Cybersecurity Researcher / Engineer

About the Role

The Secure Resilient Systems and Technology group advances cybersecurity research to address critical national security challenges. We develop and evaluate technologies that enable mission systems to withstand cyberattack and continue the mission. Our goal is to design security in from the start and provide rigorous evidence that these systems can be trusted under attack. Research spans secure software and embedded systems, security architecture and threat modeling, applied cryptography, formal methods, and security evaluation, with increasing focus on the intersection of AI and cybersecurity. Work spans the R&D lifecycle from concepts through prototyping and transition, collaborating across Lincoln Laboratory and with government, industry, and academia. This is a collegial, mission-driven team working on difficult problems where security, resilience, assurance, performance, and operational realities all matter. The culture emphasizes mentoring and developing researchers into PIs and technical leaders, striving to bring out the best in people and systems for the nation.

Key Responsibilities

• Research, design, prototype, and evaluate new approaches to securing software, embedded systems, and communications against sophisticated cyber threats.
• Take ownership of technical problems and project components, exercising independent technical judgment.
• Develop high-quality software and experimental systems using Rust, C/C++, and other appropriate languages.
• Explore problems at the intersection of AI and cybersecurity, including applications of AI to cyber analysis and defense, as well as the security and evaluation of AI-enabled systems.
• Collaborate with researchers and engineers across cybersecurity, cryptography, formal methods, AI, communications, autonomy, space, and other disciplines.
• Present results to Laboratory and government stakeholders.
• Contribute to reports, publications, prototypes, reusable software, and the transition of successful technologies to operational use.

Requirements & Tech Stack

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree pathway: A Master's and Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a closely related field, plus substantial relevant technical experience beyond academic coursework (typically equivalent to at least nine months of full-time experience). A significant portion of this experience must be directly relevant to the group's technical focus.
• Professional experience pathway: A Bachelor's degree in one of the fields listed above, plus at least two years of full-time relevant professional or research experience.
• Alternative technical pathway: A Bachelor's or Master's degree in another field, plus substantial relevant professional or research experience (typically three or more years), and a strong record of technical accomplishment in one or more of the technical areas listed below.

To thrive in this role, you should also have

• Demonstrated technical depth and hands-on experience in one or more of the following:
• Software design, development, and testing in Rust (preferred), C/C++, or another systems programming language.
• Embedded systems analysis, design, and implementation.
• Software integration, testing, measurement, and evaluation.
• Systems security, particularly for embedded systems.
• Software security and program analysis.
• Applied cryptography and security protocols.
• Applied formal methods and language security.
• AI-enabled tools and techniques for cybersecurity.
• Strong technical problem-solving and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively in teams.

Desired Experience And Expertise

• Secure software development, operating system internals, embedded systems security, and network protocols.
• Systems engineering, security requirements analysis, and threat modeling.
• Security evaluation and assurance, including adversarial testing, experimental methods, security measurement, and evidence supporting security and assurance claims.
• Applied cryptography and protocols, including industry and government standards.
• Static and dynamic software analysis and applied formal methods.
• AI-enabled software analysis, vulnerability discovery, security testing, threat analysis, and cyber defense.
• Security and evaluation of AI-enabled systems, including adversarial threats, robustness, and resilience.
• Development of complex software systems, including requirements, collaborative development, automated build and test, and CI/CD practices.
• Experience across the R&D lifecycle, from concept development and prototyping through evaluation and transition, particularly in national security, government, or defense-related environments.
• Familiarity with government standards, policies, and engineering practices relevant to cybersecurity and secure systems.

Note: Candidates are not expected to have expertise in all desired areas and are welcome to apply if interested in developing deeper expertise through hands-on research.

Other Requirements

• Selected candidate will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret level DoD security clearance.