in
Drug Enforcement Administration

Chief Information Security Officer

Drug Enforcement Administration See More Job Openings by This EmployerArrow
  • Full Time
  • $151,661 - $228,000/year
  • Arlington, VA
November 9, 2026 Criminal Law

Job Description

This position is located in the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Information System Division (TC) in Arlington, Virginia. The purpose of this position is to advise the Chief Information Officer (CIO) on the security oversight for all DEA information technology (IT) systems. The incumbent will direct cybersecurity policies, risk management, security engineering, incident response, and supply chain security programs for the DEA IT Enterprise.

Duties

As a Chief Information Security Officer, your typical work assignments may include:

  • Direct the design, formulation, and establishment of policies, procedures, standards, and systems regarding IT security, cybersecurity, and access to IT systems.
  • Plans, directs, schedules, and supervises work performed and within the agency concerning the preparation and formulation of DEA-wide policy in the form of policies and procedures, which affect all areas of IT security, cybersecurity, and access to IT systems.
  • Reviews and refines such policies and procedures to ensure compliance with existing authorities and applicability to the DEA environment.
  • Serves as the source of authoritative information and assistance to DEA managers by advising on IT security, cybersecurity, and access to IT systems on issues and impact of information security programs to organizational missions.
  • Advises managers regarding changes in relevant EOs, DOJ Orders, NSA policies and regulations, and other applicable laws, directives, and regulations.
  • Recommends changes to the IT security posture/programs in response to changes in technology, vulnerabilities, and threats.
  • Finalizes DEA responses to requests from DOJ, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), General Accounting Office, the White House, and Congressional committees for INFOSEC programs to comply with applicable laws and regulations.
  • Provides leadership to information security professionals to develop and implement an Information Security Program that substantially includes an integrated framework of Information Security Governance and Information Risk Management program for DEA.

Salary
  • $151,661 - $228,000/year
Conditions of Employment
  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.
  • Incumbent is subject to random drug testing.
  • Selectee may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period (OR 1-year OR 2-year trial period, as appropriate) during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest
  • Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation. Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI security clearance.
  • All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.
Qualifications

Qualifications include both general management skills and characteristics that are applicable to all Senior Level positions and technical or program responsibilities specific to this position. Applicants must have substantive general experience which provides a good basic or general knowledge of the principles of organization, management, and administration; and substantive specialized (operating administrative or managerial) experience in a type of work or a combination of functions directly related to this position. Applicants must meet the qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Eligibility for this position will be based upon a clear showing that the applicant has experience of the scope and quality sufficient to effectively carry out assignments of 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. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the Technical Qualifications (TQ) related to this position within your resume - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES. Resumes over the 2-page limit will be disqualified. Please see "Required Documents" section below for all resume formatting requirements.

Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualification(s). If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position.

TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs): Your resume should demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy the technical qualifications:

MTQ 1: Demonstrated experience with risk management principles and methodologies, including the ability to identify, assess, and prioritize risks for Super Intelligence (SI), legacy systems, emerging technologies, complex datasets, and cloud solutions as well as a thorough understanding of federal compliance requirements (e.g. FISMA, NIST), ensuing compliance with these requirements, and securing complex data in various environments.

MTQ 2: Expertly expresses complex information (e.g. ideas or facts) on cybersecurity, risk, compliance, secure SI implementation, and/or data-related concepts considering the audience and nature of the information. Demonstrated skill in presenting cybersecurity topics to an executive audience in order to promote a culture of security awareness, effectively report on compliance with requirements, and utilizes data to drive metrics-based decisions.

MTQ 3: Demonstrates an ability to drive technical innovation in a secure, compliant, and data-driven manner to support the overall goal of modernizing DEA's IT enterprise. Experience securely integrating new technologies, processes, complex data sets, SI and cloud solutions into an organization while efficiently assessing risk, compliance, and data security. Possesses a comprehensive understanding of IT security concepts, theories, practices, and standards. Serves as a foremost authority in security architectural planning and provides senior level guidance to agency leadership.

