st Century Cyber Engineers Jeff Kubik PMP CISSP Sr PM Praxis Engineering jbkubikpraxisengcom 1 Agenda Background Distinguishing Cyber engineering talent from other technical fields Recruiting challenges for national defense customers ID: 382809
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Winning the Talent Wars for Recruiting and Retaining 21st Century Cyber Engineers
Jeff Kubik, PMP, CISSPSr PM, Praxis Engineeringjbkubik@praxiseng.com
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AgendaBackground
Distinguishing Cyber engineering talent from other technical fieldsRecruiting challenges for national defense customersPM’s role in recruiting and developing a successful recruiting strategyLessons learned from previous programs
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Background2013 DoD Cyber Security budget: $3.4B
DHS $769M – Cyber security budget for 2013Gov’t IT projects all competing for the same cyber talentIncrease use of mobile & cloud computing environments bolstering demand for securityShortage of Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) graduates to fill market demand
Growing number of STEM degrees in US being awarded to foreign citizens
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Cyber Talent Distinction
Cyber Engineer TalentRequires broad understanding of networking, operating systems & application developmentUnderstanding of cyber attack scenarios & mitigation strategiesEncompasses Computer Network Defense, Computer network attack, Computer network exploitation skills
Requires continuously updating of skills & maintenance of DoD 8570.1 certifications
Technical Talent
Focus on excellence within a specific domain: Programming, networking, system administration, Database administration
More concerned about functionality vs security of solution
Maintains proficiency in the technology
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Recruiting Challenges
Intense competition (Private Industry, Government) for new college (STEM) talentLimited supply of talent with active security clearancesProcessing new candidates for high level security clearances can take more than a year with no guarantee for adjudicationCompensation expectations of new / recent graduates misaligned with reshaping of Federal marketplace
Millennials seek challenging work environments that provides them with unrestricted access to mobile computing and social mediaTraditional IT workforce requires training investment to become Cyber ready
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PM’s Role in Recruiting and Developing a Recruiting StrategyPMs need to outline recruiting strategy in advance of winning a cyber program
Active involvement with recruiters & participation in candidate interviewsIdentification of sources of cyber engineer candidatesDetermine talent acquisition investment required in obtaining necessary personnel
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Recruiting Strategy
Identify sources for program staffingIdentify recruiting sources & establish pipelinesOther Contractor personnelFormer Government/Military personnelExternal Recruitment firms
Interns / Co-OpsIncentives: employee referrals, sign on bonusesSocial Media & Marketing effortsConduct targeted sourcing across electronic job boards, alumni associations, professional trade groups, LinkedIn
Active participation in Cyber Competitions: Cyber Patriot, Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC)
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Involvement with Recruiting TeamProvide recruiters with summary table of skills mapped to available contract labor categories
Collaborate with recruiting on compensation strategy Maintain staffing spreadsheet to highlight vacanciesParticipate in candidate interviewsProvide detailed feedback to recruiters to improve their sourcing criteria for candidatesJoin recruiters at campus visits (build future pipeline)
Encourage employees to become extensions of the formal corporate recruiting team
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Sources of Cyber EngineersDefense Contractors
Government (Civilian/Military)Academia (IA Centers of Excellence)Security / IT engineers supporting other critical infrastructure sectors (finance, healthcare, energy)Pathways to Cybersecurity Careers Consortium
College campusesCross train current talent (long term investment)1099s (Independent consultants)
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Talent Acquisition InvestmentDetermine employment offer: Contingent or Firm
Establish budget for employee referralsDetermine relocation budget for candidates possessing critical skillsBudget training $ to ensure staff obtain/retain their DoD 8570.1 certifications (e.g. Security+, CISSP, GIAC)
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Lessons LearnedAllow candidates to share in the vision of their future professional growth on your cyber program
Invest in the training of cyber personnel & create assignments that expands their technical skillsEstablish frequent and open communications with recruiting team, management and project staffCreate a partnership with the Customer to enable staff growth which increases the program’s intrinsic value in retention of top talentDevelop a flexible staffing strategy that accommodates change and staff transitions
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Conclusion
Active PM involvement is critical to winning the cyber talent warCoaching the next generation of cyber engineers contributes to increasing the talent supply for our NationMaintaining technical competencies aides in cyber talent acquisition and developmentInvest time and energy in developing better awareness of your personnel’s needs to improve retention
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