Who We Are
You will work within the CERT Division of the Software Engineering Institute (SEI). Carnegie Mellon University’s SEI researches complex software engineering, cyber, and AI problems; creates and tests innovative technologies; and transitions mature solutions into practice for the Department of War (DoW) and federal government.
What We Do:
The CERT Situational Awareness helps organizations, particularly those within the DoW, federal government, and critical infrastructure sectors, develop and maintain awareness of their cyber hybrid environments (cloud, on-premises, mobile), identify risks, and make informed decisions concerning cybersecurity, cyber resiliency, and cyber survivability. The team applies cybersecurity, systems engineering, and operational analysis techniques to understand complex architectures and the relationships among systems, missions, workflows, data, and stakeholders.
Position Summary:
As a member of the team, you will be responsible for:
- Providing strategic technical support to senior decision makers.
- Leading or contributing to teams in the development, evaluation and improvement of security architectures.
- Developing and analyzing system of systems (SoS) architectures, systems requirements, engineering, analysis, technology evaluation and deployment guidance.
- Developing and evaluating advanced analytical techniques, including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), behavioral analytics, and data-driven approaches for cyber operations.
- Documenting current-state architectures, identifying capability and coverage gaps, evaluating technology integration strategies, recommending security solutions, and developing mission threads/workflows.
- Supporting organizations in planning, assessing, and implementing Zero Trust and cyber resilience strategies.
- Evaluating, piloting, and transitioning new technologies into operational environments.
- Developing of cybersecurity, technology, and architecture roadmaps aligned with mission and business objectives.
- Assessing organizational capabilities, security architectures, operational processes, and cyber resilience to identify strengths, weaknesses, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
- Becoming a respected domain expert by customers, commercial vendors, and the Internet community.
- Contribute to diverse teams composed of colleagues, customers, and others, to deliver projects
- Occasionally acts in a managerial capacity by leading, mentoring, and motivating less-senior staff.
- Leads small to intermediate projects.
Requirements:
- BS with eight (8) years or MS with five (5) years or equivalent combination of training and experience.
- Willingness to travel to various locations to support the SEI’s overall mission. This includes within the SEI and CMU community, sponsor sites, conferences, and offsite meetings on occasion. Moderate Travel (20%).
- You will be subject to a background check and must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Department of War security clearance.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Ability to present technical topics to audiences from senior leadership to technical experts.
- Ability to work with multiple stakeholders to promote practical solutions to tough security problems.
- Strong understanding of networking, security, systems administration, programming, and/or cloud.
- Strong research and writing skills.
- Ability to work at the SoS architecture level to identify and understand tradeoffs of various approaches.
- Experience working with the government, or within a critical infrastructure sector.
Desired Experience:
- PhD in Computer Science & Engineering, System Engineering or related discipline with two (2) years of experience in cybersecurity/network operations, model-based system engineering (MBSE), or workflow/process analysis or equivalent combination of training and experience.
- Experience in one or more of the following areas:
- Enterprise/system-of-systems/system/security architecture
- Security operations deploying or supporting large-scale network security monitoring infrastructures.
- Security research
- Programming or software engineering
- Networking
- Testing
- Prior responsibility in leading a body of work consisting of numerous large-scale projects and multiple customers or external sponsors.
- History of contributions to the broader industry or research community and experience in a variety of network security areas.
Job Function Breakdown:
75% Lead support to government program offices in the areas of strategy; process/policies; requirements elicitation; design and architecture; operations; outreach; and training.
15% Enable the transition and appropriate focus of situational awareness analysis and engineering approaches and tools into operational environments.
10% Design, prototype, and transition tactical analysis studies and tools appropriate for operational use in situational awareness.
100% total effort
Joining the CMU team opens the door to an array of exceptional benefits.
Benefits eligible employees enjoy a wide array of benefits including comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance as well as a generous retirement savings program with employer contributions. Unlock your potential with tuition benefits, take well-deserved breaks with ample paid time off and observed holidays, and rest easy with life and accidental death and disability insurance.
Additional perks include a free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass, access to our Family Concierge Team to help navigate childcare needs, fitness center access, and much more!
For a comprehensive overview of the benefits available, explore our Benefits page.
At Carnegie Mellon, we value the whole package when extending offers of employment. Beyond credentials, we evaluate the role and responsibilities, your valuable work experience, and the knowledge gained through education and training. We appreciate your unique skills and the perspective you bring. Your journey with us is about more than just a job; it’s about finding the perfect fit for your professional growth and personal aspirations.
Are you interested in an exciting opportunity with an exceptional organization?! Apply today!
Location
Arlington, VA, Pittsburgh, PAJob Function
Software/Applications Development/EngineeringPosition Type
Staff – RegularFull Time/Part time
Full timePay Basis
SalaryMore Information:
Please visit “Why Carnegie Mellon” to learn more about becoming part of an institution inspiring innovations that change the world.
Click here to view a listing of employee benefits
Carnegie Mellon University is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran.
Statement of Assurance
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree with eight years of experience, master’s degree with five years of experience, or equivalent training and experience
- Strong understanding of networking, security, systems administration, programming, and/or cloud technologies
- Ability to present technical topics to senior leadership and technical experts
- Ability to work with multiple stakeholders to develop practical security solutions
- Strong research and technical writing skills
- Ability to analyze system-of-systems architectures and evaluate engineering tradeoffs
- Experience working with government organizations or within a critical infrastructure sector
- Eligibility to obtain and maintain a Department of War security clearance
- Willingness to travel approximately 20%
- PhD in computer science, engineering, systems engineering, or a related discipline
- Experience in enterprise, system-of-systems, or security architecture
- Experience with security operations and large-scale network security monitoring infrastructures
- Experience in security research, programming, software engineering, networking, or testing
- Experience leading large-scale projects involving multiple customers or external sponsors
- Contributions to the broader industry or research community and experience across network security areas
Carnegie Mellon University Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Carnegie Mellon University and has not been reviewed or approved by Carnegie Mellon University.
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Retirement Support — Retirement support is positioned as a standout, with automatic employer contributions to a TIAA-administered plan at 8% of base salary (and 9.78% for 9‑month academic appointments), plus optional employee deferrals. Vesting after three years is clearly specified, which helps set expectations for long-term value.
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Parental & Family Support — Parental and family support is strengthened by 100% paid parental leave for six weeks and 100% paid maternity leave for 6–8 weeks (delivery-type dependent), effective July 1, 2024. Childcare support is also referenced through a Cyert Center subsidy up to $5,000 per family, alongside no-cost EAP access.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Wellbeing and lifestyle benefits include free Pittsburgh Regional Transit access and access to fitness classes and facilities, adding recurring non-cash value to the overall package. Pittsburgh’s relatively affordable cost of living can further increase the perceived adequacy of a given salary compared with higher-cost coastal hubs.
Carnegie Mellon University Insights
What We Do
Carnegie Mellon University founder Andrew Carnegie said: "My heart is in the work." No statement better captures the passion and drive of our people to make a real difference. At Carnegie Mellon, we're not afraid of the work. Our educational environment creates problem solvers, drivers of innovation and pioneers in technology and the arts. Employers in every field say our graduates are ready to hit the ground running the day they graduate. So, join us. Whether you're looking for a career or an education. Or both.
