Job Requirements
Arlington, VA
Top Secret Polygraph not specified
Management (Manager/Director of Staff)
$300,000 - $350,000
Job Description
Apex Systems is seeking experienced cyber operations leader to support the TESS program and advance cyber operations opportunities across the CISA account.
Within TESS, this individual will engage senior federal leaders, identify operational challenges, and help customers understand how their cyber defense capabilities connect to achieve broader mission outcomes. They will build trusted relationships across the customer organization, facilitate alignment among stakeholders, and lead a team of cyber mission operations and cyber solutions subject matter experts in translating mission needs into actionable recommendations and solutions that improves the effectiveness and efficiencies of CISA’s cyber capabilities.
The ideal candidate has progressed from practical cybersecurity operations (SecOps/SOC) into senior cybersecurity leadership, including leading leaders, subject matter and cyber mission experts, and multidisciplinary teams. They understand how large-scale cybersecurity operations, cyber threat intelligence, incident response, threat hunting, vulnerability management, and supporting technologies work together to improve cyber defense effectiveness and efficiency of SecOps and SOC teams. They have led teams responsible for designing, implementing, and advancing cyber SecOps/SOC capabilities and solutions, while improving how organizations and teams collaborate and operate across organizational boundaries, processes, and competing priorities.
This leader will use operational credibility and mission, customer, delivery leadership, and internal executive relationships to build customer demand and support for improvements and move initiatives forward. Leader will also collaborate with and lead solutions architects, engineering specialists, and other technical experts will support detailed solution design.
In addition to TESS responsibilities, this individual will contribute cyber operations expertise, customer insight, and strategic guidance to related pursuits and emerging opportunities across the our CISA account.
Key Responsibilities
• Engage federal leadership and build trust. Establish and sustain relationships with senior government leaders and mission stakeholders. Lead substantive conversations about operational priorities, capability gaps, dependencies, and desired outcomes.
• Connect cyber operations capabilities. Help customer leaders understand the relationships among cyber defense functions, teams, services, and technologies. Identify where stronger integration, shared information, or coordinated processes can improve mission effectiveness.
• Uncover underlying cyber mission problems. Look beyond individual requests to understand root causes, organizational barriers, and cross-functional challenges. Translate customer discussions into clearly defined problems, priorities, and opportunities for improvement.
• Build alignment and customer commitment. Use trusted relationships, operational experience, and clear communication to bring stakeholders together around recommended approaches. Help customers evaluate tradeoffs, resolve competing priorities, and establish support for next steps.
• Lead a team of cyber mission operations and solution subject matter experts. Set priorities, provide direction, develop talent, and hold SMEs and team leads accountable for quality and results. Coordinate expertise across disciplines to address customer needs.
• Guide solution development. Bring customer insights back to TESS program leadership, solutions architects, capability leads, and technical teams. Lead the development of mission-focused recommendations, supported by specialists responsible for detailed architecture and engineering.
• Translate strategy into program action. Work with TESS leadership and delivery teams to develop concepts of operations, capability roadmaps, requirements, staffing recommendations, and implementation priorities. Keep recommendations grounded in customer needs and program execution realities.
• Advance operational improvements. Help move approved initiatives into execution by addressing stakeholder concerns, adoption barriers, and dependencies. Establish meaningful measures of progress and mission impact with customer and program leaders.
• Support CISA account pursuits. Contribute cyber operations expertise to related opportunities, including customer discovery, opportunity assessment, solution shaping, technical narratives, and executive presentations. Coordinate with account, capture, solutions, and delivery leaders to develop credible approaches informed by operational experience.
• Communicate with executive and technical audiences. Lead briefings, workshops, and strategic discussions that make complex cyber operations issues understandable and support informed decisions.
Required Qualifications
• U.S. citizenship, as required by contract.
• Active Top Secret clearance and ability to obtain DHS Entry on Duty (EOD)/Public Trust approval.
• Substantial, progressively responsible experience in large scale cybersecurity operations (SecOps, with a practical foundation in leading/running a Security Operations Center (SOC), cyber defense, incident response, threat intelligence, or a comparable operational environment).
