Trump Administration Expands Tech Force to Hire Cybersecurity Talent; Launches HR Compass

The Trump administration is adding cybersecurity positions to its U.S. Tech Force program as part of a broader effort to strengthen the federal government’s ability to recruit tech talent.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) opened applications for Information Cybersecurity Specialist roles through the Tech Force. That’s in addition to the program’s existing recruitment efforts for software engineers, data scientists and product managers.

The cybersecurity positions will focus on protecting critical systems, strengthening federal cybersecurity capabilities, and safeguarding the digital infrastructure.

“Through Tech Force, we’re recruiting highly skilled cybersecurity professionals to take on real challenges and strengthen the government’s defenses where it matters most,” said OPM Director Scott Kupor.

OPM said it’s coordinating with federal agencies to recruit a broad range of cybersecurity talent, including potential employees already participating in the CyberCorps Scholarship for Service Program. 

It’s not clear yet how cybersecurity hires will be made. The overall Tech Force is seeking an initial class of about 1,000 hires across agencies. Selected candidates will move into temporary, two-year roles to work on federal tech projects.

The push for tech talent comes as thousands of technology workers are among the 400,000 or so federal employees who have left government service since the start of the Trump Administration. 

That includes more than 18,500 employees in the government’s 2210 job series for IT managers, according to OPM.

HR Career Pathway

OPM also launched HR Career Compass to help federal HR employees grow their skillset and map out their federal HR careers. 

“Agencies rely on HR every day, but for too long, we have not consistently given HR professionals the tools they need to truly excel,” said OPM Director Kupor in a blog post. 

The goal of HR Career Compass is to help HR professionals understand the full scope of HR responsibilities in the federal government and "highlights key HR specialties, shows how they connect, describes skills, and provides a clearer view of how careers can grow and evolve over time.” 

The platform provides overviews of how much employees can earn as a federal HR worker, the skill sets needed, and career pathways. It also provides information on specialization areas such as employee development, employee relations, benefits, labor relations, recruitment, and more.

It’s part of the “Federal HR 2.0” initiative to centralize and streamline federal HR programs. 

OPM notes that while the site itself is not a training program, it’s working to establish a standardized HR training and certification program governmentwide.