Technical Site Lead - SEI Customer Site - Fort Meade, MD

Carnegie Mellon University; Linthicum (MD); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Carnegie Mellon University in Linthicum, MD, seeks a Technical Site Lead to activate and sustain a SEI operating location at Fort Meade. You will partner with CERT leadership, coordinate with IC/CCMD/SCC partners, and drive technical delivery across multi‑partner projects.

You will guide cross‑enterprise teams, ensure quality and security in all outcomes, and advocate for staff at the remote site while meeting SEI standards.

Qualifications

• BS/MS/PhD with required years of experience as stated in the job posting.
• Strong communication and collaboration across teams and partners.
• Ability to translate partner needs into actionable technical requirements.
• Experience managing complex technical projects with cross-functional teams.
• Willingness to travel (25%) and obtain security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Activate and sustain a SEI operating location in the Fort Meade area.
• Serve as primary technical liaison to IC, CCMD, and SCC mission partners with the CII team.
• Develop technical strategy aligned with CERT’s broader goals.
• Communicate with strategic partners about ongoing support and future directions.
• Assess project portfolios for alignment with mission needs.
• Review externally-delivered products for safety, security, and quality.
• Foster a culture of technical rigor, accountability, and cross-team collaboration.
• Coordinate with SEI and CMU support functions to ensure site needs are met.

Skills

Site management

Solutions engineering

Strategic communication

Technical leadership

Quality assurance

Outcome focus

Culture building

Education

BS in computer science / software engineering

MS in computer science / technical/engineering

PhD in computer science / engineering

Other technical education with applicable experience

Job description

Who We Are

This role is based onsite with SEI customers in the Fort Meade area.

SEI conducts research and development in software engineering, systems engineering, cybersecurity, and many other areas of computing, working to introduce private‑sector innovations into government. The SEI works closely with defense and government organizations, industry, and academia to continually improve software‑intensive systems. Its core purposes are to help organizations improve software engineering capabilities, advance cybersecurity methods and technologies, and bring the discipline of software engineering to AI systems.

What We Do

Once a Computer Emergency Response Team formed in 1988 in response to the Morris Worm, today the CERT Division leads as a Cybersecurity Engineering and Resilience Team conducting collaborative and innovative evidence‑based research to fortify the cyber ecosystem and protect national security and prosperity. We aim to: Advance Cybersecurity by Design—Develop and transition evidence‑based solutions addressing foundational and enduring challenges Enhance Cybersecurity Resilience—Discover and prototype methods to build resilience into existing and future critical infrastructure Influence the Cybersecurity Marketplace—Promote more effective, efficient, and resilient methodologies and principles Shape the Future—Inform stakeholders of technical priorities and emerging research challenges in partnership with the community

Position Summary

As a Technical Site Lead, you will work closely with the CERT leadership team to activate and sustain a SEI operating location in the Fort Meade area. You will act as the forward presence and primary point of contact for CERT in the area. You will contribute to the planning, execution, and delivery of a portfolio of technical projects supporting our Intelligence Community (IC), Combatant Command (CCMD), and Service Cyber Component (SCC) mission partners. You will partner with our Cybersecurity Innovations and Initiatives (CII) team to coordinate with our IC, SCC, and CCMD mission partners, ensuring project performance meets expectations, deliverables are on schedule, and technical approaches remain aligned with partner needs. You will partner across SEI technical and support staff, to create and sustain a culture of technical excellence, creativity, cross‑enterprise collaboration, innovation within the portfolio, and secure capability transitions. You will produce assessments measuring the utility and value of SEI work products for our mission partners. You will advocate for staff assigned to the remote site partnering with their leadership. Finally, you may also contribute technically, helping shape approaches to analyzing, assuring, and countering software systems in support of National Security.

Who you are

• Site Management: Stemming from site activation to day‑to‑day management of personnel, activities, and engagements locally. Advocate for staff assigned to the remote site in partnership with their leadership. Serve as the forward presence and primary point of contact for CERT with the IC, CCMD, and SCC partners in the area.
• Solutions Engineer: You partner with our CII team to create and maintain strong working relationships with mission partners, conducting regular check‑ins to assess satisfaction, gather feedback, and ensure alignment between delivered work and partner priorities. You translate partner needs into actionable technical requirements for project teams.
• Strategic Communicator and Collaborator: You have outstanding written and oral communication skills. You can synthesize complex technical information into clear status updates, risk assessments, and executive briefings for both internal leadership and external mission partners. You are a communicator with strategic partners to posture CERT for the most impactful outcomes for our applied research.
• Technical Leadership: You have experience managing complex technical projects from initiation through delivery. You can organize cross‑functional teams and keep execution on track across multiple concurrent efforts. You have experience leading and advocating for personnel.
• Quality‑Driven: You ensure deliverables meet both mission partner expectations and SEI standards. You conduct regular project reviews, identify quality gaps, develop corrective actions, and verify that SEI standards for safety, security, and compliance are satisfied.
• Outcome‑Focused: You are a driven by a sense of duty to deliver outcomes that advance the state of cybersecurity.
• Culture: Help develop a site team culture that fosters innovation, technical excellence, and leadership in alignment with SEI core values.

What you’ll do

• Activate and sustain a SEI operating location in the Fort Meade area in conjunction with CERT leadership.
• Serve as a primary technical liaison to IC, CCMD, and SCC mission partners alongside our CII team, conducting regular project reviews to assess how CERT is meeting their operational needs and where adjustments are required.
• Develop an IC, CCMD, and SSC mission partner technical strategy in alignment with CERT’s broader technical strategy.
• Communicate with strategic partners regarding ongoing support and make recommendations for future direction.
• Assess CERT’s portfolio of projects for IC, CCMD, SSC mission partners ensuring alignment with strategic needs.
• Review externally‑delivered products and ensure all internal quality, safety, and security requirements are met.
• Foster a team culture of technical rigor, accountability, and cross‑team collaboration.
• Partner with other FFRDCs and UARCs to better serve our mission partners.
• Serve as a point of contact for local personnel seeking employment with the SEI.
• Coordinate across SEI and CMU support functions (including security, IT, contracting, and human resources) to ensure the site has what it needs to execute.

Requirements

• BS in computer science, software engineering, networking, information systems, or a related technical field with ten (10) years of experience
• MS in computer science or technical/engineering field with eight (8) years of experience
• PhD in computer science or technical/engineering field with five (5) years of experience or equivalent combination of training and experience
• Other educational backgrounds of a technical nature with experience as described may be considered
• You have a willingness to travel (25%) outside of your office location to other SEI offices, sponsor sites, conferences, and offsite meetings
• You will be subject to a background investigation, and you must have the ability to obtain and maintain a Department of War security clearance

Location: Linthicum

Job Function: Software/Applications Development/Engineering

Position Type: Staff – Regular Full time/Part time Full time

Pay Basis: Salary

Carnegie Mellon University is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran.

Need Help? For technical assistance, email [e-mail] or call 412-268-5072. We are committed to providing an accessible experience throughout our recruitment process. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation at any stage of the application, interview, or hiring process, please contact Equal Opportunity Services by email at [e-mail] or by phone at 412-268-3930.