actions. Models high standards of ethics. 6. Interpersonal Skills– Treats others with courtesy, sensitivity, and respect. Considers and responds appropriately to the needs and feelings of different people in different situations. 7. Oral Communication– Makes clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens effectively; clarifies information as needed. 8. Problem Solving– Identifies and analyzes problems; weighs relevance and accuracy of information; generates and evaluates alternative solutions; makes recommendations. 9. Resilience– Deals effectively with pressure; remains optimistic and persistent, even under adversity. Recovers quickly from setbacks. 10. Written Communication– Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.
Applicants may qualify by meeting or exceeding the minimum proficiency level established for each of the required competencies, in addition to meeting the specialized experience requirement as demonstrated through the assessment of skills. You must possess IT-related experience (paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training (e.g., IT certification), as appropriate) demonstrating each of the seventeen competencies listed below.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement).
1. Knowledge of cybersecurity laws, regulations, and standards-including the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA), NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF), OMB mandates, and Authorizing Official (AO) responsibilities-to manage enterprise cyber risk and maintain Authority to Operate (ATO) across mission-critical systems.
2. Skill in directing operational cybersecurity functions, Security Operations Center (SOC) technologies (such as SIEM, network forensics, and packet capture), and incident response frameworks to detect advanced threats, mitigate vulnerabilities, and protect Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and High-Value Assets (HVAs).
3. Ability to oversee Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) and Information Security Continuous Monitoring (ISCM) programs, integrate security across system development lifecycles (SDLC/LMM), and enforce strict cybersecurity requirements across large-scale contractor, cloud hosting, and external partner ecosystems.
4. Skill in leading multidisciplinary technical teams, managing contractor deliverables and IT security budgets, and building strategic partnerships with executives, external oversight authorities, and audit entities (e.g., OIG, DHS, FISMA auditors) to remediate findings and achieve organizational goals.
Education
Education cannot be substituted for experience for this position and grade level.
Foreign Education:
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must submit a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, please click Foreign Education.
Additional information
Veterans’ Career Counseling: If you are a veteran interested in receiving tips on preparing a Federal resume and/or how to prepare for an interview, you may email Log in to view email to schedule a session with a career counselor (“Veterans Counseling Session” should be placed in the subject line of the email).
Student Loan Default: If selected for this position, we will verify that you have not defaulted on any loan funded or guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are found to be in default, we will contact you to make arrangements for repayment prior to making an official offer of employment.
Suitability and Investigation: If selected for this position, you will be required to complete the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for federal employment and successfully complete a pre-appointment investigation/background check.
Essential/Non-Essential: This position is considered essential for purposes of reporting to work during federal government closures.
Financial Disclosure: This position require a financial disclosure.
Bargaining Unit: This position is not included in the bargaining unit.
Selections: Agencies have broad authority under law to hire from any appropriate source of eligibles and may fill a vacancy in the competitive service by any method authorized. We may make additional selections from this vacancy announcement within 90 days from the date the selection certificates are issued, should vacancies occur. We may also share selection certificates amongst program offices across the agency.
Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire CompetencyBased Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)
If you are unable to apply online and would like to request information about the Alternate Application process, please use the contact information at the bottom of this announcement.
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.
Benefits
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.
As an ED employee, you will also benefit from our family-friendly work environment. As part of our commitment to maintain a work life balance, we offer excused leave for Parent/Teacher Conferences (3 hours); excused leave for annual health screenings (4 hours); and matching leave for community volunteer service. Other flexibilities that may be available to you include alternative work schedules. You may be eligible to receive a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to receive a relocation incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program as a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive student loan repayments, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon.
Review our 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.
We use a multi-step process to review and evaluate applicants:
1. Eligibility and Minimum Qualifications
Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will review your resume and documents to determine if you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, including any required education, experience, and/or selective placement factors. You will be rated as ineligible if your application is missing any required documents. You will be rated as not qualified if you do not possess the minimum qualification requirements.
2. Rating and Ranking
If you are found to meet both the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, we will assess the quality of your experience and the extent to which you possess the required KSAs by comparing your submitted resume and documents. You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications and competencies listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials, and the result of the USA Hire Assessment(s) required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies.
Supervisory: Accountability, Customer Service, Decisiveness, Flexibility, Interpersonal Skills, Problem Solving, and Resilience
Based on the outcome of this evaluation, your application data may be further assessed by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) panel. If your qualifications are not substantiated by your submitted resume, you may be eliminated from receiving further consideration.
Veterans’ Preference: Veterans’ preference eligibles will be ranked ahead of qualified non-preference eligibles.
- Referral and Selection
If you are found to be amongst the most highly qualified applicants, you will be referred to the selecting official. As part of the assessment and selection process, the selecting official may invite you to participate in a structured interview, check your references, and/or request that you submit a writing sample or complete a written assessment or exercise to further evaluate your qualifications for this position. If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the interview process or written assessment or exercise, please inform the selecting official at the time of scheduling.
Required Documents
You must submit (required for all applicants):
1. A resume demonstrating your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiating your responses to the occupational questionnaire. Please limit your resume to 2 pages with the font size no smaller than 10 points. If your resume is more than 2 pages, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed and considered for the qualifications determination.
2. Letter of Interest.
If you are claiming Veteran’s Preference, you must submit: A copy of your DD-214 that shows active service and character of discharge (Separated Members only); OR A certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days from the date of application (Current Active Duty Members only); AND/OR The Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) AND all documents indicated on the form as proof of type of preference; AND/OR Proof of Sole Survivorship Preference (e.g., certificate of death or 100% disability as a result of serving in the armed forces).Documents for Auto-Request:
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
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.
How to Apply
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
- Click the Apply Online button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
- If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click “Track this application” to return to your assessment completion notice.
- Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
- Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
- Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
- Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
Agency contact information
Corey Anderson
Phone
(202) 987-1313
Email
Log in to view email
Address
Federal Student Aid – Chief Technology Office
77 K St, NE
Washington, DC 20002
US
Next steps
As an applicant, you may check your application status through your USAJOBS account at any time. We will also notify you via email of your application status at three key stages in the recruitment process.
1. Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will inform you that your application has been received.
2. After we review your submitted resume and supporting documentation, we will inform you if you are eligible and qualified, if your application was referred to a subject matter expert or panel of subject matter experts for further evaluation, and if you were amongst the most highly qualified candidates referred to the selecting official.
3. Finally, we will inform you of your final disposition for this announcement (e.g., if/when a selection is made, if/when the announcement is cancelled).
Overview
Accepting applications
This job will close when we have received 200 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Location
1 vacancy in the following locations:
San Francisco, CA
Denver, CO
Washington, DC
Atlanta, GA
Chicago, IL
Location Negotiable After Selection
Boston, MA
Kansas City, MO
New York, NY
Philadelphia, PA
Dallas, TX
Seattle, WA
No matching locations found.
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$179,436 – $209,600 per year
Pay scale & grade
AD 00
Promotion potential
00
Learn more about pay scale and grade
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel – You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
- 2210 Information Technology Management
Supervisory status
Yes
Federal service type
This job is in the Excepted Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
- Credentialing
- Suitability/Fitness
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
FSA-26-13067489
Control number
886448400
