The Secretary of The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) oversees the third largest Cabinet Department and leads our nation's efforts to secure our country from terrorism to natural disasters. DHS has a vital mission to secure the nation from the many threats we face. This requires the dedication of more than 240,000 employees, in jobs that range from aviation and border security, to emergency response, from cybersecurity analyst to chemical facility inspector. DHS has five distinct mission areas related to securing the homeland, which includes the largest law enforcement population in the Federal Government.

Law Enforcement Careers

Law enforcement careers involve protecting the President, Vice President, their families, heads of state and other designated individuals. These careers also involve securing the nation’s borders, interagency law enforcement training, and enforcing economic, transportation and infrastructure security. Related components:

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
• U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
• U.S. Secret Service (USSS)
• Federal Protective Service (FPS)
• Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC)

Immigration and Travel Security Careers

Immigration and travel security careers involve protecting the nation’s transportation systems, as well as overseeing lawful immigration to the U.S. Related components:

• Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

Prevention and Response Careers

Prevention and response careers protect the public, environment and U.S. economic and security interests. These careers also provide preparedness, protection, response, recovery and mitigation to reduce loss of life and property and protect the nation from all hazards. Related components:

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)

Mission Support Careers

Mission support careers involve the following fields: medical, human resources, facilities, budget, procurement, science and technology, training, intelligence, public affairs, communication, planning and coordination, detection, civil rights, fraud detection and more. Related components:

• DHS Headquarters
• Science and Technology Directorate
• Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD)
• Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC)
• Office of Operations Coordination
• Office of Intelligence and Analysis
• Office of Inspector General
• Executive Support Offices
  • Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
  • Privacy Office
  • Office of Legislative Affairs
  • Office of Partnership and Engagement
  • Office of Public Affairs
  • Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman
  • Office of the General Counsel
  • Office of the Executive Secretariat
  • Office of the Deputy Secretary
  • Military Advisor's Office
  • Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans
• Management Directorate
  • Office of the Chief Financial Officer
  • Office of the Chief Information Officer
  • Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer
  • Office of the Chief Procurement Officer
  • Office of the Chief Readiness Support Officer
  • Office of the Chief Security Officer
  • Office of the Biometric Identity Management
  • Program Accountability and Risk Management
  • Federal Protective Service

Cybersecurity Careers

Cybersecurity careers help build the national capacity to defend against cyber attacks and work with the federal government to provide cybersecurity tools, incident response services and assessment capabilities to safeguard the ‘.gov’ networks that support the essential operations of partner departments and agencies.

View descriptions for Department components and agencies.