Information Security Engineer

Summary

The Congressional Budget Office is a small nonpartisan agency that provides independent, objective economic and budget analysis to the Congress. The agency seeks a skilled and experienced Information Security Engineer to manage an effective program to protect its information systems.

Duties

The information security engineer develops and applies the tools and approach necessary to protect CBO's network and computer systems. This position involves a composite of engineering expertise with hands-on incident response and security analysis. The successful candidate will design, configure, and optimize security tools to enhance detection and response capabilities. This role requires an in-depth understanding of cybersecurity principles and incident response procedures and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment. Specific duties include the following: Leading and participating in investigations of security incidents and ensuring rapid containment and remediation. Designing, implementing, and fine-tuning security tools and solutions, including Checkpoint EDR, CheckPoint VPN, iBoss, QRadar, and other security platforms. Developing and maintaining detection rules, alerts, and dashboards to improve visibility and threat detection. Integrating and optimizing threat intelligence feeds to enhance correlation and alerting capabilities. Troubleshooting and resolving performance issues with security tools and systems. Actively monitoring and managing security events, responding to alerts from SIEM and security tools. Aligning engineering and operations activities with federal requirements such as NIST 800-53, FISMA, and FedRAMP. Evaluating and recommending enhancements to security tools and processes. Staying current with emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and industry best practices to continuously evolve the security environment. Keeping track of tasks to ensure they are completed efficiently.

Requirements

US citizenship or current permanent residents seeking citizenship. Candidates must be able to obtain and maintain a top-secret security clearance.

Qualifications

Candidates must have 8 to 10 years of information technology experience, with at least 5 years of recent experience in conducting risk analysis, analyzing audit logs, developing a zero trust architecture, identifying system vulnerabilities, and performing threat hunting to proactively identify and mitigate risks. The most important requirement for this position is demonstrated expertise in a variety of security systems and technologies currently in place. Also required is recent experience with cloud security and advanced threat defense, firewall implementation and system penetration technology, malware detection, and network operating systems (the administration of Windows, Linux, or cloud operating systems is a plus). Experience with information technology security concepts, NIST 800-53 controls and requirements, and the MITRE ATT&CK framework is preferred, as is knowledge of the fundamentals of AI and machine learning. Candidates must also possess strong verbal and written communication skills, especially the ability to explain complex technical material clearly to senior staff, information systems professionals, and both technical and nontechnical users.

Education

A bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, cybersecurity, or a related field is preferred. CISSP, CISM, CompTIA Cloud+, Security+, Pen Test, and/or other applicable certifications are desirable.

How you will be evaluated

Your application includes your resume, responses to the on-line questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a not qualified determination. Those who aren't qualified will be informed and not considered further. Others will be referred to the hiring division for further consideration.

Benefits

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. CBO offers excellent benefits and a collegial, respectful work environment.To learn more: https://www.cbo.gov/about/careers/benefits.

Required documents

A cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references are required. See 'How to Apply' for instructions.

How to apply

Please submit a cover letter, a résumé, and contact information for three references at www.cbo.gov/careers. To ensure consideration, apply by November 13, 2026; CBO may stop accepting applications at any time after that date. This position is covered by the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998, as made applicable by the Congressional Accountability Act, as amended.

Other information

This position follows a hybrid work schedule and requires employees to work in person in the Washington, D.C., office on designated core days. Additional in-office days may be required on the basis of operational needs, such as on-site support of the agency's infrastructure and data center operations. The position may require periodic travel (approximately once per month) to the agency's alternate computer facility. Full-time telework is not available for this position. Not a remote position. Only applications submitted through CBO's careers website (www.cbo.gov/careers) will be reviewed. CBO is an equal opportunity employer. M/F/V/D

What to expect next

You will receive an email confirming that you have applied to the position. Once your application is reviewed, it will be forwarded to the hiring division if you are qualified. If you don't meet qualifications, you will be informed by email and your application will not be considered further. All qualified candidates will be informed by email when the position has been filled.