CDAO - IT Cybersecurity Specialist

Job Title: IT Cybersecurity Specialist 

JOA: CDAO-2026-000103
Pay Scale: $139,395-$191,900
Open Date: 20 May 2026
Close Date: 3 June 2026
 
About the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office 
 
The Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) supports the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E)) by delivering secure, reliable, and scalable capabilities that enable mission-critical decision-making across the Department of Defense.  

 

As a Security Control Assessor within the CDAO, you will be at the forefront of the Department's cyber defense strategy. In this senior role, you will drive the Risk Management Framework (RMF) process and execute comprehensive, independent assessments of complex enterprise systems, network enclaves, and dynamic cloud architectures. You will serve as a strategic advisor to Authorizing Officials, Program Managers, and Information System Owners, translating complex national and federal cybersecurity policies—including NIST SP 800-53, FISMA, and FedRAMP—into actionable compliance and mitigation strategies. 

 

This position demands expertise in advanced cybersecurity principles, Zero Trust network architectures, and comprehensive vulnerability management. You will be responsible for evaluating sophisticated threat landscapes, managing Plans of Action and Milestones (POA&Ms), and establishing robust continuous monitoring processes to ensure that evolving system architectures do not introduce unacceptable risks to the mission environment. 

 

By aggressively validating security controls, conducting rigorous independent audits, and analyzing residual risks, your technical evaluations will directly secure critical infrastructure and support the Interim Authority to Test (IATT) and Authorization to Operate (ATO) decisions vital to national security operations. 

 

This position is covered by the Department of Defense (DoD) Civilian Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project (AcqDemo). The position is located in Washington, DC. The pay plan and broadband level for this role is NH-2210-04, which is equivalent to the GS-14/15 grade level. 
 
This role will close for submissions on June 3rd, 2026 at 11:59:59pm.