Executive Director, Security & Classified Operations and Chief Security Officer

Job Type:

Overview

RAND Corporation is a research institution devoted to developing solutions to important public policy challenges to help make communities across the world safer, healthier, and more prosperous. In pursuing this mission, RAND helps sponsors at the highest level of U.S. national and homeland security and in related roles throughout the U.S. government, along with leaders in key allies, with their toughest problems. This requires the ability to conduct work at all levels of classification while using cutting-edge computing and analytic capabilities, a demanding combination. And it is critical to RAND to remain a close and trusted partner with these officials and agencies by upholding the highest standards of security.

To accomplish this, the RAND classified support and security team works in partnership with RAND’s senior leadership, research divisions, information services (IS), workplace services and real estate, human resources, and other departments to ensure we have top notch classified research capabilities, world class cleared staff, and uncompromising protection of classified information and security.

The multi-faceted security problems facing the U.S. and its allies are daunting. RAND plays a key role in analyzing these problems and developing recommendations for government leaders, and the director of classified support and security and their team are essential for enabling RAND to play this vital role.

Position Description

As a member of RAND’s leadership team, reporting to the senior vice president of finance and operations, the executive director guides the 250-person Security and Classified Operations organization to maximize RAND’s research impact. In this newly created role, we’re looking for a leader to leverage all their knowledge and skills to evolve RAND’s classified research capabilities, particularly with increased expectations for virtual collaboration remaining post-pandemic and the rapid evolution of AI as critical to the conduct of research.

The director will develop and provide classified research capabilities to the RAND Federally Funded Research and Development Center researchers that enable them to execute cutting edge, complex research responsive to the top priorities of U.S. national and homeland security and law enforcement. This requires being able to quickly establish the capabilities to meet new and evolving needs, high-performance computing that stays on the leading edge at all levels of classification, and the ability to collaborate virtually across RAND offices and with a very broad array of government sponsors. The classified information services team is expected to provide excellent service to meet research needs while upholding the highest standards for compliance and security to protect classified information and RAND staff.

Specifically, the director will lead:

• All RAND classified capabilities encompassing government systems, facilities, and computing. Classified computing responsibilities include ensuring computer and storage capabilities stay aligned with research needs, information assurance, system administration, and technical support to staff.

• Security policies and programs include RAND’s National Industrial Security Program (NISP), intelligence, personnel security, physical security, safety, emergency preparedness and incident response, communications security, document control, operational security, security investigations, Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) operations, and Special Access Program (SAP) operations.

• Hiring, and development of classified information technology and security staff across RAND’s U.S. offices in Santa Monica, Pittsburgh, and Arlington. In managing classified information technology, the director will work in close partnership with the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the rest of the RAND Information Services (IS) team regarding the acquisition and maintenance of information technology (IT) and the hiring and development of IT staff. The director also has advisory responsibility for security matters for RAND’s non-U.S. offices.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include:

• Ensures robust policies, procedures, and processes are in place and well implemented to effectively manage the department, to provide classified computing capabilities to RAND US cleared staff, and to provide security to RAND associates across the globe.

• Ensures compliance with NISP and intelligence regulations, contractual, executive order, and other relevant federal directives for classified operations and other local, national, and international regulations relevant to security.

• Serves as the principal security liaison between RAND and the security organizations of its clients in the D