Mission Area Lead

Carnegie Mellon University•Pittsburgh, PA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The Mission Area Lead is responsible for mission alignment, integration, and accountability for the Threat Analysis Directorate focus area of Automation Integration with Vulnerability Response. The focus area aims to scale vulnerability coordination against emerging AI-driven threats by applying automation and AI to processes that are currently manual, while building community partnerships. The role will deliver agentic automation to accelerate remediation, leveraging SEI’s research and experience in coordinated vulnerability disclosure (CVD). It will direct ongoing SEI CVD projects and conduct applied research and development to automate vulnerability response and extend coordination at scale. The Mission Area Lead will engage government, industry, and academic partners to support secure development, adoption, and use of automation in support of Department of War (DoW) and Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) priorities. Working with SEI technical and support staff, the role will foster technical excellence, creativity, collaboration, innovation, and secure capability transitions across the portfolio. In conjunction with the CERT leadership team, the role leads and integrates project efforts across the mission area, manages partner relationships and budgets, reviews products for quality and security, assesses portfolio impact, and coordinates with SEI and CMU support functions. The position is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and requires willingness to travel 25% outside the office location.

Requirements

A BS in computer science, software engineering, networking, information systems, or a related technical field and 10 years of experience; an MS in computer science or a technical/engineering field and 8 years of experience; a PhD in computer science or a technical/engineering field and 5 years of experience; or an equivalent combination of training and experience. Other technical educational backgrounds may be considered.
At least 3 years of vulnerability management experience at the enterprise or research level.
Technical understanding of vulnerabilities from discovery through validation, coordination, disclosure, mitigation, and remediation.
Willingness to travel 25% outside the office location.
Ability to obtain and maintain a Department of War security clearance; the position is subject to a background investigation.
Experience managing complex technical projects from initiation through delivery.
Ability to organize cross-functional teams and manage multiple concurrent efforts.
Experience leading and advocating for personnel.
Outstanding written and oral communication skills.
Ability to synthesize complex technical information for internal leadership and external mission partners.
Ability to build and sustain relationships with mission stakeholders and translate partner needs into technical requirements.

Responsibilities

Help create and maintain a strategic direction that aligns individual projects with the Mission Area and Threat Analysis Directorate mission and vision.
Manage complex technical projects from initiation through delivery, organizing cross-functional teams and keeping multiple concurrent efforts on track.
Lead personnel, set expectations, remove blockers, and hold milestones accountable.
Communicate complex technical information through status updates, risk assessments, and executive briefings for internal leadership and external mission partners.
Build and sustain strategic relationships with mission stakeholders, check in regularly, gather feedback, and align delivered work with partner priorities.
Translate partner needs into actionable technical requirements for project teams.
Review projects and deliverables, identify quality gaps, develop corrective actions, and verify safety, security, compliance, and SEI standards.
Balance delivery timelines, effort coverage, and risks to deliver mission outcomes.
Help develop a culture across multiple locations that fosters innovation, technical excellence, and leadership in alignment with SEI core values.
Manage relationships with government partners in the National Capital Region, as needed or applicable.
Serve as a primary technical liaison to DoW and FCEB mission partners on CVD and automation of vulnerability response.
Lead and manage mission-area projects to ensure integration and alignment with broader Threat Analysis Directorate goals.
Foster a team culture of technical rigor, accountability, and cross-team collaboration.
Manage budgets across multiple mission-area efforts to maximize return on investment and strategic value.
Review internally developed products to ensure internal quality, safety, and security requirements are met.
Assess the impact of CERT’s project portfolio for mission partners.
Communicate with strategic partners about ongoing support and recommend future direction.
Partner with other FFRDCs and UARCs to better serve mission partners.
Coordinate with SEI and CMU support functions, including security, IT, contracting, and human resources, to ensure the mission area has what it needs to execute.
Travel 25% outside the office location to other SEI offices, sponsor sites, conferences, and offsite meetings.