The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nations space programs solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space delivering innovative solutions that span satellite launch ground and cyber systems for defense civil and commercial customers. When you join our team youll be part of a special collection of problem solvers thought leaders and innovators. Join us and take your place in space.
Job Summary
The CISO will be responsible for implementing and running the enterprise cybersecurity program. That will involve identifying evaluating and reporting on legal and regulatory IT and cybersecurity risk to information assets while supporting and advancing business objectives.
The CISO position requires a visionary leader with sound knowledge of business management and a working knowledge of cybersecurity technologies covering the corporate network as well as the broader digital ecosystem. The CISO is responsible for establishing and maintaining the cybersecurity program to ensure that information assets and associated technology applications systems infrastructure and processes are adequately protected in the digital ecosystem in which we operate.
A key element of the CISOs role is working with executive management to determine acceptable levels of risk for the organization. They will proactively work with business units and ecosystem partners including customer stakeholders to implement practices that meet agreed-on policies and standards for cybersecurity. The CISO should understand and articulate the impact of cybersecurity on (digital) business and be able to communicate this to the board of directors and other senior stakeholders.
The CISO must be knowledgeable about both internal and external business environments and ensure that information systems are maintained in a fully functional and secure mode and are compliant with legal regulatory and contractual obligations. They serve as the process owner of the appropriate second-line assurance activities not only related to confidentiality integrity and availability of information owned or processed by the business but extend their expertise to aid the organization in meeting safety privacy reliability and resilience requirements. The CISO understands that securing information assets and associated technology applications systems and processes in the wider ecosystem in which the organization operates is as important as protecting information within the organizations perimeter.
The ideal candidate is a thought leader a builder of consensus and of bridges between business and technology. They are an integrator of people process and technology. While the CISO is the leader of the cybersecurity program they must also be able to coordinate disparate drivers constraints and personalities while maintaining objectivity and a strong understanding that cybersecurity is foundational for the organization to deliver on its business goals and objectives. Ultimately the CISO is a business leader and should have a track record of competency in the field of cybersecurity and/or risk management with seven to 10 years of relevant experience including five years in a significant leadership role.
Work Model
This is a full-time on-site position based in El Segundo CA Colorado Springs CO Crystal City VA or Chantilly VA.
What Youll Be Doing
Establish Governance and Build Knowledge
- Facilitates a cybersecurity governance structure through the implementation of a hierarchical governance program.
- Provides regular reporting on the current status of the cybersecurity program to enterprise risk teams senior business leaders and the board of trustees as part of a strategic enterprise risk management program thus supporting business outcomes.
- Develops socializes and coordinates approval and implementation of security policies.
- Works with the Supply Chain team to ensure that cybersecurity requirements are included in contracts by liaising with vendor management and procurement organizations.
- Directs the creation of a targeted cybersecurity awareness training program for all employees contractors and approved system users and establishes metrics to measure the effectiveness of this security training program for the different audiences.
- Understands and interacts with related disciplines either directly or through committees to ensure the consistent application of policies and standards across all technology projects systems and services including privacy risk management compliance and business continuity management.
- Advises on the cyber risk posture of the organization including the mandatory application of controls.
- Embeds Cyber Judgement across a centralized or decentralized or distributed decision-making model.
- Owns the security champion program to mobilize employees in all locations.
Lead the Organization
- Leads the cybersecurity function across the company to ensure consistent and high-quality information security management in support of the business goals.
- Determines the cybersecurity approach and operating model in consultation with stakeholders and aligned with the risk management approach and compliance monitoring of non-digital risk areas.
- Manages the budget for the cybersecurity function monitoring and reporting discrepancies.
- Manages an effective cybersecurity organization consisting of direct reports and dotted line reports (such as individuals in business continuity and IT operations). This includes hiring (and conducting background checks) training staff development performance management and annual performance reviews
Set the Strategy
- Develops a cybersecurity vision and strategy that is aligned to organizational priorities and enables and facilitates the organizations business objectives and ensures senior stakeholder buy-in and mandate.
- Develops implements and monitors a strategic comprehensive cybersecurity program to ensure appropriate levels of confidentiality integrity availability of information assets owned controlled or/and processed by the organization as well as the meeting of safety privacy reliability and resilience requirements as needed.
- Advises on the identification of non-CIO managed IT services in use (Mission IT) and on facilitating a corporate IT onboarding program to bring these services into the scope of the IT function and apply standard controls and rigor to these services; where this is not possible ensures that risk is reduced to the appropriate levels and ownership of this cybersecurity risk is clear.
- Works effectively with business units to facilitate cybersecurity risk assessment and risk management processes and empowers them to make the right decisions that fall within the risk appetite of their organization.
Develop the Frameworks
- Enhances the security posture by adopting a cybersecurity framework that is applicable to the organization including National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework SP 800-171 controls and Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2.0.
- Creates and manages a unified and flexible risk-based control framework to integrate and normalize the wide variety and ever-changing requirements resulting from global laws standards and regulations.
- Develops and owns a document framework of continuously up-to-date cybersecurity policies standards and guidelines. Oversees the approval and publication of these cybersecurity policies and practices.
- Creates a framework for roles and responsibilities with regard to information ownership classification accountability and protection of information assets.
- Facilitates a metrics and reporting framework to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of the program facilitates appropriate resource allocation and increases the maturity of the cybersecurity and reviews it with stakeholders at the executive and board levels.
