Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly announced this week that the agency’s workforce has expanded to 3,161 employees, after the agency made more than 1,300 new hires over the past two years.
“When I took over as Director of CISA in July of 2021, hiring talent was among my highest priorities,” Easterly wrote in an Aug. 21 blog post. “Since our establishment in November of 2018, we had grown in authorities and budget, but had many vacancies to fill to enable us to effectively serve the role that Congress intended for us as America’s civilian cyber defense agency.”
Since CISA was established as a standalone agency in 2018, its budget has grown rapidly as Congress has turned to the agency to respond to the rising number of cyberattacks.
“Much needed to be done, including building an effective human capital machine to hire top-tier talent from across the nation, and just as importantly, building a culture that would attract and retain that elite talent,” Easterly wrote.
“While multiple hiring authorities and hiring flexibilities – including recruitment, relocation, and retention incentives and the new Cyber Talent Management System – allow us to pay a bit more than other places in government, we recognize that no one joins the federal government to get rich,” she continued, “Rather, they join for mission – an opportunity to serve the nation, ideally doing so with great teammates, inspiring leaders, and an ability to make an impact every day.”
The CISA director boasted that she’s been creating that organizational culture since July 2021 – which is grounded in core values and principles that define “what we expect from each other and what we aspire to be.”
Easterly said CISA is not slowing down on its recruiting drive. The agency still has dozens of open positions, ranging from entry-level to senior technical experts.
“And while we’ve hired many amazing people over the past two years, we’re on the hunt for even more,” Easterly wrote. “A college degree is not required for all positions, and we have opportunities available across the country, including some for permanent remote work.”
She concluded, “For all our positions, however, we’re looking for a combination of those with both hard skills as well as human skills because, while we’re solving some of the most complex technical problems for our nation, we must do it collaboratively with our teammates and myriad partners.”