• Demonstrated progression into senior leadership, including experience leading managers, technical leads, or multidisciplinary teams responsible for cyber operations.
• Experience supporting complex federal cybersecurity missions and engaging directly with senior government leaders.
• Broad understanding of cyber defense capabilities and their operational relationships, including detection and response, threat intelligence, threat hunting, vulnerability management, detection engineering, security telemetry, and automation.
• Demonstrated ability to earn executive trust, establish relationships across organizational boundaries, and influence decisions through operational credibility and sound judgment.
• Experience identifying underlying customer problems, facilitating stakeholder alignment, and building support for actionable recommendations.
• Ability to assess technical and operational tradeoffs, challenge assumptions, and guide solution discussions in partnership with architects and engineering specialists.
• Experience translating mission priorities into operational strategies, roadmaps, requirements, resource recommendations, or measurable improvements.
• Strong executive communication, facilitation, team leadership, and collaboration skills.
• Candidates should bring depth in one or more cyber operations disciplines and the breadth to lead across multiple functions. Expertise in every domain, platform, or tool is not expected.
Preferred Qualifications
• Leadership experience supporting CISA, DHS, or another large federal civilian cybersecurity organization.
• Experience improving coordination among cyber operations functions, programs, or stakeholder organizations.
• Experience building, modernizing, or scaling SOCs, integrated cyber defense capabilities, or managed security services.
• Familiarity with federal cybersecurity services supporting agencies, state and local governments, or critical infrastructure stakeholders.
• Experience contributing operational expertise to federal opportunity assessments, solution development, proposals, or customer presentations.
• Familiarity with security analytics, AI-enabled operations, automation, and operational technology security.
• Relevant cybersecurity or leadership certifications, or advanced education.
What Success Looks Like
Success means federal leaders have a clearer understanding of how their cyber operations capabilities work together, priority mission problems are well defined, and stakeholders support practical approaches to addressing them. The TESS SME team delivers coordinated, credible recommendations that translate into program action, while related CISA account pursuits benefit from informed cyber operations expertise and customer insight.
Location: Arlington, VA
Onsite expectation: Hybrid On-Site
Clearance Level: Top Secret
Salary/Pay range: $300-$350k/yr
PLEASE NOTE: Candidates must be able to obtain and/or maintain a Top Secret security clearance as a condition and continuation of employment*
If you are interested, please apply here or email an updated copy of your resume to
Apex Systems Military & Veteran Programs
At Apex Systems, we are proud to support those who serve. Our commitment to the military community is reflected in our robust veteran hiring initiatives, military-friendly workplace policies, and nationally recognized programs. We value the leadership, discipline, and mission-first mindset that military professionals bring to our team. Join us in continuing your mission.
Why Apex is a Top Choice for Veterans and Military Talent:
• Military-Friendly Employer: Recognized as a Military Friendly® Employer for multiple consecutive years.
• Transition Programs: DoD Skill Bridge program with multiple pathway options.
• Veteran Hiring Commitment: We actively partner with multiple veteran and military organizations that specialize in IT upskilling and certification training, helping service members and veterans transition into high-demand tech careers
• Apex Military Network: Internal employee resource group supporting veterans, Guard/Reserve members, and their families.
Apex Benefits Overview
Apex offers a range of supplemental benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and other insurance plans that offer an optional layer of financial protection. We offer an ESPP (employee stock purchase program) and a 401K program which allows you to contribute typically within 30 days of starting, with a company match after 12 months of tenure. Apex also offers a HSA (Health Savings Account on the HDHP plan), a SupportLinc Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with up to 8 free counseling sessions, a corporate discount savings program and other discounts. In terms of professional development, Apex hosts an on-demand training program, provides access to certification prep and a library of technical and leadership courses/books/seminars once you have 6+ months of tenure, and certification discounts and other perks to associations that include CompTIA and IIBA. Apex has a dedicated customer service team for our Consultants that can address questions around benefits and other resources, as well as a certified Career Coach. You can access a full list of our benefits, programs, support teams and resources within our ‘Welcome Packet’ as well, which an Apex team member can provide.
