Associate Solutions Engineer

Carnegie Mellon University • Pittsburgh, PA

42d

About The Position

The Associate Solutions Engineer will work within the CERT Division of Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute (SEI). The SEI researches complex software engineering, cybersecurity, and AI problems, develops and tests innovative technologies, and transitions mature solutions into practice for the Department of War and federal government.

The CERT Situational Awareness team helps organizations—particularly those in the Department of War, federal government, and critical infrastructure sectors—develop and maintain awareness of cyber hybrid environments, including cloud, on-premises, and mobile systems. The team identifies risks and supports informed decisions about cybersecurity, cyber resiliency, and cyber survivability, applying cybersecurity, systems engineering, and operational analysis to understand complex architectures and relationships among systems, missions, workflows, data, and stakeholders.

The role provides technical support for security architecture development, mission engineering, systems-of-systems architecture, requirements development, engineering and analysis, technology evaluation, and deployment guidance. It also contributes to advancing cybersecurity architecture and analytical techniques, including AI, machine learning, behavioral analytics, and data-driven approaches for cyber operations. Work includes documenting architectures, identifying gaps, assessing technology integration strategies, recommending security solutions, developing mission workflows, supporting Zero Trust and cyber resilience, and evaluating and transitioning technologies into operational environments. The position contributes to teams of colleagues, customers, and subject matter experts.

The position is based in Arlington, Virginia, or Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It involves moderate travel (20%) to SEI and CMU locations, sponsor sites, conferences, and offsite meetings. The employee will be subject to a background check and must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Department of War security clearance.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science degree with three years of experience, a Master of Science degree with one year of experience, or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Willingness to travel to various locations in support of SEI’s mission; moderate travel of 20%.
• Subject to a background check and must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Department of War security clearance.
• Ability to present technical topics to audiences ranging from senior leadership to technical experts.
• Ability to work with multiple stakeholders to promote practical solutions to difficult security problems.
• Strong understanding of networking, security, systems administration, programming, and/or cloud.
• Ability to work at the systems-of-systems architecture level and identify and understand tradeoffs among approaches.
• Strong research and writing skills.

Nice To Haves

• Degree in Computer Science and Engineering or Systems Engineering, with two years of experience in cybersecurity or network operations, Model-Based Systems Engineering, or workflow/process analysis, or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Experience in enterprise, system-of-systems, system, or security architecture.
• Experience in security operations.
• Experience in security research.
• Experience in programming or software engineering.
• Experience in networking.
• Experience in testing.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical support as a team member in developing security architectures, particularly for cybersecurity operations and cybersecurity systems.
• Support mission engineering, systems-of-systems architectures, systems requirements development, engineering, analysis, technology evaluation, and deployment guidance.
• Advance the state of the art in cybersecurity and cybersecurity architectures.
• Develop and evaluate advanced analytical techniques, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, behavioral analytics, and data-driven approaches for cyber operations.
• Document current-state architectures, identify capability and coverage gaps, evaluate technology integration strategies, recommend security solutions, and develop mission threads and workflows.
• Support organizations in planning, assessing, and implementing Zero Trust and cyber resilience strategies.
• Evaluate, pilot, and transition new technologies into operational environments.
• Contribute to diverse teams of colleagues, customers, and subject matter experts to deliver projects.
• Support government program offices in strategy, process and policies, requirements elicitation, design and architecture, operations, outreach, and training.
• Enable the transition and appropriate focus of situational awareness analysis and engineering approaches and tools into operational environments.
• Design, prototype, and transition tactical analysis studies and tools suitable for operational use in situational awareness.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance.
• Retirement savings program with employer contributions.
• Tuition benefits.
• Paid time off and observed holidays.
• Life and accidental death and disability insurance.
• Free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass.
• Access to a Family Concierge Team to help navigate childcare needs.
• Fitness center access.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level