IT Branch Manager - Security Operations #177

US SENATE; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The United States Senate invites applications for the IT Branch Manager - Security Operations position. The role leads the IT branch, setting policies for operations, services, and staff, and represents the SAA in high‑level meetings with Senate and legislative partners.

The successful candidate will bring extensive cybersecurity leadership, strong executive communication, and experience managing multimillion‑dollar budgets and large IT programs aligned with organizational goals.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years in IT/security with 6+ years in leadership within cybersecurity.
• Experience leading security operations, SOC/IR teams, or threat hunting.
• Strong knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks, controls, and emerging tech.

Responsibilities

• Establish policies for operation, services, and staff of the IT branch.
• Lead or participate in cross‑org groups and governance activities.
• Represent the SAA in senior management meetings and external engagements.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Cybersecurity

IT governance

Budget management

Contracting knowledge

Executive communication

CISSP

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity/IT/CS

Job description

The Senate Sergeant at Arms is seeking a IT Branch Manager - Security Operations. The complete vacancy announcement and application can be found on the United States Senate Career Page at https://sen.gov/1VNZQ. This vacancy announcement closes at 11:59pm EST on the closing date. Late applications will not be accepted.

Other Duties/ Responsibilities

• May serve as Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for one or more contracts.
• Establishes policies and practices governing the operation, services, and staff of the branch.
• Serves as the Director in their absence.
• Leads or participates in user groups, task forces, and steering committee activities with other Senate or legislative branch organizations.
• Represents the SAA in meetings and activities with senior management of other Senate or legislative branch organizations.

Required Work Experience

• At least eight years of progressively responsible experience in information technology, information security, cybersecurity, or a related technical field, including at least six years of leadership experience within a cybersecurity environment.

Required Special Skills/ Knowledge

• Strategic leadership of complex cybersecurity and IT programs, including priority-setting, resource allocation, and risk evaluation.
• Proven ability to lead, manage, and develop technical, professional, and managerial staff.
• Advanced knowledge of cybersecurity, IT principles, frameworks, security controls, and emerging technologies.
• Strong understanding of public-sector procurement, contracting, budgeting, personnel management, and project management.
• Experience managing multimillion-dollar budgets, major contracts, vendors, and investment portfolios.
• Ability to analyze complex technical, operational, financial, and organizational issues and make sound decisions.
• Executive-level communication skills for advising leadership, building consensus, and engaging diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to establish and enforce cybersecurity policies, standards, and operational practices.
• Skilled in planning and overseeing multiple technical units and IT projects from conception to completion.
• Ability to contribute to and execute strategic IT and cybersecurity plans aligned with organizational goals.
• Commitment to ongoing professional development and staying current with IT and cybersecurity trends.
• Ability to obtain and maintain CISSP certification.
• As part of our hiring process, we may conduct a skills assessment to better understand an applicant’s proficiency in key areas relevant to the role.

Desired Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree inCybersecurity, Information Technology, Computer Science, or a relatedfield preferred.
• Experience: 8+ years in IT/programmanagement, with at least 6 years managing teams in a cybersecurityenvironment.
• Operational Leadership: Direct managementexperience leading a SOC, Incident Response, or Threat Hunt team (managingstaff, not just as a senior individual contributor).
• Certifications: Active CISSP or CISMpreferred.
• Clearance: Prior clearance historyis a plus. Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
• Key Competencies: Strong analytical,critical thinking, and team development skills, with a track record ofclearly briefing non-technical leadership.

Skills and Abilities

Technical Skills

• OperatingSystems: Deep working knowledge of Windows, Linux, and macOS internals. Exposure toCisco IOS, Solaris, or mobile OS environments is a plus.
• DetectionEngineering: Hands-on experience authoring, reviewing, and tuning Sigma, YARA, Snort,and Suricata rules.
• Forensics: Hands-on with majorhost forensic toolsets/artifacts across Windows, Linux, and macOS, pluspacket capture and NetFlow analysis for network forensics.
• MalwareAnalysis: Ability to perform triage-level analysis during incidents (scriptde-obfuscation, basic binary analysis, live process examination).
• RedTeam & Automation: Solid understanding of offensive tactics to validatedetections and spot coverage gaps. Proficiency in at least one scriptinglanguage (PowerShell, Python, Bash, Ruby, or Perl) for operationalautomation.
• ThreatIntelligence: Ability to turn fragmented data into clear, actionable intelligenceproducts.

Leadership & ManagementSkills

• Team Development: Experience recruiting, mentoring, and retaining high-performing security staff through structured coaching and development plans.
• Operations at Scale: Proven ability to manage shift-based or on-call operations, workload triage, and high-tempo incident escalations.
• Cross-Functional Partnering: Skilled at collaborating across IT, legal, compliance, and senior executive teams.
• Executive Reporting: Ability to turn complex technical findings into clean briefings and structured documentation that builds institutional knowledge.

Working Conditions

• Work is performed in an office environment.
• Work requires occasional walking, standing, bending, and safely carrying items weighing less than 50 pounds, such as laptops, desktops, servers, and routers.
• Work requires extended periods of computer use.
• To meet the needs of the U.S. Senate, individuals in this position may be required to be on call or report onsite on a rotational basis within 24 hours.
• Occasionally, late-night and weekend work is required.
  
• Essential Services are functions and activities that are critical to the continuous operation, security, and support of the United States Senate. These services must remain operational without interruption to ensure the Senate can conduct official business. Positions supporting essential services require employees to be available and prepared to work, including during inclement weather, holidays, weekends, late nights, and overnight hours. Due to the nature of Senate operations, essential services, including network operations and infrastructure, cannot be suspended while the Senate is in session, and maintenance activities may be required outside of normal business hours.
• Excepted Services refer to functions and activities that are authorized to continue during a lapse of appropriations because they are necessary to the performance of the Senate’s constitutional functions, address emergency circumstances that imminently threaten the safety of human life or the protection of property, or directly support essential services of the United States Senate. Employees in excepted positions are generally required to work and remain operational during a lapse of appropriations to ensure continuity of critical Senate functions. These positions may involve working non-standard schedules, including nights, weekends, holidays, and extended hours, to maintain uninterrupted service and operational readiness.

Security Clearance

• This position requires that the applicant obtain and maintain a Top SecretU.S. Government security clearance.
• Applicants must be U.S. citizens in order for the SAA to submit your application for a security clearance.