OMB opens search for permanent deputy federal CISO

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 01: The White House, the South Lawn, the Ellipse and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building are seen from the observation deck of the Washington Monument October 1, 2014 in Washington, DC. Secret Service Director Julia Pierson resigned in the wake of several security breaches involving the White House and President Barack Obama. The countersniper team is composed of specially trained Uniformed Division officers who use specially built weapons and other sophisticated equipment to prevent any long-range threat to the White House. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

With the appointment of a top official to manage the government’s cybersecurity initiatives, the Office of Management and Budget is now taking applications for a permanent deputy to work alongside the federal chief information security officer.

The deputy will work directly under Federal CISO Gregory Touhill, who was recently appointed as the first to hold the leadership position.

“The deputy federal chief information security officer (DCISO) is the key advisor and deputy to the federal CISO who establishes the direction of federal cybersecurity policy and strategy (in accordance with direction provided by the federal CIO),” according to the job posting. Major duties “include management practices, budget priorities (in coordination with OMB Resource Management Offices), and for overseeing implementation across the entire government.”

Grant Schneider, director of cybersecurity policy on the National Security Council, was named acting deputy CISO on Sept. 8 — the same day of Touhill’s appointment. It’s unclear whether Schneider will stay on in any significant role when the permanent deputy is named. An OMB official said it was too early in the process for those discussions.

The position offers a salary between about $123,000 and $185,000 a year. Applicants must have U.S. citizenship and eligible for top-secret/SCI clearance.

The USAJOBS listing goes into further details on the qualifications and experience requirements for the post.

Applications are due Sept. 26.

About 

Aaron Boyd is an awarding-winning journalist currently serving as editor of Federal Times — a Washington, D.C. institution covering federal workforce and contracting for more than 50 years — and Fifth Domain — a news and information hub focused on cybersecurity and cyberwar from a civilian, military and international perspective.