Lead Adversarial AI Engineer

The MITRE Corporation; Fort Meade (MD); On-site; USD 174,000 - 261,000; Full time

Job summary

The MITRE Corporation is seeking a senior AI security researcher to assess threats to AI systems, develop defenses, and integrate secure AI solutions for government systems. The role involves leading cross-functional teams, engaging with sponsors, and translating technical insights into actionable recommendations.

Applicants should have deep AI/ML theory knowledge, hands-on experience in AI security topics, and a track record of leadership with senior stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Advanced understanding of foundational AI/ML theory with ability to reason about AI system behavior
• Hands-on experience with AI security topics: red-teaming, adversarial AI, governance
• Experience leading interdisciplinary teams and engaging senior stakeholders
• Active TS/SCI security clearance and willingness to polygraph within 12 months
• On-site work requirement: minimum 3 days per week

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership on cross-functional teams performing AI adversarial threat analysis
• Work with sponsors to understand shared needs and technologies
• Convey complex AI/cyber concepts to operational stakeholders
• Lead, mentor, and collaborate with technical staff
• Develop and integrate secure AI solutions for government systems

Skills

AI theory

Adversarial AI

Cybersecurity frameworks

Leadership

Security clearance awareness

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Master's degree

PhD (preferred)

Tools

MITRE ATT&CK

Job description

At MITRE, your passion fuels work that impacts our nation and improves lives. This is where your skills strengthen national security, cybersecurity, health, transportation, and citizen services. We’re a nonprofit engineering, applied research, and advanced technology organization working in the public interest. With objectivity and integrity at our core, we lead federally funded research and development centers for U.S. government agencies – collaborating with industry and academia to deliver integrated, high-impact solutions that advance our nation’s health, security, and prosperity. Our people tackle the toughest technical challenges, supported by competitive benefits, meaningful career development, and a culture of innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence. Choose MITRE for a career with purpose — and help shape the future.

Department Summary

MITRE’s Trustworthy & Secure AI (TSAI) Department consists of a diverse team united by a passion and a sense of urgency to harness trustworthy and assured artificial intelligence (AI) to help solve problems in the public interest. The TSAI Department supports our sponsors' missions by delivering capabilities for securing and increasing trust in AI-enabled systems, including data driven AI risk awareness and mitigation, AI red teaming, and trusted tools and techniques for applying AI in high consequence environments. The TSAI Department works across government, industry, and academia to provide, assess, and shape trustworthy and secure AI systems to address complex mission needs for our sponsors. Our work provides opportunities to address real-world challenges in the rapidly developing field of AI assurance, and to research and prototype new methods to address mission needs. We are looking for highly motivated, adaptive, and self-directed candidates to perform research, development, engineering, evaluation, and integration of secure AI systems.

Roles & Responsibilities

The position involves assessing threats to AI systems, research and development of defenses and mitigations against adversarial AI tactics and techniques, and integrating AI solutions into government systems. Specific responsibilities will include:

• Provide technical leadership on cross-functional teams performing AI adversarial threat analysis to identify and characterize vulnerabilities in real-world national security systems

• Work across military and intelligence community sponsors to understand shared needs and technologies

• Provide thought leadership supporting the innovation of new AI capabilities applied to cyber operational challenges

• Convey complex ideas to non-technical audiences through briefings and/or white papers

• Lead, mentor, and collaborate with technical staff

Basic Qualifications

• Typically requires a minimum of 8 years of experience in artificial intelligence with a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field; or 6 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with 3 years’ experience; or equivalent combination of AI-related education and work experience.

• Advanced understanding of foundational AI/ML theory, with demonstrated ability to reason about AI system behavior, vulnerabilities, and evaluation

• Hands-on experience with one or more of the following technical areas: agentic AI, deep reinforcement learning, computer vision, generative AI

• Hands-on experience with one or more of the following AI security topics: AI red teaming, AI T&E, adversarial AI, AI-enhanced cybersecurity, AI strategy and governance

• Familiarity with cybersecurity frameworks and models such as MITRE ATT&CK

• Ability to translate technical AI and cyber concepts into operationally relevant insights, recommendations, and actions for mission stakeholders

• Proven ability to lead interdisciplinary teams and engage senior mission stakeholders across technical and operational domains

• Active IC or DOD TS/SCI security clearance

• Ability and willingness to successfully complete a full-scope polygraph within 12 months from the date of hire

• Per the U.S. Government’s eligibility requirements, you must be a U.S Citizen to be considered for a security clearance

• This position requires a minimum of 3 days a week on-site.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in computer science, engineering, or related disciplines

• Track record of successful deployment of AI/ML systems or components that have been used by customers or stakeholders outside of a lab/experimental setting

• Demonstrated experience in offensive and/or defensive cyber operations, including the ability to understand adversary behavior, identify vulnerabilities, develop response options, and support mission-relevant cyber activities

• Knowledge of military cyber operations, including an understanding of how cyber capabilities are applied in support of operational objectives

• Experience generating or analyzing intelligence reporting data

• Active IC or DOD TS/SCI security clearance with FS poly

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

Top Secret/SCI/Polygraph

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/Polygraph

Salary compensation range and midpoint

$174,000 - $217,500 - $261,000 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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