OT Adversary Emulation Strategy and Execution, Lead

The MITRE Corporation•McLean, VA

47d•$158,800 - $238,200•Onsite

About The Position

MITRE’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Department (L561) is seeking an Operational Technology (OT) Adversary Emulation Strategy and Execution Lead to serve as the technical steward, strategic advocate, and product leader for Caldera for OT and related cyber-physical adversary emulation capabilities. In this visible and impactful role, you will define the long-term vision, adoption strategy, and technical roadmap for Caldera for OT. You will serve as the primary strategic ambassador, expanding the platform’s reach and adoption across government sponsors, critical infrastructure owner/operators, and the broader open-source community. You will lead and supervise a team of software developers and OT engineers translating threat intelligence into protocol-level emulation capabilities, while managing task execution, sponsor relationships, and business development. If you bring a passion for threat-informed defense, technical oversight in OT environments, and the strategic mindset to scale a foundational national security capability, this position is for you.

Requirements

Minimum of 8 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; 6 years with a Master’s degree; or a PhD with 3 years’ experience; or an equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
Degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or a related technical field (equivalent utility, military, or industrial experience may be considered).
Demonstrated track record of leading technical capabilities, shaping sponsor/customer work, growing adoption for platforms/tools, and managing task budgets and small multi-disciplinary teams.
Solid technical understanding of Operational Technology (OT), Industrial Control Systems (ICS), SCADA, and cyber-physical architectures sufficient to evaluate and guide protocol-level emulation (e.g., Purdue Model Levels 0–3, PLCs, RTUs).
Experience supervising technical teams or software developers, with the ability to review architectural designs, prioritize feature backlogs, and evaluate technical deliverables.
Working knowledge of ATT&CK for ICS, Breach & Attack Simulation concepts, or automated adversary emulation frameworks.
Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI U.S Government issued Security Clearance.
Per the U.S. Government’s eligibility requirements, you must be a U.S Citizen to be considered for a security clearance.
This position requires a minimum of 3 days a week on-site. 60% on-site presence required at MITRE or government locations in the National Capital Region.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on or oversight experience with Caldera (specifically Caldera for OT), Metasploit, or commercial breach/attack simulation tools.
Familiarity with protocol behaviors and command structures for industrial standards such as Modbus TCP, DNP3, OPC UA, EtherNet/IP, Siemens S7, or BACnet.
Existing relationships across CISA, DoW, Department of Energy, or industrial sector security groups.
Proven success delivering keynotes, sponsor briefings, conference presentations, or publishing white papers on cyber-physical security.
Active Top Secret or TS/SCI security clearance.

Responsibilities

Own the strategic roadmap, value proposition, and adoption strategy for Caldera for OT.
Drive growth in user adoption, sponsor backing, and platform impact across government and industry.
Act as the primary technical advocate and ambassador for MITRE’s OT adversary emulation capabilities.
Build trusted relationships with federal sponsors, Sector Risk Management Agencies (SRMAs), and external partners to shape new work and research initiatives.
Provide technical oversight and direction to developers and OT engineers building protocol-level emulation plugins, attack flows, and testbed integrations.
Partner closely with CTI leads and domain experts to translate real-world threat intelligence and adversary TTPs into actionable software requirements for the emulation platform.
Accountable for task finances, budgeting, staffing, and technical quality delivery across assigned adversary emulation projects.
Manage open-source strategy, external communications, and stakeholder alignment to solidify MITRE’s leadership position in cyber-physical threat-informed defense.