(a) Designating assignments. The Department designates assignments by defining combinations of CTMS qualifications and DHS-CS cybersecurity work associable with qualified positions. CTMS policy implementing this section addresses procedures for DHS organizations to designate assignments, including as a result of designating qualified positions as described in § 158.702.

(b) Staffing assignments. The Department staffs assignments by:

(1) Matching assignments with DHS-CS employees as described in paragraph (d) of this section;

(2) Matching assignments with newly appointed individuals as described in paragraph (c) of this section; or

(3) Seeking to recruit individuals and establish new qualified positions under the talent acquisition system described in § 158.501 and then matching assignments with newly appointed individuals as described in paragraph (c) of this section.

(c) Initial assignment. Upon appointment of an individual to a qualified position, the Department matches the individual with an assignment based on the alignment of the individual's CTMS qualifications, determined under the assessment program described in § 158.520, to the CTMS qualifications of an assignment. In matching an individual with an initial assignment, the Department may also consider:

(1) Input from the individual;

(2) Input from DHS organizations;

(3) Mission-related requirements; and

(4) Strategic talent priorities.

(d) Subsequent assignments. The Department matches DHS-CS employees with assignments subsequent to employees' initial assignments, as necessary.

(1) The Department matches a DHS-CS employee with a subsequent assignment based on the alignment of the employee's CTMS qualifications with the CTMS qualifications of an assignment. In matching a DHS-CS employee with a subsequent assignment, the Department may also consider:

(i) Input from the employee;

(ii) Input from DHS organizations, especially the primary DHS organization of the employee's current assignment;

(iii) Information about the employee from the performance management program described in § 158.802 and the career development program described in § 158.803;

(iv) Mission-related requirements; and

(v) Strategic talent priorities.

(2) A DHS-CS employee may have multiple assignments throughout the employee's service in a qualified position, but may only have one assignment at a time. A DHS-CS employee's subsequent assignments may have assignment information, described in § 158.706(e), that is different than the assignment information of the employee's initial assignment, including primary DHS organization.

(3) In alignment with the career development program described in § 158.803 and based on information from development reviews described in § 158.806 the Department communicates with DHS-CS employees on an ongoing basis about subsequent assignment opportunities;