Cybersecurity Exercise Planner (Junior)

Cybersecurity Jobs; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 58,000 - 71,000; Full time

Job summary

Cybersecurity Jobs in Arlington, VA is seeking a Junior Exercise Planner to support DHS cyber exercise planning, execution, and evaluation under HSEEP guidelines. The role is onsite in Arlington and requires a Bachelor's degree and 1+ years of relevant experience.

You will assist senior planners, draft planning materials, and help produce after-action materials and improvement recommendations while coordinating with government stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Basic familiarity with exercise development, design, conduct, or analysis.
• Exposure to HSEEP methodology.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365, with emphasis on Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Customer-service mindset and ability to support multiple concurrent tasks.
• Capability to respond to information requests in a timely and organized manner.
• Attention to detail and willingness to follow established processes.
• Demonstrated teamwork, adaptability, and eagerness to learn.
• Foundational understanding of cybersecurity concepts (coursework or professional experience).
• U.S. Citizenship Required.
• Bachelor’s degree

Responsibilities

• Assist senior planners and federal client leads with coordination and execution of cyber exercises aligned to DHS Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) principles.
• Support creation of exercise planning materials, including scenario outlines, planning meeting notes, exercise conduct documents, and inputs to after-action materials.
• Contribute to drafting exercise life cycle documents under guidance, including scenario components intended to test cyber incident response plans.
• Help develop sections of after-action reports and contribute to improvement plan recommendations.
• Support facilitation of requirement-gathering sessions with business owners and government stakeholders.
• Perform initial research and analysis related to customer needs and cybersecurity process evaluation requirements.
• Provide administrative, coordination, and documentation support throughout the exercise life cycle.

Skills

Strong written and verbal comms

Attention to detail

Teamwork and adaptability

Customer-service mindset

Ability to manage multiple tasks

Willingness to learn

Education

Bachelor's degree (cybersecurity/IT or related)

Tools

Microsoft Office 365

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

HSEEP

Job description

Support DHS cyber exercise planning, execution, and operational support as a Junior Exercise Planner focused on HSEEP-aligned activities.

Responsibilities

• Assist senior planners and federal client leads with coordination and execution of cyber exercises aligned to DHS Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) principles.
• Support creation of exercise planning materials, including scenario outlines, planning meeting notes, exercise conduct documents, and inputs to after-action materials.
• Contribute to drafting exercise life cycle documents under guidance, including scenario components intended to test cyber incident response plans.
• Help develop sections of after-action reports and contribute to improvement plan recommendations.
• Support facilitation of requirement-gathering sessions with business owners and government stakeholders.
• Perform initial research and analysis related to customer needs and cybersecurity process evaluation requirements.
• Provide administrative, coordination, and documentation support throughout the exercise life cycle.

Requirements

• Basic familiarity with exercise development, design, conduct, or analysis (academic, internship, or professional experience acceptable).
• Exposure to HSEEP methodology.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365, with emphasis on Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Customer-service mindset and ability to support multiple concurrent tasks.
• Capability to respond to information requests in a timely and organized manner.
• Attention to detail and willingness to follow established processes.
• Demonstrated teamwork, adaptability, and eagerness to learn.
• Foundational understanding of cybersecurity concepts (coursework or professional experience).
• Bachelor’s degree (preferably in cybersecurity, IT, political science, emergency management, or related discipline).
• 1+ years of relevant experience (internships or academic project work acceptable).
• Ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance (program-specific requirement can be adjusted as needed).
• U.S. Citizenship Required.

Tools and Technologies

• Microsoft Office 365
• Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• HSEEP

Location and Work Model

• Arlington, VA (onsite)

Travel

• None

Salary Information

• Likely salary range: USD 57,500 - 70,658 per year

Additional Notes

• Years of Experience: 1+ years of related experience
• May vary based on technical training, certification(s), or degree
• Security clearance: Ability to obtain and maintain TS/SCI clearance (program-specific requirement can be adjusted)