Senior Director, Cyber Engineering

The Nuclear Company•Seattle, WA

26d•$200,000 - $260,000

About The Position

As Senior Director of Cyber Engineering at The Nuclear Company, you will lead the development and execution of comprehensive cybersecurity programs that protect mission-critical nuclear infrastructure and digital systems. This executive leadership role combines strategic vision with hands-on technical expertise to build and manage world-class cybersecurity operations for Nuclear OS and fleet-scale nuclear power plant deployment. You'll work at the cutting edge of nuclear cybersecurity, partnering with industry leaders like Palantir and Pentera while interfacing directly with NRC, DoD, and DHS regulators to establish the cybersecurity standards that will define nuclear operations for decades to come.

Requirements

15+ years of cybersecurity experience with 8+ years in leadership roles managing security programs
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Security, Engineering, or related field
Deep expertise in NRC cybersecurity regulations (10 CFR 73.54) and NEI cybersecurity program requirements
Proven track record building and scaling cybersecurity organizations in highly regulated industries
Expert knowledge of defense-in-depth strategies, incident response, and threat modeling
Experience with cybersecurity evaluations of digital systems and critical infrastructure
Strong understanding of industrial control systems (ICS), SCADA, and operational technology (OT) security
Demonstrated ability to lead large, distributed security teams across multiple sites
Strong communication skills with ability to interface with C-suite executives, regulators, and technical teams
Professional certifications such as CISSP, CISM, GIAC, or equivalent

Nice To Haves

Experience in nuclear industry or critical infrastructure protection (energy, defense, aerospace)
Direct experience working with NRC, DoD, DHS, or other regulatory bodies
Background in adversarial simulation and red team/blue team operations
Experience with Palantir technologies or similar data integration platforms for security operations
Knowledge of advanced cybersecurity tools including penetration testing platforms (e.g., Pentera)
Experience managing partnerships with major technology vendors and security service providers
Background in digital engineering and secure software development lifecycle
Experience with AI/ML security and securing data-intensive platforms
Advanced degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, or related field

Responsibilities

Serve as Cybersecurity Program Sponsor with overall responsibility and accountability for the cybersecurity program, providing necessary resources for its development, implementation, and maintenance
Oversee cybersecurity operations across all nuclear facilities and digital systems, ensuring compliance with 10 CFR 73.54 and NRC requirements
Provide oversight and direction on all cybersecurity issues affecting nuclear plant operations and Nuclear OS platform
Lead cybersecurity evaluations of digital systems and critical digital assets (CDAs)
Maintain expert skill and knowledge in cybersecurity, staying current with emerging threats, technologies, and regulatory requirements
Build and lead a world-class cybersecurity organization including cybersecurity specialists, incident response teams, and adversarial simulation experts
Foster a culture of innovation, quality, and continuous improvement in cybersecurity practices
Recruit, mentor, and develop cybersecurity talent with specialized expertise in nuclear systems and critical infrastructure protection
Establish training programs for cybersecurity awareness, specialized technical training, and incident response
Lead large, distributed cybersecurity teams across multiple nuclear sites and projects
Implement and maintain defense-in-depth protective strategies to detect, prevent, respond to, and recover from cyberattacks on critical digital assets
Oversee cybersecurity incident response teams and ensure rapid, effective response to cyber incidents
Conduct sophisticated adversarial attack simulations to expose critical gaps and validate security controls
Develop realistic threat models based on current threat intelligence and emerging attack vectors
Lead tabletop exercises and live drills simulating cyber incidents to test response capabilities
Work directly with NRC, DoD, and DHS officials, influencing national cybersecurity policy for nuclear facilities
Validate system performance with NRC observers and DoD test partners under adversarial conditions
Partner with industry leaders like Palantir and Pentera to leverage cutting-edge cybersecurity technologies
Manage partnerships with major technology vendors to ensure Nuclear OS cybersecurity capabilities remain best-in-class
Establish cybersecurity standards that will define nuclear operations for decades to come
Lead cross-functional collaboration between cybersecurity, software engineering, nuclear engineering, and operations teams
Partner with software engineering teams to implement defensive improvements and secure system architectures
Communicate effectively with C-suite executives, technical teams, and regulatory stakeholders