Everforth Apex is a world-class IT services company that serves thousands of clients across the globe. When you join Everforth Apex, you become part of a team that values innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning. We offer quality career resources, training, certifications, development opportunities, and a comprehensive benefits package. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in many awards, including ClearlyRateds Best of Staffing® in Talent Satisfaction in the United States and Great Place to Work® in the United Kingdom and Mexico.
Everforth Apex uses a virtual recruiter as part of the application process. Click here for more details. By applying for this job, you agree to receive calls, AI-generated calls, text messages, or emails from Everforth Apex and its affiliates, and contracted partners. Frequency varies for text messages. Message and data rates may apply. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. You can reply STOP to cancel and HELP for help. You can access our privacy policy at https://www.apexsystems.com/privacy-policy
Everforth Apex Benefits Overview: Everforth Apex offers a range of supplemental benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and other insurance plans that offer an optional layer of financial protection. We offer an ESPP (employee stock purchase program) and a 401K program which allows you to contribute typically within 30 days of starting, with a company match after 12 months of tenure. Everforth Apex also offers a HSA (Health Savings Account on the HDHP plan), a SupportLinc Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with up to 8 free counseling sessions, a corporate discount savings program and other discounts. In terms of professional development, Everforth Apex hosts an on-demand training program, provides access to certification prep and a library of technical and leadership courses/books/seminars once you have 6+ months of tenure, and certification discounts and other perks to associations that include CompTIA and IIBA. Everforth Apex has a dedicated customer service team for our Consultants that can address questions around benefits and other resources, as well as a certified Career Coach. You can access a full list of our benefits, programs, support teams and resources within our ‘Welcome Packet’ as well, which an Everforth Apex team member can provide.
Everforth Apex Systems is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate or allow discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, genetic information, registered domestic partner status, marital status, disability, status as a crime victim, protected veteran status, political affiliation, union membership, or any other characteristic protected by law. Everforth Apex will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law.
If you require an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act to participate in an interview with a virtual recruiter or to use our website for a search or application, please contact our Benefits Department at accommodations@apexsystems.com or 804-523-8228. Please note that this contact information is strictly to be used for medical ADA accommodations and that no other inquiries will be answered.
UnitedHealthcare creates and publishes the Transparency in Coverage Machine-Readable Files on behalf of Everforth Apex Systems.
Within TESS, this individual will engage senior federal leaders, identify operational challenges, and help customers understand how their cyber defense capabilities connect to achieve broader mission outcomes. They will build trusted relationships across the customer organization, facilitate alignment among stakeholders, and lead a team of cyber mission operations and cyber solutions subject matter experts in translating mission needs into actionable recommendations and solutions that improves the effectiveness and efficiencies of CISA’s cyber capabilities.
The ideal candidate has progressed from practical cybersecurity operations (SecOps/SOC) into senior cybersecurity leadership, including leading leaders, subject matter and cyber mission experts, and multidisciplinary teams. They understand how large-scale cybersecurity operations, cyber threat intelligence, incident response, threat hunting, vulnerability management, and supporting technologies work together to improve cyber defense effectiveness and efficiency of SecOps and SOC teams. They have led teams responsible for designing, implementing, and advancing cyber SecOps/SOC capabilities and solutions, while improving how organizations and teams collaborate and operate across organizational boundaries, processes, and competing priorities.
This leader will use operational credibility and mission, customer, delivery leadership, and internal executive relationships to build customer demand and support for improvements and move initiatives forward. Leader will also collaborate with and lead solutions architects, engineering specialists, and other technical experts will support detailed solution design.
In addition to TESS responsibilities, this individual will contribute cyber operations expertise, customer insight, and strategic guidance to related pursuits and emerging opportunities across the our CISA account.
Key Responsibilities
• Engage federal leadership and build trust. Establish and sustain relationships with senior government leaders and mission stakeholders. Lead substantive conversations about operational priorities, capability gaps, dependencies, and desired outcomes.
• Connect cyber operations capabilities. Help customer leaders understand the relationships among cyber defense functions, teams, services, and technologies. Identify where stronger integration, shared information, or coordinated processes can improve mission effectiveness.
• Uncover underlying cyber mission problems. Look beyond individual requests to understand root causes, organizational barriers, and cross-functional challenges. Translate customer discussions into clearly defined problems, priorities, and opportunities for improvement.
