Senior Cybersecurity Researcher

Posting TitleSenior Cybersecurity Researcher

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LocationCO - Golden

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Position TypeRegular

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Hours Per Week40

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Working at NRELThe National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development.

Join the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NREL stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth.

At NREL, you’ll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories. We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being.

Learn about NREL’s critical objectives: NREL's Mission and Vision.

Job Description

The Cybersecurity System Analysis Group (CSAG) within NREL’s Cybersecurity Research Center performs research cybersecurity research on integrated energy systems with the goal of building resiliency and reducing risk across the energy sector. This is primarily accomplished through engaging with various partners to model and simulate energy systems to conduct research. Research areas include threat to consequence risk analysis, hardware & software security, supply chain security, and testing and evaluation.

Researchers within CSAG have the opportunity to drive NREL research in energy system security and advance a rapidly growing cybersecurity portfolio. Team members work to utilize and build capability of the best-in-class ARIES Cyber Range to deploy applicable large-scale test environments, perform hardware-in-the-loop technology experiments, and collaborate with other laboratory and government partners.

CSAG is seeking an experienced senior cybersecurity research security professional to lead a robust research portfolio which includes work with federal, state, and local government partners, as well as other national security partners within government and the National Laboratory complex. The successful candidate will demonstrate an ability to champion and lead the strategic and technical objectives of various programs, directly task and coordinate on-site resources and individual contributors, collaborate with partners from across national labs, the Department of Energy, industry, and national security partners, and have expertise in the nexus of energy and cybersecurity systems.

Responsibilities include:

• Represent NREL by being the technical lead and principal investigator for large projects and programs which includes establishing research plans and processes, performing hands-on research, tasking other technical researchers, and presenting research results
• Advance laboratory cybersecurity capabilities, including modeling and simulation, hardware and software tooling, and testing and evaluation
• Develop and enhance technical capabilities of the ARIES Cyber Range relevant to modeling and simulation, and advancing threat-to-consequence analysis
• Lead development and execution of R&D and analysis
• Advance rigor and impact of NREL’s cybersecurity research
• Assist with staff planning, recruiting, mentoring, and team building
• Support cyber business development efforts by aligning focus with the ARIES Cyber Range strategy
• Build research collaborations with the energy industry, other DOE labs and national security partners

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Basic QualificationsRelevant PhD and 9 or more years of experience . Or, relevant Master's Degree and 12 or more years of experience . Or, relevant Bachelor's Degree and 14 or more years of experience . Applies advanced scientific technical principles, theories and concepts. Contributes to the development of new principles and concepts. Considered a national subject matter expert. Demonstrates leadership in a number of areas, including all team, task and/or project lead responsibilities. Demonstrated management of complex and/or impactful projects. Excellent technical writing, interpersonal and communication skills.

* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional Required Qualifications

• Must be able to obtain and maintain a DOE security clearance at the Q/TS/SCI level. A polygraph may be required.  Eligibility requirements: To obtain a clearance, an individual must be at least 18 years of age; U.S. citizenship is required except in very limited circumstances. See DOE O 472.2A  for additional information.
• Strong experience leading and mentoring technical teams
• Experience with reverse engineering, digital forensics, control systems, hardware-in-the-loop emulation, and cybersecurity analysis
• Expert knowledge of technical field and related disciplines, to include SCADA/ICS/OT concepts
• Expert understanding and application of project management principles, concepts, practices, and standards
• Familiar with relevant cybersecurity standards and regulations
• Outstanding interpersonal, conflict resolution, teaming, and communication skills
• Ability to travel as needed up to 10%

Preferred Qualifications

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Job Application Submission Window

The anticipated closing window for application submission is up to 30 days and may be extended as needed.

Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)Job Profile: Researcher V / Annual Salary Range: $117,200 - $211,000

NREL takes into consideration a candidate’s education, training, and experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems, and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for potential new employees. In compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, a potential new employee’s salary history will not be used in compensation decisions.

Benefits SummaryBenefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; short*- and long-term disability insurance; pension benefits*; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*; life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance; personal time off (PTO) and sick leave; paid holidays; and tuition reimbursement*. NREL employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed, performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards that include a monetary component. Some positions may be eligible for relocation expense reimbursement. Limited-term positions are not eligible for long-term disability or tuition reimbursement.

* Based on eligibility rules

Badging RequirementNREL is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which includes a favorable background investigation.

Drug Free Workplace

NREL is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace in accordance with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug.

If you are offered employment at NREL, you must pass a pre-employment drug test prior to commencing employment. Unless prohibited by state or local law, the pre-employment drug test will include marijuana. If you test positive on the pre-employment drug test, your offer of employment may be withdrawn.

Submission Guidelines

Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any position at NREL you must submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified. Applications are not kept on file for future positions. Please include a cover letter and resume with each position application.

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Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic partner status, military or veteran status, national origin/ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Reasonable Accommodations

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