GMD Cybersecurity Principal Engineer

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The Weapon Systems Engineering Department (N261) is dedicated to delivering world-class engineering solutions and technical leadership to enhance Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) capabilities. Its mission is to enable resilient, adaptive, and scalable weapon systems that counter emerging threats and safeguard national security and the homeland.

The Department is seeking a technically proficient and operationally oriented Principal Applied Cybersecurity Engineer to serve as the GMD Cybersecurity Principal Engineer within the Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) program. The successful candidate will bring strong cyber development and operational testing experience and will support oversight of the technical development of next-generation GMD to ensure it is secure and resilient in cyberspace, while helping improve the cybersecurity and cyber resiliency of the GMD element of the Missile Defense System (MDS).

Roles & Responsibilities:

The GMD Cybersecurity Principal Engineer will be responsible for delivering high-value, high-impact outcomes within the MDA work program in support of the evolving cybersecurity, cyber resiliency, and Defensive Cyberspace Operations posture of the GMD weapon system. The successful candidate will work closely with government contractors and developers, the GMD Cybersecurity Director, and senior GMD leadership while serving as a key technical advisor to the GMD Cybersecurity Director. In this role, the individual will help oversee the technical development of next-generation GMD to ensure the system is secure and resilient in cyberspace, facilitate the active cyber defense of the fielded GMD system, including continuous monitoring and associated Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures as part of Defensive Cyberspace Operations, including integration with broader MDS DCO efforts, and oversee mitigation planning and implementation following cyber test events involving GMD.

As a key contributor within the MDA work program, the selected individual will provide technical guidance across acquisition, cybersecurity, cyber resiliency, systems engineering, including requirements definition and verification, and Defensive Cyberspace Operations to enable the sponsor to successfully transform its culture and cyberspace posture and achieve assured GMD weapon system capabilities.

Highly competitive candidates must bring a strong technical background and depth of domain knowledge and experience to advance the department's strategic growth in IAMD (for our people and our mission) in one or more of the following ways:

• Drive innovation in next generation weapon system technology/applications
• Advance weapon systems integration within IAMD Architectures
• Lead technical efforts to ensure weapon systems are integrated into broader IAMD frameworks, enabling interoperability across sensors, interceptors, and Command/Control elements
• Develop and refine architectures that optimize the role of weapon systems in multi-layered defense strategies, including regional and global missile defense postures

In addition, specific responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Serve as the technical advisor to the GMD Cybersecurity Director on all matters related to cybersecurity and cyber resiliency of the fielded and future GMD system.
• Lead tasks as the GMD Cybersecurity Technical Director which include planning and execution of GMD cybersecurity, cyber defense, and cyber resiliency tasks by identifying technical challenges (to include root causes), facilitating the development of mitigation actions (or other plans of action) through working groups with relevant stakeholders, and presenting results to the sponsor.
• Engage with GMD stakeholders (government/military staff, SETA contractors, development contractors, and other FFRDC/UARC staff) to analyze operational cyberspace requirements, address cyber resiliency challenges, apply sound technical solutions, and advance the state of GMD's active cyber defense and future system cyber resiliency to better assure the MDS mission.
• Assist with the development and oversight of GMD cyber test events.
• Identify additional project/task opportunities to expand the technical work portfolio through sponsor and internal engagement.
• Lead Systems Engineering, Systems Security Engineering, and Cybersecurity staff and advise the sponsor in cybersecurity, cyber resiliency, and active cyber defense (Defensive Cyberspace Operations).
• Work closely across sponsor organization, leveraging knowledge and resources, ensuring consistency of effort, and fostering teamwork among the sponsor, Systems Engineering, and Technical Assistance (SETA) staff, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), Other Government Agencies (OGAs) and Prime Contractor(s).

Basic Qualifications:

• Requires a minimum of 10 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree; or 5 years and a Master's degree; or a PhD with relevant experience who can immediately contribute at this job step; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• Current DoD/DoW Secret clearance with ability to obtain DoD/DoW TS/SCI clearance.
• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Able to effectively employ systems engineering principles with an understanding of cybersecurity and Defensive Cyberspace Operations; proficient in Systems Engineering Integration and Requirements.
• Adept at engaging stakeholders and sponsors through excellent written and verbal communications, including engaging and convincing presentations.
• Understands the role of continuous monitoring and the integration of cyberspace defense with higher echelons.
• Experience with cyber testing, such as Cooperative Vulnerability and Penetration Assessments (CVPAs) and Adversarial Assessments (AAs).
• Able to independently develop and lead teams to develop engineering trade studies, performance analyses, assess risk to the mission, and architecture design and evaluation activities.
• Technical expertise in one or more of the following cybersecurity areas: cyber resiliency, systems security engineering, cyber assessments, cyber effects modeling, cyber adversarial emulation, cyber penetration testing, mission risk assessments that incorporate cyberspace considerations, cyberspace operations, cyber threat actor behavior, and cybersecurity of DoD/DoW weapons systems.
• Has a working technical knowledge of one or more of the following domains: communications network environments, information warfare, cybersecurity regulations/directives/policy, cyber resiliency best practices.
• Ability to research and evaluate cybersecurity research studies, strategies, and technologies.
• Experience with federal government sector.
• This position requires a minimum of 4 days a week on-site.

Preferred Qualifications:

• MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Cybersecurity, Systems Engineering, or related technical degree with at least 15 years of experience
• Active DoD/DoW Top Secret (TS) clearance.
• Experience supporting or leading a Failure Review Board where cybersecurity considerations were in scope.
• Technical expertise in three or more of the following cybersecurity areas: cyber resiliency, systems security engineering, cyber assessments, cyber effects modeling, cyber adversarial emulation, cyber penetration testing, mission risk assessments that incorporate cyberspace considerations, cyberspace operations, cyber threat actor behavior, and cybersecurity of DoD/DoW weapons systems.
• Hands-on experience performing cybersecurity or cyber resiliency engineering trade studies, analyses, modeling & simulation, prototyping and experimentation.
• Experience planning, developing and executing test and evaluation (T&E) for cyberspace defense.
• Experience conducting cyber dependency and adversary analyses.
• Demonstrated proficiency to effectively employ system security engineering principles with an understanding of how to develop and test systems to ensure they are secure and resilient in cyberspace.
• Proficiency in one or more digital engineering modeling and simulation (M&S) tools (e.g., Magic System of System Architect (MSoSA), etc.)
• A passion for developing and maintaining a knowledge of emerging cybersecurity and cyber resiliency technologies through continued learning, and active engagement with academia and industry.
• Experience applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) to cyber defense tasks.
• Technical experience with the Missile Defense System, especially GMD or C2BMC
• Experience supporting the cybersecurity and/or cyber resiliency of a DoD/DoW weapons system
• Active DoD TS/SCI clearance

This requisition requires the candidate to have a minimum of the following clearance(s):

Secret

This requisition requires the hired candidate to have or obtain, within one year from the date of hire, the following clearance(s):

Top Secret/SCI

Salary compensation range and midpoint:

$172,800 - $216,000 - $259,200 Annual

Work Location Type:

Onsite

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local or international law.

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