Mission SME / Senior Mission Lead - Cybersecurity

MBL Technologies•Crystal City, VA

8h•Hybrid

About The Position

MBL Technologies, Inc. is seeking a Mission Subject Matter Expert (SME) – Cybersecurity to serve as a senior mission integrator and trusted advisor supporting enterprise cybersecurity mitigation and implementation efforts within the Department of War (DoW). This highly visible role requires an operationally credible, seasoned defense practitioner with firsthand experience across defense acquisition, weapons and mission systems, program-office execution, cybersecurity operations, and systems integration. The Mission SME will advise senior leaders and connect strategic priorities to the realities of systems engineering, acquisition timelines, operational risk, cybersecurity requirements, and technical implementation. The Mission SME will shape senior-level mission narratives, briefings, decision points, and recommendations while facilitating coordination across program offices, senior staff organizations, NSA, military Services, and technical stakeholders. This position will work closely with an Action Officer responsible for day-to-day coordination, meeting logistics, staff taskers, action tracking, and requirements management. The Mission SME will provide senior-level mission direction, operational and technical context, quality control, and mentorship.

Requirements

Significant experience supporting defense acquisition organizations, Program Executive Offices (PEOs), Program Management Offices (PMOs), military Services, or comparable defense organizations.
Firsthand experience with weapons systems, mission systems, systems integration, fielded capabilities, developmental systems, or defense acquisition program execution.
Demonstrated experience as a seasoned cyber operator, cybersecurity mission lead, senior cybersecurity practitioner, or comparable technical mission leader.
Advanced cybersecurity knowledge at the CISSP level or equivalent, supported by relevant certifications and/or significant equivalent experience.
Significant knowledge of networking, systems architecture, systems engineering, and systems-of-systems environments.
Strong understanding of defense acquisition processes, organizational structures, senior-leadership forums, and decision-making processes.
Familiarity with defense funding and budgetary processes and their relationship to acquisition and program execution.
Demonstrated ability to assess the operational, acquisition, technical, cybersecurity, and mission implications of vulnerabilities and proposed mitigation strategies.
Experience translating senior-leader intent and mission requirements into actionable technical, programmatic, and operational priorities.
Experience preparing, pre-briefing, and delivering materials to senior military, civilian, or executive leadership.
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-organizational working groups and resolve issues involving competing priorities, dependencies, technical constraints, and stakeholders.
Strong program leadership and prioritization skills with the ability to guide multiple mission-critical workstreams simultaneously.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop concise, decision-oriented executive materials.
Experience operating in classified environments, including classified networks, compartmentalized information, classified material handling, and secure coordination.
Multiple relevant cybersecurity, systems, acquisition, or technical certifications.
Extensive experience working directly with senior defense leaders, acquisition executives, PEOs, PMOs, or operational organizations.
Experience integrating cybersecurity requirements into weapons systems or other mission-critical defense platforms.
Experience coordinating complex cybersecurity mitigation or modernization initiatives across acquisition, engineering, cyber, and operational organizations.
Relevant DoD 8140-aligned cybersecurity certification, such as CISSP, or another certification appropriate to the position.
Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field preferred.
Active Secret security clearance required to begin work; must be eligible for TS/SCI access.

Nice To Haves

MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY CODES (MOS codes): 170A, 170D, 17A, 17B, 17C, 17D, 24B, 25B, 47D, 94F, IT, 17 5309, 6203, 9735, 9740, 9890, 9891

Responsibilities

Advise senior leaders on enterprise cybersecurity vulnerabilities, mitigation priorities, operational risk, and implementation progress.
Develop mission narratives, decision points, recommendations, and courses of action for senior-level forums.
Lead and support engagements with program offices, Program Executive Offices (PEOs), Program Management Offices (PMOs), NSA, military Services, senior staff organizations, and other mission stakeholders.
Translate senior-leader intent and mission requirements into prioritized execution across automation, engineering, cybersecurity, and other technical workstreams.
Apply firsthand weapons-system, mission-system, and systems-integration experience to evaluate technical feasibility, dependencies, mission impact, and implementation risk.
Provide a seasoned cyber-operator perspective on vulnerabilities, mitigation strategies, continuous monitoring, protection activities, and operational trade-offs.
Assess cybersecurity mitigation strategies within the broader context of acquisition schedules, program execution, systems engineering, operational requirements, and mission readiness.
Challenge assumptions, identify gaps, and escalate technical, acquisition, organizational, or mission blockers that could affect modernization or protection outcomes.
Lead small-group meetings, working groups, and cross-organizational coordination forums.
Provide senior-level review and quality control of executive briefings, read-aheads, decision packages, recommendations, and staff products.
Prepare and deliver pre-briefs and briefings to senior military, civilian, and executive leadership.
Mentor and guide the Action Officer on staff processes, acquisition context, stakeholder engagement, mission priorities, and classified execution.
Support the development of repeatable governance, decision-making, and synchronization processes across the mission.
Guide multiple high-priority workstreams while balancing operational urgency, technical dependencies, acquisition constraints, and cybersecurity risk.