Build the Network and Communicate the Vision
- Provides input for the IT section of the companys code of conduct.
- Creates the necessary internal networks among the cybersecurity team and line-of-business executives corporate compliance audit physical security legal and HR management teams to ensure alignment as required.
- Builds and nurtures external networks consisting of industry peers ecosystem partners vendors and other relevant parties to address common trends findings incidents and cybersecurity risks.
- Liaises with external agencies such as law enforcement and other advisory bodies as necessary to ensure that the organization maintains a strong security posture and is kept well-abreast of the relevant threats identified by these agencies.
- Liaises with the enterprise architecture team to build alignment between the security and enterprise (reference) architectures thus ensuring that cybersecurity requirements are implicit in these architectures and security is built in by design.
Operate the Function
- Collaborates and liaises with the privacy officer to ensure that privacy requirements are included where applicable.
- Defines and facilitates the processes for cybersecurity risk and for legal and regulatory assessments including the reporting and oversight of treatment efforts to address negative findings.
- Ensures that security is embedded in the project delivery process by providing the appropriate cybersecurity policies practices and guidelines.
- Manages and contains cybersecurity incidents and events to protect corporate IT assets intellectual property regulated data and the companys reputation.
- Monitors the external threat environment for emerging threats and advises relevant stakeholders on the appropriate courses of action.
- Develops and oversees effective resilience policies and standards to align with the enterprise resilience program goals with the realization that components supporting primary business processes may be outside the corporate perimeter.
- Coordinates the development of implementation of incident response plans and procedures to ensure that business-critical services are recovered in the event of a security event; provides direction support and in-house consulting in these areas.
- Facilitates and supports the development of asset inventories including information assets in cloud services and in other parties in the organizations ecosystem.
What You Need to be Successful - Principal Director CISO
Minimum Requirements:
Education Training and Previous Experience
- Demonstrated experience and success in senior leadership roles in risk management cybersecurity and IT or OT security.
- Degree in business administration or a technology-related field or equivalent work- or education-related experience.
- This position requires ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI security clearance which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.
Technical and Business Experience
- Knowledge and understanding of relevant legal and regulatory requirements such as NIST SP 800-171 controls and experience overseeing Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2.0 at Level 2 and higher a plus.
- Knowledge of common information security management frameworks such as NIST 800-53 and Cybersecurity Framework.
- Sound knowledge of business management and a working knowledge of cybersecurity risk management and cybersecurity technologies.
- Up-to-date knowledge of methodologies and trends in both business and IT
- Experience with securing cloud services and integrating FedRAMP certified services a plus.
Knowledge and Skills
- Excellent communication skills interpersonal and collaborative skills and the ability to communicate cybersecurity and risk-related concepts to technical and nontechnical audiences at various hierarchical levels ranging from board members to technical specialists.
- Strategic leader and builder of both vision and bridges and able to energize the appropriate teams in the organization.
- Ability to lead and motivate the cybersecurity team to achieve tactical and strategic goals even when only dotted reporting lines exist.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills.
- Financial/budget management scheduling and workforce management.
- A master of influencing entities and decisions in situations where no formal reporting structures exist but achieving the desirable outcome is vital.
- Business acumen and an understanding of the organizations risk profile.
- Ability to develop and implement security strategies that are aligned with the organizations business goals.
How You Can Stand Out
It would be impressive if you have one or more of these:
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) or other similar credentials.
- Experience successfully executing programs that meet the objectives of excellence in a dynamic business environment.
- Experience with contract and vendor negotiations.
We offer a competitive compensation package where youll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to our business. The grade-based pay range for this job is listed below. Individual salaries within that range are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education experience knowledge and skills.
(Min - Max)
$174361 - $296494
Pay Basis: Annual
Leadership Competencies
Our leadership philosophy is simple: every employee regardless of level and role can demonstrate leadership. At Aerospace our commitment is our people. To cultivate our talent and ensure that we have a strong pipeline of future leaders we want individuals who:
- Operate Strategically
- Lead Change
- Engage with Impact
- Foster Innovation
- Deliver Results
Ways We Reward Our Employees
During your interview process our team will provide details of our industry-leading benefits.
Benefits vary and are applicable based on Job Type. A few highlights include:
Comprehensive health care and wellness plans
Paid holidays sick time and vacation
Standard and alternate work schedules including telework options
401(k) Plan Employees receive a total company-paid benefit of 8% 10% or 12% of eligible compensation based on years of service and matching contributions; employees are immediately eligible and vested in the plan upon hire
Flexible spending accounts
Variable pay program for exceptional contributions
Relocation assistance
Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career
Education assistance programs
An inclusive work environment built on teamwork flexibility and respect
We are all unique from various backgrounds and all walks of life yet one thing bonds all of us to each otherthe belief that we can make a difference. This core belief empowers us to do our best work at The Aerospace Corporation.
Equal Opportunity Commitment
The Aerospace Corporation is an equalopportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race age sex (including pregnancy childbirth and related medical conditions) sexual orientation gender gender identity or expression colorreligiongeneticinformation marital status ancestry national origin protected veteran status physical disability medical condition mental disability or disability status and any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. If youre an individual with a disability or a disabled veteran who needs assistance using our online job search and application tools or need reasonable accommodation to complete the job application process please contact us by phone at 310.336.5432 or by emailat .You can also reviewKnow Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.