Senior Information Technology Specialist (Cybersecurity/ENTARCH)

Summary

This position is for a Senior Information Technology Specialist (Cybersecurity/ENTARCH) located in the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) at the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). In this role, the incumbent will serve as the agency's principal technical authority responsible for establishing and governing enterprise cybersecurity architecture, secure engineering practices, and long-range security modernization strategy.

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Duties

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Office of the Chief Information Officer

The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) is responsible for ensuring the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of FHFA's information systems and assets. The office maintains the agency's information technology (IT) infrastructure, oversees the IT security program, develops and maintains custom applications and data repositories, manages technology resources, investments, and assets, establishes IT strategic plans, policies, and procedures, supports business partners, and manages the agency's records and information management program.

Position Overview

The Senior Information Technology Specialist (Cybersecurity/ENTARCH) will provide high-level expertise across cloud security, identity architecture, Zero Trust, network segmentation, application/container security, and enterprise monitoring capabilities. This role is critical to shaping the agency's cybersecurity posture and ensuring compliance with federal mandates including FISMA, CISA, OMB, Executive Orders, and NIST frameworks. Operating with substantial independence, the architect leads multi-disciplinary technical efforts, advises executives, and ensures the secure evolution of the agency's technology environment.

The Senior Information Technology Specialist (Cybersecurity/ENTARCH) is also responsible for defining and implementing secure enterprise architectures, engineering complex cybersecurity solutions, and integrating federal security mandates across the agency's technology stack.

Major Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise cybersecurity architecture by designing and governing integrated architectures across identity, devices, networks, applications, and data within a Zero Trust model.
• Develop secure architectures for hybrid cloud, Microsoft 365, identity services, and container ecosystems.
• Establish enterprise patterns, baselines, and engineering standards.
• Ensure alignment with NIST SP 800 53, SP 800 207, RMF, and OMB/CISA directives.
• Lead major cybersecurity modernization initiatives including defining scope, technical objectives, dependencies, schedules, and measurable outcomes.
• Coordinate engineering, cloud, network, application, and development teams to oversee threat modeling, secure API design, encryption, secrets management.
• Manage architectural risk; conduct impact analyses; and enforce technical quality gates.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
• Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
• Resume and supporting documents (See How To Apply).
• 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.
• FHFA participates in e-Verify. All new hires must complete the I-9 Employment Verification form either on or before their first day of employment. If a discrepancy arises, you must take affirmative steps to resolve the matter.
• This position is eligible for inclusion in the bargaining unit. The union that represents employees in this position is the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) Chapter 343.
• This is NOT a remote position; you MUST live within or be willing to relocate within a commutable distance of the Washington, DC duty location.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a COR-I Certification.

Qualifications

You may qualify for your desired series and grade level if you meet the following qualification requirements:

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

To be eligible for the 2210 series, you must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below:

1. Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.

In addition to meeting the basic requirements listed above, applicants must also meet the following minimum qualifications for their desired grade level:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Minimum Qualification EL-14: Applicants must have 52 weeks (one-year) of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level as described below.

Experience: I qualify for the EL/GS-14 because I have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience at the EL/GS-13 or equivalent demonstrating work experience with the statements described below.

Examples of specialized experience include:

• Leading Zero Trust-aligned enterprise architectures across identity, cloud, applications, and data AND establishing standards and baselines to ensure compliance with NIST, RMF, and federal directives.
• Directing or participating in major cybersecurity modernization efforts (i.e. coordinating cross-functional teams, managing architectural risk, overseeing pilots and vendor integrations, and driving enterprise application security).
• Advancing the security of enterprise applications and platforms by embedding secure designing practices; integrating automated security testing and software-composition analysis; and applying threat analysis, API security, and data protection strategies.
• Advising senior leadership on strategy and enterprise risk; leading or participating in architecture boards and interagency councils or industry working groups; and representing the organization to internal and external stakeholders.

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

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

An Overview of FHFA's Benefits provides a summary of benefits for the current fiscal year.

If selectee is a current FHFA employee; their benefits remain the same.

Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see

Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to Federal employees who have been involuntarily separated or whose positions are surplus. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet CTAP/ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified with a score of 90 or above; and (3) submit required documentation. For more information, visit: For more information visit:

FHFA is an Equal Opportunity Employer . All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, disability, age (40 or older), genetic information, parental or marital status, prior protected EEO activity, political affiliation, or any other non-merit factor.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) 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 Competency Based 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.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION: FHFA provides accommodations to applicants with disabilities unless it would create an undue hardship. To request an accommodation, contact View email address on click.appcast.io. All requests are reviewed case by case.

Ethics: FHFA employees are subject to government-wide ethical standards of conduct, financial disclosure requirements, and post-employment prohibitions. In addition, certain FHFA employees are prohibited from accepting compensation from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for a two-year period after terminating employment with FHFA. Furthermore, to avoid financial conflicts-of interest or the appearance of conflicts-of-interest, FHFA employees may need to divest or sell certain assets they, their spouse, or minor children own or control, including securities issued by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or the Federal Home Loan Banks. Employees who work on Federal Home Loan Bank issues may need to sell or divest financial interests with any of the Federal Home Loan Bank members, which may include stock in bank holding companies, insurance companies, and other financial services firms. Questions regarding these requirements and prohibitions should be directed to the Office of General Counsel at View phone number on click.appcast.io.

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.

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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.

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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.