ClearanceJobs recently chatted with Tish Rourke about her role at Lockheed Martin and opportunities in cyberspace. Rourke is the Vice President of the Cyber & Intelligence (C&I) market segment within the Lockheed Martin Rotary and Missions Systems (RMS) business area. She is responsible for a $600M portfolio of programs delivering a wide array of capabilities supporting national security requirements to the Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, and other government customers.
Cyber Career Path At Lockheed Martin
Rourke has been with Lockheed Martin for almost 35 years, with diverse roles in business and technology and across many systems and sectors, building a wide breadth of knowledge. From electronic warfare to cyber, Rourke has grown up with cyber as part of her career. She has also led and mentored teams, finding it rewarding to see people’s potential and more women making an impact in technical fields. The breadth and depth of Rourke’s experience and capabilities have given her the tools to excel in leading the cyber and intelligence market at Lockheed Martin.
Opportunities and Innovations in Cyberspace
The cyber industry is everywhere, and in intelligence and defense, it’s one of the quickest growing fields, with hundreds of openings just at Lockheed Martin. There’s a high demand for cyber talent. The breadth of opportunities is great.
Every day, the threats change, so we need to be innovating in cyber. Information security and cyber security are at play in every system. Technology is only successful if it’s secure. Whether it’s the F-35 or a Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), cybersecurity is built-in from the beginning, making it an exciting time to be in the industry. It has to be designed into our systems and not be an afterthought.
What Does a Candidate Need to Succeed in Cyber?
When it comes to certifications, cyber is a broad field. Educational programs or certifications in disciplines like digital forensics, firewalls, networking, or cryptology will be relevant. However, the cyber field is flexible. Just because you enter from one avenue, doesn’t mean you can’t switch to another lane when an opportunity arises. It’s possible to build on your initial skills to keep on moving. Any traditional engineering discipline can be a launchpad into cyber.
Solving complex problems and having an interest and ability in understanding how things work are key components of success in the cyber field. Curiosity and adaptability will also take a candidate very far. The field is constantly changing, so it’s important to be inquisitive and able to solve hard problems as part of a team.
Diversity in Cyber
Diversity is part of the Lockheed Martin culture, whether it’s the diversity of thought, experiences, or backgrounds. Especially in cyber, where there’s no playbook, diversity is a key driver in adding many voices with different perspectives to solve problems with every angle in mind. Having team members from different viewpoints as thought leaders leads to better solutions. Unique experiences build unmatched solutions at Lockheed Martin.
Lockheed Martin: A Preferred Place to Work
Because the field is constantly changing, there’s no perfect candidate, and Lockheed Martin is looking for curious, tech-savvy candidates who enjoy solving problems on a team. A Top-Secret clearance can be a differentiator; however, Lockheed Martin is looking for diversity of thought and experience.
All skills, experiences, and backgrounds are needed. It comes down to your skills, your personality, and how you work as a part of a team. Do you enjoy solving problems on a fast-paced team?
Everyone at Lockheed Martin is dedicated to the mission and solving the problems of tomorrow. Lockheed Martin values its people with opportunities to build new skills and schedules that support work-life balance.
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