Chief Security & Classified Operations Leader

RAND Corporation; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 273,000 - 397,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life and disability insurance

Savings plan

Paid time-off

Job summary

RAND Corporation is seeking an Executive Director to serve as Chief Security Officer, leading the 55-person S&CO organization. The role requires establishing capabilities for classified research, AI-enabled computing, and strong partnerships with RAND's divisions to support national security missions.

The Executive Director will collaborate with the CIO and IS to hire, train, and retain classified IT staff across U.S.

Qualifications

• Ten+ years of security, classified support, and/or IT experience with at least five years in management.
• Experience leading organizations with responsibilities in both classified security and IT leadership.
• Proven ability to attract, develop, and retain top talent and build high-performing teams.
• Strong judgment, decision-making, and communication skills with researchers and government officials.

Responsibilities

• Set department vision, strategy, goals, and execution priorities with measurable progress.
• Implement robust policies and processes for classified computing and security across RAND staff globally.
• Direct Insider Threat Program, risk assessment, incident management, and safeguarding the organization.
• Ensure compliance with NISP, IC directives, contracts, and federal requirements for classified operations.
• Lead coordination with sponsor security organizations and maintain relationships with DCSA, DIA, DISA, and other agencies.
• Stay ahead of regulatory changes and emerging tech (AI, secure cloud) to keep RAND at the cutting edge.
• Oversee staffing, career development, budgeting, and succession planning for the department.

Skills

Security leadership

IT operations leadership

Budget management

Stakeholder relationships

Executive communication

Education

Advanced degree in business, computer science, security or related field

ASIS CPP certification

ISWG/CSSWG memberships

Tools

RMF (NIST)

Secure cloud platforms

AI in classified environments

Job description

RAND Corporation is seeking an Executive Director to serve as Chief Security Officer, leading the 55-person S&CO organization. The role requires establishing capabilities for classified research, AI-enabled computing, and strong partnerships with RAND's divisions to support national security missions.

The Executive Director will collaborate with the CIO and IS to hire, train, and retain classified IT staff across U.S.