Lead System Security Engineer - Secure Platforms

Draper Labs; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 237,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work-life balance

Employee clubs and wellness programs

Job summary

Draper Labs, an independent nonprofit R&D company in Cambridge, MA, is seeking a Principal System Security Engineer to design, integrate, and deploy trustworthy secure platforms across cyber-physical systems.

The role involves working with cross-disciplinary teams of engineers to support program execution, communicate with sponsors, and build secure architectures and evaluations throughout the project lifecycle. Requires a top‑level security clearance and extensive domain experience.

Qualifications

• Requires a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Applied Physics, or related field.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in System Security Engineering or related position.
• Master’s degree requires 5–10 years’ experience in System Security Engineering or related position.
• Proficiency in full life-cycle systems engineering of security technologies and components within cyber-physical systems and systems-of-systems.
• Experience in secure system design per requirements, design analysis, and external vectors.
• Familiarity with program protection plans, STIGs, risk management, information assurance, and cross-domain products.

Responsibilities

• Manage and control priorities, scope, schedule, and cost to baselines by monitoring program/task performance.
• Independently derive system-level requirements from mission requirements and define plans to solve complex problems.
• Assist customers in shaping problems and needs.
• Serve as SME to develop and implement security approaches through a program lifecycle.
• Identify program/system-level risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Develop, document, and teach best practices to engineers; demonstrate organization and time management.

Skills

Curiosity-driven problem solving

Collaboration

Team player

Multi-tasking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant engineering field

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

DOORS

MATLAB

Python

Job description

Draper Labs, an independent nonprofit R&D company in Cambridge, MA, is seeking a Principal System Security Engineer to design, integrate, and deploy trustworthy secure platforms across cyber-physical systems.

The role involves working with cross-disciplinary teams of engineers to support program execution, communicate with sponsors, and build secure architectures and evaluations throughout the project lifecycle. Requires a top‑level security clearance and extensive domain experience.