There are a variety of Cybersecurity Data Science opportunities across the Department, including supporting several specialized programs at the DHS Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans (PLCY), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the DHS Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) and the U.S. Secret Service. As a DHS Cybersecurity Service employee in the Technical Career Track, you will continually maintain and share your Cybersecurity Data Science expertise to perform a range of critical, complex, routine and non-routine tasks, including:

• Applying knowledge of essential cybersecurity policies to data management to develop data standards, policies, and procedures to facilitate and implement data mining and data warehousing programs to collect, clean, convert and standardize complex data for analysis.
• Conducting hypothesis testing using statistical processes applying quantitative techniques (e.g., descriptive and inferential statistics, sampling, experimental design) to assess the validity of source data and develop strategic insights from large data sets.
• Proactively collaborating with systems analysts, engineers, and programmers to design applications integrating data from several disparate sources that is stored using different technologies to provide a unified view of the data.
• Using a variety of tools, including Google Analytics, to monitor web data, log data, and threat data analytics, to provide a managed flow of relevant information based on cybersecurity mission requirements.
• Analyzing and defining data requirements and specifications using various tools and methodologies (e.g., Statistical Package for Social Sciences [SPSS], Statistical Analysis System [SAS], R Analytics, Statistics and Data [STATA]) to discover new patterns and behaviors providing DHS Headquarters (HQ) and/or Component stakeholders actionable recommendations.
• Planning for anticipated changes in enterprise data capacity requirements and effectively allocating storage capacity in the design of new data management systems, technologies, and architectures.
• Providing technical and nontechnical support to collect metrics and trending data using enterprise data management systems (e.g., SPLUNK) and cloud-based systems (e.g., AWS).
• Using data visualization tools (e.g., R, Tableau, Flare, Google Visualization Application Programming Interface [API], RGIS) to design charts and exhibit graphic representations for the purposes of providing actionable recommendations to critical leadership officials and stakeholders.
• Using various tools (e.g., SPSS, SAS, R, STATA) and methodologies for analyzing and interpreting complex data to discover new patterns and behaviors and provide usable information to decision makers and other users.
• Designing and implementing data pipelines for the analysis of cyber data into systems.
• Structuring, cleaning, enriching, and validating data in preparation for discovery and use.
• Building and maintaining scalable database architecture and data processing systems.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or national.
• You must be 18 years of age.
• Must be registered for the Selective Service (if you are a male).
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance. Security clearance levels may vary.
• Must be able to submit to a drug test and receive a negative result.
• Must be able to comply with ethics and standards of conduct requirements, including completing any applicable financial disclosure.
• May be required to serve a 3 year probationary period.

Qualifications

This position is in the Technical Track across a range of career levels. Employees in this career track generally:

• Have between 5-15 years of cybersecurity work experience.
• Range from experienced cybersecurity professionals who apply technical expertise and independent judgement to perform cybersecurity work - to - recognized Federal cybersecurity technical authorities with uncommon technical expertise who advise on cybersecurity challenged impacting DHS and the Nation.

• Examine data with the goal of providing new insight for the purposes of cybersecurity.
• Design and implement custom algorithms, flow processes and layouts for complex, enterprise-scale data sets used for modeling, data analytics, and research purposes.
• Apply understanding of cybersecurity field to inform analytical methodologies and algorithms selected for implementation.
• Design, build, implement, integrate, and maintain systems and tools for data trend and pattern analysis of cyber data.
• Apply knowledge of statistics and mathematical theory to develop and integrate new and emerging technologies, such as machine learning and deep learning concepts and techniques.
• Communicate insights gained to mission user.

DHS Cybersecurity Service employees start at career levels and salaries matching their experience and expertise. To learn more about DHS Cybersecurity Service career tracks and levels, visit our application portal.

This position is focused on Cybersecurity Data Science.

DHS Cybersecurity Service jobs are structured cybersecurity specializations - called technical capabilities. To learn more about technical capabilities, visit our application portal.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

All DHS Cybersecurity Service (DHS-CS) applicants participate in a multi-phase assessment process, which varies by career track. For the Technical Career Track, applicants participate in a two-phase assessment process:

• You must successfully complete each phase to advance to the next phase.
• The total time commitment for the two phases is approximately 4 hours (many applicants require less time!).
• Before each phase, DHS will e-mail you instructions and information to help you prepare.
• Assessments are time sensitive, so monitor your e-mail to ensure you have plenty of time to complete them prior to any deadlines.

• Un-proctored - Completed online within a prescribed period of time.
• Includes two assessments: (1) a work styles inventory that will take about 30 minutes to complete; (2) a work simulation that you will have up to 2 hours to complete.
• The two assessments take about 90 minutes (on average) to complete.
• Requires a computer with audio (speakers or headphones) and a reliable internet connection.
• No knowledge of DHS or cybersecurity is required for these assessments, which measure non-technical capabilities that are important for professional success in the DHS-CS. This includes how you communicate, analyze information, and collaborate with others:
  • The work styles inventory presents you with questions about your work-related interests and preferences.
  • The work simulation presents you with realistic, work-related scenarios and asks you to respond to them.

PHASE II: TECHNICAL CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT

• Proctored - must be scheduled in advance and completed at a designated assessment center within a prescribed period of time
• There is a different assessment for each DHS-CS technical capability (visit Jobs to learn more about the technical capabilities).
• Most individuals only have a primary technical capability and complete only one Technical Capability Assessment, but in limited circumstances, you may complete a second Technical Capability Assessment.
• You will have up to 2.5 hours to complete each Technical Capability Assessment; each takes about 90 minutes (on average) to complete.
• Assessments present realistic, work-related cybersecurity scenarios and questions to assess technical skills.
• Cybersecurity knowledge is assessed, but no knowledge of DHS is required.
• Applicants who successfully complete Phase II will undergo a resume review to confirm required experience. More information will be provided to such applicants as they progress through the application process.

Next steps