• Build alignment and customer commitment. Use trusted relationships, operational experience, and clear communication to bring stakeholders together around recommended approaches. Help customers evaluate tradeoffs, resolve competing priorities, and establish support for next steps.
• Lead a team of cyber mission operations and solution subject matter experts. Set priorities, provide direction, develop talent, and hold SMEs and team leads accountable for quality and results. Coordinate expertise across disciplines to address customer needs.
• Guide solution development. Bring customer insights back to TESS program leadership, solutions architects, capability leads, and technical teams. Lead the development of mission-focused recommendations, supported by specialists responsible for detailed architecture and engineering.
• Translate strategy into program action. Work with TESS leadership and delivery teams to develop concepts of operations, capability roadmaps, requirements, staffing recommendations, and implementation priorities. Keep recommendations grounded in customer needs and program execution realities.
• Advance operational improvements. Help move approved initiatives into execution by addressing stakeholder concerns, adoption barriers, and dependencies. Establish meaningful measures of progress and mission impact with customer and program leaders.
• Support CISA account pursuits. Contribute cyber operations expertise to related opportunities, including customer discovery, opportunity assessment, solution shaping, technical narratives, and executive presentations. Coordinate with account, capture, solutions, and delivery leaders to develop credible approaches informed by operational experience.
• Communicate with executive and technical audiences. Lead briefings, workshops, and strategic discussions that make complex cyber operations issues understandable and support informed decisions.
Required Qualifications
• U.S. citizenship, as required by contract.
• Active Top Secret clearance and ability to obtain DHS Entry on Duty (EOD)/Public Trust approval.
• Substantial, progressively responsible experience in large scale cybersecurity operations (SecOps, with a practical foundation in leading/running a Security Operations Center (SOC), cyber defense, incident response, threat intelligence, or a comparable operational environment).
• Demonstrated progression into senior leadership, including experience leading managers, technical leads, or multidisciplinary teams responsible for cyber operations.
• Experience supporting complex federal cybersecurity missions and engaging directly with senior government leaders.
• Broad understanding of cyber defense capabilities and their operational relationships, including detection and response, threat intelligence, threat hunting, vulnerability management, detection engineering, security telemetry, and automation.
• Demonstrated ability to earn executive trust, establish relationships across organizational boundaries, and influence decisions through operational credibility and sound judgment.
• Experience identifying underlying customer problems, facilitating stakeholder alignment, and building support for actionable recommendations.
• Ability to assess technical and operational tradeoffs, challenge assumptions, and guide solution discussions in partnership with architects and engineering specialists.
• Experience translating mission priorities into operational strategies, roadmaps, requirements, resource recommendations, or measurable improvements.
• Strong executive communication, facilitation, team leadership, and collaboration skills.
• Candidates should bring depth in one or more cyber operations disciplines and the breadth to lead across multiple functions. Expertise in every domain, platform, or tool is not expected.
Preferred Qualifications
• Leadership experience supporting CISA, DHS, or another large federal civilian cybersecurity organization.
• Experience improving coordination among cyber operations functions, programs, or stakeholder organizations.
• Experience building, modernizing, or scaling SOCs, integrated cyber defense capabilities, or managed security services.
• Familiarity with federal cybersecurity services supporting agencies, state and local governments, or critical infrastructure stakeholders.
• Experience contributing operational expertise to federal opportunity assessments, solution development, proposals, or customer presentations.
• Familiarity with security analytics, AI-enabled operations, automation, and operational technology security.
• Relevant cybersecurity or leadership certifications, or advanced education.
What Success Looks Like
Success means federal leaders have a clearer understanding of how their cyber operations capabilities work together, priority mission problems are well defined, and stakeholders support practical approaches to addressing them. The TESS SME team delivers coordinated, credible recommendations that translate into program action, while related CISA account pursuits benefit from informed cyber operations expertise and customer insight.
