Graduate (Summer) Intern – Cyber Mission Assurance

NREL • Golden, CO

5d

About The Position

The National Laboratory of the Rockies’ (NLR) cybersecurity research is strengthening our grid against tomorrow's threats. This position supports the Cyber Mission Assurance team within the Cybersecurity Research Center. The intern(s) selected for this role will support research efforts within the Cybersecurity Research Center’s research portfolio, contributing to research on topics including, but not limited to: Characterization of the potential for U.S. electric grid disruption from natural hazards and human threats Assessment of the cybersecurity of distributed energy systems Strengthening the resilience of the U.S. electric grid

Requirements

• Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.
• Undergraduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited institution.
• Post Undergraduate: Earned a bachelor’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.
• Graduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a master’s degree program from an accredited institution.
• Post Graduate: Earned a master’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.
• Graduate + PhD: Completed master’s degree and enrolled as PhD student from an accredited institution.
• Please Note: Applicants are responsible for uploading official or unofficial school transcripts, as part of the application process. If selected for position, a letter of recommendation will be required as part of the hiring process. Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date." Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date
• Government Access Controlled Systems – U.S. Citizenship Eligibility requirements: This position will require access to sensitive information, Government facilities, and/or Government information systems restricted to individuals with U.S. citizenship. Only applicants who are U.S. Citizens at the time of application will be considered.
• The successful candidate will be enrolled in or recently graduated from a master’s program, or actively enrolled in a Ph.D. program in cybersecurity, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience with Linux, command line, and networking
• Demonstrated experience in coding languages such as Python, Go, and Rust
• Demonstrated knowledge or experience in cybersecurity
• Ability to work independently and collaborate with researchers in a team environment
• Strong communication skills

Nice To Haves

• Experience applying AI/ML techniques to data analysis problems
• Demonstrated knowledge or experience in power systems
• Knowledge or experience with operational technology
• Previous experience with technical writing, literature review, or contributions to publishing scientific papers for conferences or journals
• Demonstrated knowledge of cybersecurity standards, policy, and regulation
• Demonstrated knowledge of cybersecurity risk quantification

Responsibilities

• Develop and validate cybersecurity research tools, simulation frameworks, and automation scripts to support quantitative analysis of cyber-physical dynamics
• Apply and extend threat modeling methodologies (e.g., MITRE ATT&CK, ATT&CK for ICS) to inform experimental design and system-level defense evaluation
• Conduct adversarial analysis and vulnerability assessments of IT, OT, and hybrid systems
• Assist with cybersecurity testing using hardware equipment or in virtualized environments
• Simulation and emulation of experiments related to cybersecurity and resilience using NREL Cyber Range, identifying insights for defense design improvements
• Conduct vulnerability analysis
• Perform data analysis, virtualization, visualization, and reporting
• Conduct literature reviews and background research
• Publish research results in reputable conferences or journals

Benefits

• Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match; and sick leave (where required by law).
• NLR employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed, performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards that include a monetary component.
• Some positions may be eligible for relocation expense reimbursement.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees