Lead Cybersecurity Assessment Engineer

The Mitre Corporation•Fort Meade, MD

5d•$158,800 - $238,200•Onsite

About The Position

MITRE’s Cyber Engineering division advances threat-informed approaches to help sponsors understand cyber risk, strengthen security, and improve resilience across complex systems and missions. Within the Security Automation and Cyber Assessments department, the Lead Cybersecurity Assessment Engineer guides multidisciplinary cyber assessment programs across MITRE portfolios. The role sets direction, coordinates sponsors and partners, assures deliverable quality, and helps leaders act on evidence. The engineer leads assessment engagements from planning through delivery, directs risk assessments that integrate threat, vulnerability, control, operational, and mission-impact information, and turns findings into practical recommendations. The role also designs and facilitates exercises and reviews, coordinates cross-organizational partners, mentors project team members, and produces executive-ready roadmaps, briefings, and reports. The position requires at least three days per week onsite and eligibility to obtain and maintain a Top Secret U.S. Government security clearance; candidates must be U.S. citizens to be eligible for a clearance.

Requirements

Typically requires at least 8 years of related experience with a bachelor’s degree, 6 years with a master’s degree, or 3 years with a PhD, or an equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
Bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, information systems, engineering, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
Experience planning and leading assessments or preparedness activities—such as risk reviews, workshops, tabletop exercises, or after-action efforts—and driving recommendations to completion at a state, national, or international level.
Working knowledge of cybersecurity concepts and assessment practices, including threats, vulnerabilities, security controls, and risk frameworks; ability to direct technical specialists and evaluate their outputs.
Strong project coordination, analytical writing, facilitation, and executive communication skills, including experience briefing findings and recommendations to diverse audiences.
Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Top Secret U.S. Government-issued security clearance. U.S. citizenship is required for security-clearance eligibility.
The position requires a minimum of three days per week onsite.

Nice To Haves

Active Top Secret/SCI government security clearance.
Graduate degree in cybersecurity, security studies, public policy, information systems, or a related field.
Experience leading programs, teams, schedules, and deliverables.
Experience building partnerships and coordinating information sharing among government, industry, and internal stakeholders.
Experience using threat intelligence, analytic tradecraft, and structured risk methods to inform assessments and decision-making.
Experience designing or facilitating tabletop exercises, preparedness training, stakeholder workshops, or cross-functional response planning.
Familiarity with security assessment frameworks and tools, such as NIST guidance, vulnerability management, SIEM platforms, or assessment automation.

Responsibilities

Lead cybersecurity assessment engagements from planning through delivery, defining objectives, scope, work plans, team roles, resource needs, milestones, and quality standards with sponsors and internal partners.
Direct risk assessments that integrate threat intelligence, vulnerabilities, security controls, operational context, and potential mission impacts; prioritize findings and recommend feasible risk-reduction actions.
Design and facilitate tabletop exercises, scenario-based workshops, and after-action reviews to test decisions, coordination, and response plans; assign owners and track improvements.
Coordinate work across government sponsors, MITRE teams, contractors, and other partners; build trusted relationships, resolve dependencies, and align stakeholders on decisions and delivery.
Provide day-to-day direction and mentorship to analysts and technical specialists; review assessment methods, analysis, and written products for rigor, consistency, and usefulness.
Develop assessment roadmaps, progress measures, executive briefings, and decision-ready reports; communicate uncertainty, tradeoffs, and recommended next steps to technical and nontechnical audiences.
Guide the appropriate use of security assessment methods and tools, including control reviews, vulnerability data, security monitoring, and automation, to support evidence-based recommendations.