
Principal Deputy Chief Counsel
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
Arlington, VAFull-time$152–228K/yrPosted today
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Job overview
The Principal Deputy Chief Counsel serves in CISA’s Office of the Chief Counsel, providing legal counsel to agency and Department of Homeland Security leaders on authorities and issues related to cybersecurity and infrastructure security. The role advises on complex policies and programs, represents the office in interagency and other engagements, directs legal research, and leads strategic planning and office operations. Candidates must meet executive and technical qualifications and hold a law degree and active bar membership.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Full job description
Summary
This position is located in the Office of the Chief Counsel (OCC). OCC provides quality, timely, relevant, and solutions-oriented legal counsel and support to CISA officials and program offices charged with leading the National effort to understand and manage cyber and physical risks to our critical infrastructure.
Duties
Typical work assignments include, but are not limited to: Under the general direction of the Chief Counsel for OCC and Office of the General Counsel leadership, providing legal advice and guidance to CISA and DHS leadership including, but not limited to, the CISA Director, Deputy Director and Executive Director, the DHS General Counsel, Principal Deputy General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, and other senior DHS officials in the exercise of their responsibilities and authorities under the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act of 2018, Executive Orders, and other related authorities necessary for DHS to carry out its complex mission. Making recommendations on overall CISA programs and initiatives and representing OCC at various Departmental, Agency, and interagency meetings and negotiations, as well as with Congressional staff, State, Local, Tribal, Territorial, and private sector representatives. Directing research and analysis on a wide variety of court decisions, legislation, regulations and policies, and provides legal counsel in the development, negotiation, and execution of memoranda of agreement and understanding for international and interagency projects in support of the DHS and CISA mission. Establishing, leading, and managing comprehensive strategic and long-range planning processes to foster the effective management of DHS and CISA resources to achieve stated goals, enhance program support, and improve customer service standards. Assesses the legal issues raised by new and proposed DHS and CISA policies pertaining to cybersecurity and infrastructure security. Ensuring CISA OCC actively supports and advances the goal of a unified Office of the General Counsel, of which CISA OCC is a part. Requirements
You must be a U.S. citizen. Selective Service - Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service see http://www.sss.gov/ All Federal employees are required to participate in Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer for salary payments. DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities. This position has been identified as a drug testing designated position (TDP) for purposes of the CISA's Drug-Free Workplace Program. All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to a drug test to screen for illicit/illegal drug use prior to receiving a final offer of employment. A final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative drug test result. After appointment, you may be subject to periodic random drug testing. You must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance suitable for Federal employment as determined by a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs. One-year SES probationary period may be required. This position may be designated as essential personnel. Essential personnel must be able to serve during continuity of operation events without regard to declarations of liberal leave or government closures due to weather, protests, and acts of terrorism or lack of funding. Failure to report for or remain in this position may result in disciplinary or adverse action in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations (5 U.S.C. 7501-7533 and 5 CFR Part 752, as applicable). You are required to file an Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-278) upon entering the position, as well as annually. You must possess a professional law degree, e.g., J.D. or LL.B., acquired through graduation from an accredited school of law. You must be an active member in good standing of the Bar of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States. Qualifications
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin. To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Technical Qualifications (TQs) related to this position within your resume - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES. Resumes over the 2-page limit, will not be reviewed beyond page 2 or may be disqualified. Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualification(s). If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position. There is NO requirement to prepare a narrative statement specifically addressing the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) or the Technical Qualifications (TQs). TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs): Your resume should demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy the technical qualifications. TQ 1: Demonstrated experience providing authoritative oral and written legal advice to the General Counsel, Chief Counsel, Senior Executives, and operational personnel on novel, complex, and high-impact matters involving the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act of 2018, executive orders, and related federal authorities. TQ 2: Demonstrated experience leading and supervising multidisciplinary teams of legal professionals; directing the business operations of a senior legal office; and developing and executing comprehensive strategic and long-range plans. EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): In addition to the Technical Qualification Requirements listed above, all new entrants into the Senior Executive Service (SES) under a career appointment will be assessed for executive competency against the following five mandatory ECQs. If your 2-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and TQs, you may not receive further consideration for the position. There are five ECQs: ECQ 1: Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding - This core qualification requires a demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people. ECQ 2: Driving Efficiency - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades. ECQ 3: Merit and Competence - This core qualification involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality. ECQ 4: Leading People - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable. ECQ 5: Achieving Results - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors. Note: If you are a member of the SES or have been certified through successful participation in an OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), or have SES reinstatement eligibility, you do not need to respond to the ECQs. Instead, you should attach proof (e.g., SF-50, Certification by OPM's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB)) of your eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the SES.
