Cyber-Physical Systems Effects Engineer, Senior Principal

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Department Summary:

The Critical Infrastructure Protection Department (L561) sits within MITRE's Cyber-Physical Systems Division. L561 delivers innovative solutions by bringing a multidisciplinary approach to sponsor challenges that are critical to national security and public sector missions. Our work involves researching, developing, and applying advanced technologies in protecting national critical infrastructure from non-kinetic threats and ensuring operational resiliency. Focus areas include:

• Infrastructure Susceptibility Analysis
• Safety Engineering
• Critical Infrastructure (CI) Threat Detection and Analytics
• CI Adversary Emulation
• Operational Technology (OT) Device Security
• Cross-Sector Interdependency analysis
• Civilian Critical Infrastructure Sector Specific Expertise

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Apply cyber threat intelligence, cyber-physical systems, and critical infrastructure expertise to help sponsors and private owner/operators understand and address threats to mission-critical systems.
• Guide government sponsors or private owner/operators in building and advancing their cyber threat intelligence capabilities, analytic methods, and threat-informed defense approaches.
• Track and analyze adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) relevant to industrial control systems (ICS), Operational Technology (OT), space system OT, and other cyber-physical technologies affecting critical infrastructure and national security missions.
• Perform technical research using open-source, classified, and other all-source information to characterize infrastructure systems, technologies, dependencies, and potential attack paths.
• Apply adversary thinking to assess how threat actors could target critical infrastructure systems, what technologies they would exploit, and what the operational or mission impacts could be.
• Support and lead cyber threat modeling, risk assessments, mission impact analyses, and resilience assessments for critical infrastructure and space systems.
• Fuse intelligence, technical, and operational information into products and recommendations that support mission assurance and risk-informed decision-making.
• Monitor and analyze emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and supply chain risks affecting ICS/OT, embedded systems, and space OT technologies.
• Work closely with OT engineers, infrastructure subject-matter experts, and mission stakeholders to translate threat intelligence into actionable insights.
• Produce and deliver reports, white papers, and strategic briefings that synthesize complex classified and unclassified information into clear, decision-focused insights for senior leaders.
• Partner with sponsors to identify intelligence gaps, prioritize analytic efforts, and improve understanding of priority threats to critical infrastructure.
• Contribute to thought leadership, sponsor engagement, and growth in areas such as threat-informed defense, cyber risk assessment, cyber-physical mission assurance, and critical infrastructure protection.
• Pivot as needed between individual technical contribution, leading analytic efforts, mentoring others, and helping shape department strategy.

Basic Qualifications:

• Minimum of 12 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree; or 10 years and a Master's degree;or a PhD with 7 years' experience; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience
• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Engineering Technology, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Intelligence Studies, or related technical field; equivalent utility, intelligence, military, or industrial experience may be considered.
• Significant experience with industrial control systems (ICS), Operational Technology (OT), SCADA, cyber-physical systems, or other critical infrastructure technologies through engineering, cyber defense, intelligence analysis, research, lab/testbed work, or operational environments.
• Experience applying engineering, cyber, intelligence, or operational expertise to analyze threats, vulnerabilities, adversary behaviors, mission impacts, or risk affecting critical infrastructure, cyber-physical systems, or national security missions.
• Experience conducting technical research using open-source, classified, and/or other all-source information to characterize systems, technologies, threats, and mission impacts.
• Demonstrated ability to lead discussions, collaborate across teams and organizations, and synthesize complex technical findings into clear briefings, reports, and recommendations for technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Minimum 50% hybrid on-site work required at MITRE or government locations.
• Must be a US Citizen eligible for a security clearance to be considered.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Operational, engineering, analytic, or cyber defense experience related to one or more critical infrastructure sectors such as electric power, oil and gas, nuclear energy, transportation, water, communications, manufacturing, or space systems and/or weapons systems.
• Subject-matter expertise in cyber-physical systems across various domains including, but not limited to, cybersecurity, threat analysis, or mission assurance.
• Significant experience securing, assessing, operating, analyzing, or modeling SCADA, ICS, OT, or other control systems.
• Significant knowledge of ICS/OT architectures, industrial protocols, and embedded/control system components (e.g., PLCs, DCS, SCADA, Modbus, DNP3, OPC).
• Familiarity with cyber threat intelligence, scientific and technical intelligence, all-source intelligence, and adversary TTPs relevant to OT/ICS/embedded systems; experience using frameworks such as ATT&CK to inform detection, defense, threat analysis, or risk analysis.
• Experience translating threat intelligence, vulnerability information, system knowledge, or adversary behavior into security controls, threat-informed defense, risk assessments, resilience planning, or mission assurance activities.
• Experience supporting government sponsors, intelligence community customers, national laboratories, utilities, or other critical infrastructure stakeholders on cyber defense, threat analysis, operational security, or mission risk efforts.
• Knowledge of emerging technologies, including state of the art methods to support data analytics and intelligence, including use and design of generative and agentic AI.
• Demonstrated track record leading analytic or technical efforts, communicating findings effectively to technical and non-technical stakeholders, delivering high-impact products, and building trusted relationships with customers, senior leaders, and government sponsors.
• Demonstrated success shaping and leading new work, contributing to winning proposals, growing sponsor relationships, or establishing and managing multi-stakeholder agreements/collaborations.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, judgment, discretion, and tact.
• An advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Engineering Technology, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Intelligence Studies, or related technical field is a plus.
• Active security clearance, TS/SCI preferred.

This requisition requires the candidate to have a minimum of the following clearance(s):
None

This requisition requires the hired candidate to have or obtain, within one year from the date of hire, the following clearance(s):
Top Secret/SCI

Salary compensation range and midpoint:
$205,500 - $257,000 - $308,500 Annual

Work Location Type:
Hybrid

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Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local or international law.

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