Education Education: All academic degrees and coursework must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions. Desired Education: Undergraduate or Graduate Education or equivalent experience. Other Information For reasonable accommodation at the Drug Enforcement Administration, please contact the Human Resources office listed in this announcement. Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, the veteran must be a preference eligible or a veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions. Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to similar positions in any Division/Office listed in this announcement. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions. Recruitment and/or Relocation Incentives may be considered and approved under conditions specified provided the agency has determined that the position is likely to be difficult to fill in the absence of an incentive and funding for such an incentive is available. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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 your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. If eligible, telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. Required Documents

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

  1. Resume - must be no more than two pages in length; resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Resume should include applicants' name, email address, phone number, relevant work/volunteer experience, education and training. Include the start and end dates (from month/year to month/year), work schedule (e.g. part or full-time), the number of hours per week worked/volunteered, job title and description of duties performed. Education/Certification/Licensure when relevant or required for position. See Guidance for Applicants on 2-Page Resume and visit the USAJOBS Help Center for more information.
  2. Transcripts, if applicable and you are qualifying based on education. See the Qualification and Education sections of this announcement for more information. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.
  3. SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), if applicable: SF-50(s) must show the effective date, position title, series, grade, salary, tenure, competitive status, position occupied, full promotion potential, and name of agency. Multiple SF-50s may be needed to show all required information. Award SF-50s often do not show the required information. To verify the time in grade requirement, applicants must submit a SF-50 verifying the highest grade held for at least 52 weeks. Examples include, promotions with an effective date greater than one year, within grade increases demonstrating the highest grade held for at least 52 weeks or appointments/conversion of appointments with an effective date greater than one year.
  4. ICTAP/CTAP - Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable. This includes copies of your agency notice (e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal), most recent performance rating and more recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) noting current position, grade level and duty location.
  5. Veteran Documentation, if applicable.
  • Veterans who are preference eligible OR who have been separated from the Armed Forces under honorable conditions (honorable or general discharge) after 3 or more years of continuous active service may apply under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA). You must submit a DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member Copy 4 preferred) showing the dates you served as well as your type of discharge and qualifying service campaign medals OR if you are still on active duty, you MUST submit a certification on letterhead from your military branch which contains your military service dates, expected date of discharge or release, and the character of service to show that your military service was performed under honorable conditions. The expected date of discharge or release must be no later than 120 days after the certification is submitted for consideration for this job announcement. Current Federal employees applying under the VEOA must submit a qualifying SF-50 to show time-in-grade requirements.
  • If you are applying as a preference eligible with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more, you must submit the documentation required by the SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference) to support your claim (e.g., DD-214, official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs). For applicants claiming 10-point derived veterans' preference (i.e., spouses, widows/widowers or mothers of veterans), a completed SF-15 must be submitted with the application with all required supporting documents listed on the form.
  • For more veterans' preference information, visit the USAJOBS Help Center.
  1. Non-competitive or special hiring authority eligibility documentation, if applicable. Examples of such authorities include: Schedule A individuals with disabilities, returning Peace Corps or AmeriCorp VISTA volunteer, Fulbright/Gilman/CLS alumni, etc.
  2. Current or Former Land Management Employee documentation, if applicable. Visit the Forest Service's site for required documentation.
  3. Other Qualification Documentation (e.g. certificates, certifications, etc.), if applicable. See the Qualification section of this announcement for more information.

How to Apply

Prepare your application in USAJOBS

During the application process you can review, edit, delete, and update your information. We'll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won't lose any changes. You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the application process.

STEP 1: Select the "Apply" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS.
STEP 2: Submit your resume. Resume must not exceed two pages. Please see the Required Documents section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume.
STEP 3: Complete the online assessment questions.
STEP 4: Submit all required documentation applicable to you, as listed in the Required Documents section.

Alternate Application Procedures: If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package. 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 2 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. Paper applications and information sent by mail will not be accepted.



Have Questions?

Looking for a job or looking to hire? We're here to help! Get answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Justia Legal Jobs.