Mission Area Lead

Software Engineering Institute | Carnegie Mellon University•Pittsburgh, PA

12d•Onsite

About The Position

The Mission Area Lead is responsible for mission alignment, integration, and accountability for the Threat Analysis Directorate’s Automation Integration with Vulnerability Response focus area. The focus area aims to scale vulnerability coordination against emerging AI-driven threats by integrating automation and AI into processes that are currently manual, while building community partnerships. The role will deliver agentic automation to accelerate remediation, building on SEI research and experience in coordinated vulnerability disclosure (CVD). It will direct and leverage ongoing SEI CVD projects and conduct applied research and development to automate vulnerability response and extend coordination at scale. The 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. In conjunction with CERT leadership, the Mission Area Lead will set strategic direction, integrate project efforts, oversee delivery and quality, manage budgets and partner relationships, and assess portfolio impact. The role also works across SEI technical and support staff to foster technical excellence, creativity, collaboration, innovation, and secure capability transitions. The position is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and requires willingness to travel 25% outside the office location.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, networking, information systems, or a related technical field and 10 years of experience; or a master’s degree in computer science or a technical/engineering field and 8 years of experience; or a Ph.D. 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 with the described experience.
At least 3 years of enterprise- or research-level vulnerability management experience.
Technical understanding of vulnerabilities from discovery through validation, coordination, disclosure, mitigation, and remediation.
Willingness to travel 25% outside the office location to other SEI offices, sponsor sites, conferences, and offsite meetings.
Ability to obtain and maintain a Department of War security clearance; the position is subject to a background investigation.
Outstanding written and oral communication skills.
Experience managing complex technical projects from initiation through delivery and organizing cross-functional teams across concurrent efforts.

Responsibilities

Help create and maintain strategic direction so individual projects support the Mission Area and Threat Analysis Directorate mission and vision.
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 project efforts across the mission area 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 and ensure they meet internal quality, safety, and security requirements.
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 across SEI and CMU support functions, including security, IT, contracting, and human resources, to ensure the mission area has what it needs to execute.
Manage complex technical projects from initiation through delivery, organize cross-functional teams, and keep concurrent efforts on track.
Lead and advocate for personnel, set expectations, remove blockers, and hold milestones accountable.
Synthesize technical information into status updates, risk assessments, and executive briefings for internal leadership and external mission partners.
Build and sustain stakeholder relationships, assess satisfaction, gather feedback, and translate partner needs into actionable technical requirements.
Conduct project reviews, identify quality gaps, develop corrective actions, and verify safety, security, and compliance standards.
Balance deliverable transition timelines, effort coverage, and risks to deliver mission outcomes.
Help develop a team culture across multiple locations that fosters innovation, technical excellence, and leadership in alignment with SEI core values.