National Vulnerability Database Program Manager

National Vulnerability Database Program Manager

Department: Department of Commerce

Location(s): Gaithersburg, Maryland

Salary Range: $121785 - $187093 Per Year

Job Summary: Join NIST as the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) Program Manager! You'll lead teams and software infrastructure while collaborating with global stakeholders to evolve vulnerability management standards. Identify ecosystem gaps and develop new technical guidelines and capabilities to strengthen our national cybersecurity posture. This notice is issued under direct-hire authority to recruit new talent to occupations for which NIST has a severe shortage of candidates.

Major Duties:

• ZP-IV: National Vulnerability Database Program Manager: As the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) Program Manager, you will lead information security projects and technical teams with limited oversight to support NIST's cybersecurity mission. Manage the NVD and its associated software infrastructure, overseeing project lifecycles and technical teams to ensure operational excellence. Interact with relevant stakeholder groups to anticipate and determine the needs of end users, planning and implementing new capabilities as required. Support the ongoing development of global standards, including CVSS, CVE, and CPE, through active participation in international standards organizations. Identify deficiencies in the existing vulnerability management ecosystem to suggest and develop new capabilities and technical guidelines. ZP-V: National Vulnerability Database Program Manager: As the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) Program Manager, you will provide expert leadership and strategic direction for the NVD portfolio and serve as a primary authority on vulnerability management standards. Define program goals and exercise wide latitude to influence the national security posture and the broader vulnerability management portfolio. Coordinate with high-level stakeholders to identify complex end-user requirements and plan the integration of next-generation capabilities. Influence and drive the development of standards (e.g., CVSS, CVE, CPE) through leadership roles and high-impact contributions within standards-developing organizations. Architect new NIST-developed guidelines and national-level capabilities by identifying and addressing critical gaps in the vulnerability management ecosystem.

Qualifications: Basic Requirements: Bachelor's degree in computer science or bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that includes differential and integral calculus. All academic degrees and coursework must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions. For the ZP-IV: In addition to the above basic requirements, all applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level (ZP-III at NIST). The specialized experience is defined as: Experience working with vulnerability management identifiers and specifications such as CVE, CVSS, CPE, and CWE. Experience with CPE, Product-URL, SBOM, SWID, or different mechanisms of representing or modeling vulnerability information. Experience working with or in standards development to produce standards. For the ZP-V: In addition to the above basic requirements, all applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 level (ZP-IV at NIST). The specialized experience is defined as: Experience managing software projects. Experience leading the implementation of vulnerability identifiers and specifications (e.g., CVE, CVSS, CPE, CWE). Experience leading and implementing the use of SBOM, CPE, SWID, Product-URL, or other vulnerability information modeling mechanisms based on a critical evaluation of their benefits and limitations. Experience spearheading initiatives within standards development to produce and ratify new standards. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills, and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The qualification requirements in this vacancy announcement are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook. If requesting reconsideration of your qualification determination, please refer to the following site: Applicant Reconsideration

How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. As part of the application process, you will be asked to respond to four narrative questions. While your responses to these questions is not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot. Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email. The Human Resources Office will evaluate your application to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: USAJOBS Help Center - How to see your application and job status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. Need help applying? If you are experiencing any difficulties with the online application process (anything after you have clicked the 'Apply Online' button), please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement between regular business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET). If you receive any kind of error message, please be ready to provide a screenshot or, at a minimum, the error message text and number. We will provide you with a technical support number for further assistance if necessary. If you are having trouble with USAJOBS (searching for jobs, account password/profile issues, or Resume Builder), please visit the USAJOBS USAJOBS Help Center - How to.... We regret that we are unable to support any issues with USAJOBS, as this service is not maintained by the NIST. If you are experiencing a significant hardship that hinders your ability to apply online, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement prior to the vacancy closing date and during regular business hours to discuss your situation.

Application Deadline: 2026-05-13