OPM adds cyber roles
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management expanded its Tech to Gov hiring programme to include cybersecurity jobs, aiming to refill technical federal capacity after workforce reductions. The move creates new public‑sector hiring pathways for security roles tied to government needs. (federalnewsnetwork.com)
The Office of Personnel Management has added cybersecurity specialists to its U.S. Tech Force hiring program, widening a fast-track federal pathway for technical recruits. (opm.gov) The new role joins software engineering, data science and product management tracks that the Office of Personnel Management has already opened through Tech Force. The agency said applicants would work on government cybersecurity problems across agencies. (opm.gov) Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor announced the expansion on April 13 and said agencies are recruiting “highly skilled cybersecurity professionals” for mission work tied to federal defenses. GovExec reported the new opening a day later as the latest addition to the program launched in December. (opm.gov) (govexec.com) Tech Force was created as a shared hiring system: the Office of Personnel Management runs the initial assessment, then sends agencies a certificate of qualified candidates to review for final selections. Federal News Network reported that selected applicants move into temporary two-year roles on federal technology projects. (federalnewsnetwork.com) The timing follows a period of federal workforce contraction that hit technical hiring. Federal News Network reported in December that the program came after the loss of more than 300,000 employees from government that year. (federalnewsnetwork.com) The cybersecurity opening also arrives as some early-career federal cyber recruits have struggled to land jobs. Federal News Network reported that some CyberCorps Scholarship for Service students lost internships or job offers during last year’s hiring freeze, and that placement problems have persisted into 2026. (federalnewsnetwork.com 1) (federalnewsnetwork.com 2) Office of Personnel Management said it is coordinating with agencies governmentwide and recruiting from programs including CyberCorps Scholarship for Service. MeriTalk reported the agency framed the jobs around protecting critical systems and digital infrastructure. (govdelivery.com) (meritalk.com) The broader pitch is a public-service tour with private-sector-style career support. Outside coverage has described mentoring and training tied to more than 20 partner companies, as the administration tries to rebuild technical capacity without relying only on the standard civil-service pipeline. (scworld.com) (opm.gov) For applicants, the change means cybersecurity now sits alongside coding, data and product jobs in one of the federal government’s newest hiring channels. For agencies, it offers another list of vetted candidates at a moment when cyber vacancies have been harder to fill. (opm.gov) (federalnewsnetwork.com)
