Building a Cybersecurity Workforce to Support Government Ground Vehicle Programs

The Client

The client is a leading provider of engineering, technical and program management services supporting the defense, aerospace and national security sectors. The organization delivers specialized solutions to the U.S. Department of Defense and other government customers.

The Challenge

Breaking into a new engineering group supporting several government ground vehicle programs presented a significant growth opportunity for the client, but it also exposed critical capability gaps. The work required specialized cybersecurity engineering talent to protect sensitive data and vehicle systems from evolving threats. However, the client lacked the recruiting infrastructure necessary to identify, screen and secure qualified candidates. As a result, hiring efforts relied heavily on word-of-mouth referrals, limiting the organization's ability to meet large-scale, highly technical hiring demands.

The situation became even more complex as a new administration reduced direct government headcount, creating staffing shortages while leaving mission requirements unchanged. As funding shifted to backfill these critical positions, the client was tasked with rapidly finding qualified talent despite having no established process for doing so. Failure to meet these demands risked losing the opportunity to a competitor, while success would provide a strong foundation for demonstrating their ability to grow and support the government’s ground vehicle cybersecurity mission—positioning them to pursue similar work across other defense agencies.

The Actalent Solution

To help the client establish a stronger presence within the government’s cybersecurity organization and expand its market share, Actalent partnered closely with the client’s department head to align on funding requirements and the technical resources needed for a successful program launch. Throughout the engagement, our team provided consistent project oversight through weekly status updates, solution presentations, timeline projects, scheduled mapping and approved tracking. To ensure a seamless onboarding process and minimize delays, all candidates secured interim security clearances prior to the project kickoff.

The Results

This partnership delivered immediate and lasting results, driven in part by Actalent’s longstanding relationship with the client and deep understanding of their strategic growth objectives. By helping the client successfully enter a new area of cyber support, Actalent enabled them to build capabilities they previously lacked and respond more effectively to an evolving talent market. Today, five consultants support the new cybersecurity group and are expected to transition into full-time roles, with 10 additional experts slated to join. This success has strengthened the client’s position within the government’s cybersecurity community and created a foundation for continued growth.