Lead Cybersecurity Assessment Engineer

MITRE; Fort Meade (MD); On-site; USD 159,000 - 238,000; Full time

Job summary

MITRE seeks a Lead Cybersecurity Assessment Engineer to guide multidisciplinary cyber assessment programs across MITRE portfolios. You will set direction, coordinate sponsors and partners, ensure deliverable quality, and help leaders act on evidence.

The role requires directing risk assessments, tabletop exercises, and the use of security assessment methods and tools, with day-to-day mentorship of analysts and technical specialists. Onsite work is required, with 3 days per week in the office.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of related experience with a bachelor’s degree; or 6 years and a master’s; or a PhD with 3 years’ experience; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, information systems, engineering, or a related field.
• Experience planning and leading assessments or preparedness activities, such as risk reviews, workshops, tabletop exercises, or after-action efforts, and driving recommendations to completion at a state, national, or international level.
• Working knowledge of cybersecurity concepts and assessment practices, including threats, vulnerabilities, security controls, and risk frameworks; ability to direct technical specialists and evaluate their outputs.
• Strong project coordination, analytical writing, facilitation, and executive communication skills, with experience briefing findings and recommendations to diverse audiences.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret U.S Government issued Security Clearance. 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 minimum 3 days per week onsite

Responsibilities

• Lead cybersecurity assessment engagements from planning through delivery, defining objectives, scope, work plans, team roles, resource needs, milestones, and quality standards with sponsors and internal partners.
• Direct risk assessments that bring together threat intelligence, vulnerabilities, security controls, operational context, and potential mission impacts; prioritize findings and recommend feasible risk-reduction actions.
• Design and facilitate tabletop exercises, scenario-based workshops, and after-action reviews to test decisions, coordination, and response plans; assign owners and track improvements.
• Coordinate work across government sponsors, MITRE teams, contractors, and other partners; build trusted relationships, resolve dependencies, and keep stakeholders aligned on decisions and delivery.
• Provide day-to-day direction and mentorship to analysts and technical specialists on project teams; review assessment methods, analysis, and written products for rigor, consistency, and usefulness.
• Develop assessment roadmaps, progress measures, executive briefings, and decision-ready reports; communicate uncertainty, tradeoffs, and recommended next steps to technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Guide appropriate use of security assessment methods and tools, including control reviews, vulnerability data, security monitoring, and automation, to support evidence-based recommendations.

Skills

Cybersecurity assessments

Threat intelligence

Risk assessment

Executive communication

Team mentorship

Education

Bachelor's degree in cybersecurity or related field

Advanced degree (MS/PhD) preferred

Tools

NIST guidance

SIEM platforms

Assessment automation

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.

The Cyber Engineering division advances threat-informed approaches that help sponsors understand cyber risk, strengthen security, and improve resilience across complex systems and missions.

The Security Automation and Cyber Assessments department brings together assessment, threat, engineering, and automation expertise. We work with sponsors to frame consequential questions, evaluate risk, test preparedness, and turn findings into practical improvements.

The department seeks a Lead Cybersecurity Assessment Engineer to guide multidisciplinary cyber assessment programs across MITRE portfolios. This role sets direction, coordinates sponsors and partners, assures deliverable quality, and helps leaders act on evidence.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Lead cybersecurity assessment engagements from planning through delivery, defining objectives, scope, work plans, team roles, resource needs, milestones, and quality standards with sponsors and internal partners.
• Direct risk assessments that bring together threat intelligence, vulnerabilities, security controls, operational context, and potential mission impacts; prioritize findings and recommend feasible risk-reduction actions.
• Design and facilitate tabletop exercises, scenario-based workshops, and after-action reviews to test decisions, coordination, and response plans; assign owners and track improvements.
• Coordinate work across government sponsors, MITRE teams, contractors, and other partners; build trusted relationships, resolve dependencies, and keep stakeholders aligned on decisions and delivery.
• Provide day-to-day direction and mentorship to analysts and technical specialists on project teams; review assessment methods, analysis, and written products for rigor, consistency, and usefulness.
• Develop assessment roadmaps, progress measures, executive briefings, and decision-ready reports; communicate uncertainty, tradeoffs, and recommended next steps to technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Guide appropriate use of security assessment methods and tools, including control reviews, vulnerability data, security monitoring, and automation, to support evidence-based recommendations.

Basic Qualifications

• Typically requires a minimum of 8 years of related experience with a bachelor’s degree; or 6 years and a master’s degree; or a PhD with 3 years’ experience; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• Bachelor's degree in cybersecurity, information systems, engineering, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Experience planning and leading assessments or preparedness activities, such as risk reviews, workshops, tabletop exercises, or after-action efforts, and driving recommendations to completion at a state, national, or international level.
• Working knowledge of cybersecurity concepts and assessment practices, including threats, vulnerabilities, security controls, and risk frameworks; ability to direct technical specialists and evaluate their outputs.
• Strong project coordination, analytical writing, facilitation, and executive communication skills, with experience briefing findings and recommendations to diverse audiences.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret U.S Government issued Security Clearance. 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 minimum 3 days per week onsite

Preferred Qualifications

• Active Top Secret/SCI government security clearance
• Graduate degree in cybersecurity, security studies, public policy, information systems, or a related field.
• Experience leading programs, teams, schedules, and deliverables.
• Experience building partnerships and coordinating information sharing among government, industry, and internal stakeholders.
• Experience using threat intelligence, analytic tradecraft, and structured risk methods to inform assessments and decision-making.
• Experience designing or facilitating tabletop exercises, preparedness training, stakeholder workshops, or cross-functional response planning.
• Familiarity with security assessment frameworks and tools, such as NIST guidance, vulnerability management, SIEM platforms, or assessment automation.

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

None

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

Top Secret

Salary compensation range and midpoint

$158,800 - $198,500 - $238,200 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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