Cybersecurity Director

Guidehouse; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Rx, Dental & Vision Insurance

Personal and Family Sick Time

Discretionary incentive bonus

Parental Leave

401(k) Retirement Plan

Life Insurance

Health Savings Account

Disability Insurance

Tuition Reimbursement

Mobility Stipend

Job summary

Guidehouse in the United States is seeking a Cybersecurity Director to lead enterprise-wide engagements, shaping strategy across federal environments and driving growth and profitability. You will translate federal requirements into actionable programs, align with NIST frameworks, and mentor multi-disciplinary teams.

The role emphasizes senior leadership, business development, and client relationship management, with up to 25% travel and active Secret clearance.

Qualifications

• TEN+ years of overall relevant work experience.
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited university.
• ACTIVE and MAINTAINED SECRET federal security clearance.
• Experience in cybersecurity risk management and governance, including senior leadership roles.
• Federal experience at the department level working on cyber security programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise-level cyber advisory service engagements aligned with EO 14028 and NIST frameworks.
• Advise executive leadership and interagency partners on cybersecurity strategies and risk posture.
• Unite cybersecurity with IT, data and AI to advance risk management approaches for clients.
• Integrate Zero Trust principles into enterprise services and drive adoption.
• Define and monitor KPIs, maturity models, and compliance metrics to reduce risk.
• Drive practice growth through business development and client engagement.
• Mentor multi-disciplinary teams and foster a culture of excellence.

Skills

Cybersecurity leadership

Governance & risk management

Stakeholder engagement

Business development

CISO/CIO/CDO advisory

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

NIST frameworks

Job description

Job Family

Cyber Consulting

Travel Required

Up to 25%

Clearance Required

Active Secret

As a Cybersecurity Director, you will serve as a senior leader responsible for shaping enterprise-wide cybersecurity engagements and driving strategic initiatives across federal environments. This role combines deep expertise in cyber governance, risk management, and compliance with advanced leadership, business development, and stakeholder engagement skills. The Director will translate federal mandates and industry best practices into actionable strategies, ensuring alignment with organizational mission objectives and technical implementation teams while overseeing practice growth and profitability.

The key focus will be to deliver on four main functions:

• Lead enterprise-level cyber advisory service engagements, ensuring alignment with EO 14028, OMB guidance, CISA directives, and NIST frameworks.
• Drive business development and capture activities to expand cybersecurity offerings, including proposal leadership, client relationship management, and revenue growth.
• Oversee delivery of major cybersecurity engagements, ensuring quality, scalability, and adherence to federal cybersecurity standards.
• Provide thought leadership through publications, conferences, and industry forums, positioning the organization as a leader in cybersecurity services.

What You Will Do

• Lead development and execution of cybersecurity policies, services and solutions aligned with EO 14028, OMB guidance, CISA directives, and NIST frameworks.
• Advise executive leadership (CISO, CIO, CDO) and interagency partners on cybersecurity strategies and risk posture.
• Bring together cybersecurity technical competencies with IT, data and AI competencies to advance risk management approaches with clients and potential clients.
• Integrate Zero Trust principles into enterprise services and drive 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.
• Drive cybersecurity program performance by defining and monitor KPIs, maturity models, and compliance metrics to operational effectiveness and risk reduction such as decreased time for vulnerability patching, increase speed of Mean Time to Recover, or increase in compliance with continuous monitoring / continuous Authority to Operate initiatives.
• Drive practice growth through business development, proposal leadership, and client engagement, translating mission risk into AI‑enabled controls, analytics, and automation; steward solutions and optimizing outcomes and margin.
• Mentor multi‑disciplinary teams; builds communities of practice; embeds learning loops; fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.

What You Will Need

• TEN (10)+ years of overall relevant work experience.
• Bachelors degree from an accredited university.
• An ACTIVE and MAINTAINED "SECRET" (or higher) federal security clearance.
• Experience in cybersecurity risk management and governance, including various years in senior leadership roles.
• Federal experience at the department level working on cyber security programs.
• Comprehensive understanding of federal IT/security and privacy procedures and techniques.
• Ability to influence an AI first, data-driven mindset and drive a culture of collaboration, innovation, and best practices.
• Proven track record in Leading capture, building pipeline, increase win‑rate across federal segments and meeting yearly targets (e.g., bookings, utilization).
• Demonstrated ability to lead large, multidisciplinary teams and deliver complex cybersecurity programs.
• Strong communication skills for engaging audiences from C‑Suite executives to technical specialists.
• US Citizenship is required. Sponsorship is not eligible for this position.

What Would Be Nice To Have

• Successfully meeting or exceed Business Development targets in the range of $10M -$15M USD
• Cybersecurity experience in a 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)
• Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

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

About Guidehouse

Guidehouse is an Equal Opportunity Employer–Protected Veterans, Individuals with Disabilities or any other basis protected by law, ordinance, or regulation.

Guidehouse will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law or ordinance including the Fair Chance Ordinance of Los Angeles and San Francisco.

If you have visited our website for information about employment opportunities, or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation, please contact Guidehouse Recruiting at 1-571-633-1711 or via email at [e-mail]. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodation.