Executive Leader, Federal National Security & Policy

Job Description

Vice President National Security & Critical Infrastructure | Lumen Technologies

The Tone:
This is a full-time executive role at Lumen Technologies, with flexibility for federal engagement and operational response. Lumen is a trusted network provider connecting people, data, and applications through its expansive fiber network and connected ecosystem, enabling secure, high-performance connectivity for AI workloads across enterprises, governments, and communities. This role is crucial for representing Lumen at the federal level, ensuring the company is positioned as a trusted provider of critical infrastructure and secure network capabilities for national security and emergency preparedness.

The TL;DR
• Role: Full Time
• Type: Full-time
• Location: In-person – Washington, District of Columbia
• Pay: $211163–$281551 yearly
• Team: Reports to the Chief Security Officer, aligning with Public Sector Sales, Legal, Government Affairs, Product, Network/Technology, Security, and Compliance.
• Mission: This leader ensures Lumen is positioned as a trusted provider of critical infrastructure and secure network capabilities by integrating external policy influence, executive government engagement, cleared program execution, security and compliance oversight, and internal coordination.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Federal Representation: Represent Lumen in federal national security, emergency preparedness, critical infrastructure protection, cyber resilience, and continuity-of-operations planning and response activities.
• Senior Liaison: Serve as the primary senior liaison to key federal stakeholders, including DHS/CISA, DoD, Intelligence Community, White House stakeholders, and other national security agencies.
• Cleared Program Oversight: Provide executive oversight for cleared programs, classified environments, personnel security, facility clearances, and program accreditation processes.
• Policy Shaping: Partner with Public Policy and Government Affairs to shape U.S. policy related to cybersecurity, AI, critical infrastructure, resilience, funding programs, and regulatory frameworks.
• Incident Coordination: Serve as Lumen’s executive point of coordination during major cyber, national security, or critical infrastructure events, including response activities with federal agencies.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Undergraduate degree in engineering, management, security, disaster recovery, public policy, or a related field, with executive-level knowledge in national security, public sector, or critical infrastructure sectors.
• Experience: 15+ years in communications, technology, national security, public sector, or critical infrastructure sectors, including 5+ years of increasing responsibility in national security, emergency preparedness, critical infrastructure protection, cybersecurity, or cleared programs, along with deep experience working with the U.S. Federal Government, DoD, Intelligence Community, DHS/CISA, or national security agencies.
• Skills: Proven ability to operate at an executive level across government and industry, influence policy or regulatory outcomes, build consensus among stakeholders, and possess a strong understanding of federal acquisition and contracting, security clearance processes, classified environments, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure policy.
• Bonus: An advanced degree, MBA, law degree, or related post-graduate degree, and an active DoD/DHS TS or TS/SCI clearance are preferred.