Cybersecurity Associate Director

Guidehouse; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 149,000 - 248,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Rx, Dental & Vision Insurance

Sick Time & Holidays

Discretionary bonus possibility

401(k) Retirement Plan

Life Insurance

Job summary

Guidehouse is seeking a Cybersecurity Associate Director to lead high-impact federal engagements from Washington, DC and Arlington, VA. You will advise government stakeholders, drive Zero Trust initiatives, and shape AI security and cloud security offerings.

We value deep expertise in governance, risk, and compliance, plus strong business development and mentorship abilities to grow practice leadership.

Qualifications

• Active SECRET clearance in current status.
• 12+ years of cybersecurity risk management and governance experience.
• At least 3 years in leadership or supervisory roles.
• US citizenship is required for the contract.
• Ability to be onsite in Washington, DC / Arlington, VA 3–5 days per week.

Responsibilities

• Lead medium to large, multidisciplinary cybersecurity engagements and align with EO 14028, NIST, and CISA directives.
• Support growth through proposal development, client relationships, and opportunity identification.
• Oversee delivery, ensure quality, scalability, and adherence to federal standards.
• Mentor teams and contribute to thought leadership, solution development and industry engagement.

Skills

AI mindset

Business development

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Master’s Degree

PMP (certification)

Job description

## Cybersecurity Associate DirectorApply: US - DC, Washington: US - VA, Arlington: Full time: Posted Today: 46021**Job Family:**Cyber Consulting**Travel Required:**Up to 10%**Clearance Required:**Active SecretAs a Cybersecurity Associate Director, you will lead high-impact federal cybersecurity engagements, serve as a trusted advisor to government stakeholders, and help agencies to strengthen cyber resilience in an increasingly complex threat environment. This role combines cybersecurity expertise, client leadership, business development participation, and team mentorship to deliver mission-focused outcomes while preparing for future practice leadership opportunities. This exciting role combines deep expertise in cyber governance, risk management, and compliance with engagement leadership, business development, and stakeholder engagement skills. You will be positioned to develop Director-level business development and account growth skills through partnership with senior practice leaders. The key focus will be to deliver on four main functions:1. Lead medium to large (15-40 FTEs) cybersecurity engagements, ensuring alignment with EO 14028, OMB guidance, CISA directives, and NIST frameworks.2. Support growth of cybersecurity offerings through proposal development, solution shaping, client relationship management, and opportunity identification.3. Oversee delivery of large cybersecurity engagements, ensuring quality, scalability, and adherence to federal cybersecurity standards.4. Contribute to thought leadership initiatives through publications, conference participation, solution development, and industry engagement. ## What you will do:* Lead strategic client engagements and contribute to enterprise cybersecurity transformation initiatives.* Serve as a trusted advisor to federal cybersecurity leaders and program executives.* Help agencies strengthen resilience against nation-state threats, modernize security operations, and advance Zero Trust objectives.* Contribute to development of emerging cybersecurity offerings in areas such as AI security, cyber resilience, Zero Trust, cloud security, and data protection.* Integrate Zero Trust principles into enterprise services and guide system adoption in accordance with NIST SP 800-207, CISA, DOW and IC frameworks and approaches for Zero Trust Maturity Model into engagements, and potential new work.* Build and maintain trusted client relationships that identify opportunities for expanded mission support.* Contribute to practice growth through business development support, proposal development, client engagement, and innovative cybersecurity solutions that address mission risk through AI-enabled controls, analytics, and automation.* Work across cybersecurity, data, technology modernization, and AI teams to deliver integrated client solutions.* Lead and mentor multidisciplinary project teams while fostering professional growth, technical excellence, knowledge sharing, and a collaborative culture of innovation. We’re looking for someone who has these abilities and skills: * Ability to influence an AI first, data-driven mindset and foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and best practices.* Demonstrated business development activities through proposal development, client relationship management, solution shaping, and opportunity identification.* Demonstrated ability to lead medium to large, multidisciplinary teams and deliver complex cybersecurity programs.* ·Strong communication skills for engaging audiences from C-Suite executives to technical specialists. ## What You Will Need:* An ACTIVE and CURRENT SECRET (or higher) federal security clearance.* Twelve (12+) years of experience in cybersecurity risk management and governance, INCLUDING THREE (3) years in leadership or supervisory roles.* Deep understanding of federal cybersecurity, privacy, risk management, and digital modernization initiatives.* Business Development experience.* US Citizenship is contractually required.* Ability to be onsite 3-5x per week in the Washington, DC/Arlington, VA area. ## What Would Be Nice To Have:* Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited university.* Experience in business development and capture activities through proposal development, client relationship management, solution shaping, and opportunity identification.* FIVE (5) years of cybersecurity experience in one of the following agencies: Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, Department of War or the Intelligence community.* Master’s Degree* Project Management Professional (PMP)* Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and/or Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)The annual salary range for this position is $149,000.00-$248,000.00. Compensation decisions depend on a wide range of factors, including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training, security clearances, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs.**What We Offer:**Guidehouse offers a comprehensive, total rewards package that includes competitive compensation and a flexible benefits package that reflects our commitment to creating a diverse and supportive workplace.Benefits include:* Medical, Rx, Dental & Vision Insurance* Personal and Family Sick Time & Company Paid Holidays* Position may be eligible for a discretionary variable incentive bonus* Parental Leave and Adoption Assistance* 401(k) Retirement Plan* Basic Life & Supplemental Life* Health Savings Account, Dental/Vision & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts* Short-Term & Long-Term Disability* Student Loan PayDown* Tuition Reimbursement, Personal Development & Learning Opportunities* Skills Development & Certifications* Employee Referral Program* Corporate Sponsored Events & Community Outreach* Emergency Back-Up Childcare Program* Mobility Stipend