Education
You must possess a professional law degree (e.g., J.D., LLB.) acquired through graduation from a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association, and be a member in good standing of the Bar of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States. You must submit documentation supporting that you meet this qualification when applying to this job opportunity announcement. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for it to be credited toward qualifications. Applicants' resumes and supporting documentation should reflect only education received from schools accredited by such institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must submit a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency, which is a U.S. private organization's interpretation that such education has been deemed at least equivalent to conventional U.S. education programs, with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For more information regarding evaluation of foreign education for federal employment, please visit the U.S. Department of Education webpage. How You Will Be Evaluated
Veterans' Preference: Veterans' preference is not applicable to the SES. Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted. If you meet minimum qualifications, your Application Package will be further reviewed to determine if you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Technical Qualifications (MTQ) listed above. ECQs and TQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed. Highly Qualified applicants may undergo one or more interviews and may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration. Upon selection, if not already a member of the SES serving under a career appointment, the individual selected must have his/her executive qualifications certified by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB) before appointment to this position. The selected individual's application will be forwarded to the OPM for review and certification by the QRB, unless the selectee provides evidence of their noncompetitive status (i.e., a current SES, OPM QRB certified SESCDP graduate, or SES reinstatement eligible). Upon QRB certification, the selected individual will be required to serve a one-year probationary period. For more information regarding the SES, go to https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/. Other Information
Other incentives may be authorized. If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment. Mobility: Organizational and geographical mobility is essential in developing and managing SES leaders. Individuals selected for SES positions members may be subject to reassignment across geographical, organizational, and functional lines, and may be required to sign a Reassignment Rights and Obligation Agreement. A one-year SES probationary period may be required during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. We may consider your performance and conduct, the needs and interests of the agency, whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government, and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. There are three key documents that contain important information about your rights and obligations. Please read and retain these documents: Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights, for those who undergo an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history record check for personnel vetting, which includes Rap Back; FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI (this is the same statement used when your fingerprints are submitted as part of your background investigation); and SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov), (applicable to those who hold a sensitive position or have eligibility for access to classified information) Reasonable Accommodation Requests: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to otherwise qualified applicants and employees with a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, unless to do so would create an undue hardship to the agency (29 CFR 1614.203 (2017)). If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, contact the CISA Office of Privacy, Access, Civil Liberties, and Transparency (PACT) by sending an email to [email protected] with the subject line, "Reasonable Accommodation Request @ CISA." In the email itself, you must include your name, vacancy announcement number(s), and state your intent to seek a reasonable accommodation. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. For more information or inquiries, please contact the CISA Reasonable Accommodation Program at [email protected]. Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
How this job compares
Set against the 2,471 open Legal Counsel jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 13, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$152–228K/yr
- Virginia median$163–208K/yr77 salary ranges
- US median$160–231K/yr1,894 salary ranges
This range's midpoint, $190K, is close to the Virginia median midpoint ($190K) — in the middle half of Legal Counsel salary ranges in Virginia.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 84 open Legal Counsel jobs in Virginia and 2,471 across the US. 12% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in Virginia
- Amazon18 open
- Capital One15 open
- Dollar Tree3 open
- Experience
- Legal Counsel postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years of experience at the median; the middle half ask for 4 to 8 years (2,123 postings).
- Education
- This posting asks for a doctorate or professional degree; 1,863 of the 2,471 open Legal Counsel jobs (75%) ask for a doctorate or professional degree.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 13, 2026. Figures based on too few postings are left out.
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