Location: Arlington, VA
Onsite expectation: Hybrid On-Site
Clearance Level: Top Secret
Salary/Pay range: $300-$350k/yr
PLEASE NOTE: Candidates must be able to obtain and/or maintain a Top Secret security clearance as a condition and continuation of employment*
If you are interested, please apply here or email an updated copy of your resume to
Apex Systems Military & Veteran Programs
At Apex Systems, we are proud to support those who serve. Our commitment to the military community is reflected in our robust veteran hiring initiatives, military-friendly workplace policies, and nationally recognized programs. We value the leadership, discipline, and mission-first mindset that military professionals bring to our team. Join us in continuing your mission.
Why Apex is a Top Choice for Veterans and Military Talent:
• Military-Friendly Employer: Recognized as a Military Friendly® Employer for multiple consecutive years.
• Transition Programs: DoD Skill Bridge program with multiple pathway options.
• Veteran Hiring Commitment: We actively partner with multiple veteran and military organizations that specialize in IT upskilling and certification training, helping service members and veterans transition into high-demand tech careers
• Apex Military Network: Internal employee resource group supporting veterans, Guard/Reserve members, and their families.
Apex Benefits Overview
Apex offers a range of supplemental benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and other insurance plans that offer an optional layer of financial protection. We offer an ESPP (employee stock purchase program) and a 401K program which allows you to contribute typically within 30 days of starting, with a company match after 12 months of tenure. Apex also offers a HSA (Health Savings Account on the HDHP plan), a SupportLinc Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with up to 8 free counseling sessions, a corporate discount savings program and other discounts. In terms of professional development, Apex hosts an on-demand training program, provides access to certification prep and a library of technical and leadership courses/books/seminars once you have 6+ months of tenure, and certification discounts and other perks to associations that include CompTIA and IIBA. Apex has a dedicated customer service team for our Consultants that can address questions around benefits and other resources, as well as a certified Career Coach. You can access a full list of our benefits, programs, support teams and resources within our ‘Welcome Packet’ as well, which an Apex team member can provide.
Everforth Apex is a world-class IT services company that serves thousands of clients across the globe. When you join Everforth Apex, you become part of a team that values innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning. We offer quality career resources, training, certifications, development opportunities, and a comprehensive benefits package. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in many awards, including ClearlyRateds Best of Staffing® in Talent Satisfaction in the United States and Great Place to Work® in the United Kingdom and Mexico.
Everforth Apex uses a virtual recruiter as part of the application process. Click here for more details. By applying for this job, you agree to receive calls, AI-generated calls, text messages, or emails from Everforth Apex and its affiliates, and contracted partners. Frequency varies for text messages. Message and data rates may apply. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. You can reply STOP to cancel and HELP for help. You can access our privacy policy at https://www.apexsystems.com/privacy-policy
Everforth Apex Benefits Overview: Everforth Apex offers a range of supplemental benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and other insurance plans that offer an optional layer of financial protection. We offer an ESPP (employee stock purchase program) and a 401K program which allows you to contribute typically within 30 days of starting, with a company match after 12 months of tenure. Everforth Apex also offers a HSA (Health Savings Account on the HDHP plan), a SupportLinc Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with up to 8 free counseling sessions, a corporate discount savings program and other discounts. In terms of professional development, Everforth Apex hosts an on-demand training program, provides access to certification prep and a library of technical and leadership courses/books/seminars once you have 6+ months of tenure, and certification discounts and other perks to associations that include CompTIA and IIBA. Everforth Apex has a dedicated customer service team for our Consultants that can address questions around benefits and other resources, as well as a certified Career Coach. You can access a full list of our benefits, programs, support teams and resources within our ‘Welcome Packet’ as well, which an Everforth Apex team member can provide.
Everforth Apex Systems is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate or allow discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, genetic information, registered domestic partner status, marital status, disability, status as a crime victim, protected veteran status, political affiliation, union membership, or any other characteristic protected by law. Everforth Apex will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law.
If you require an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act to participate in an interview with a virtual recruiter or to use our website for a search or application, please contact our Benefits Department at accommodations@apexsystems.com or 804-523-8228. Please note that this contact information is strictly to be used for medical ADA accommodations and that no other inquiries will be answered.
UnitedHealthcare creates and publishes the Transparency in Coverage Machine-Readable Files on behalf of Everforth Apex Systems.
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