Group Lead, Embedded Systems Security

Requisition Id 16726 

Overview:  

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an impressive 80-year legacy of addressing the nation’s most pressing challenges. Our team is made up of over 7,000 dedicated and innovative individuals! Our goal is to create an environment where a variety of perspectives and backgrounds are valued, ensuring ORNL is known as a top choice for employment. These principles are essential for supporting our broader mission to drive scientific breakthroughs and translate them into solutions for energy, environmental, and security challenges facing the nation.

The Cyber Resilience and Intelligence Division in the National Security Sciences Directorate (NSSD) at ORNL is seeking a senior scientist to serve as the Group Leader (GL) for the Embedded Systems Security (ESS) group. The GL will develop, manage, provide leadership for, and conduct research in NSSD’s embedded systems security research and development (R&D) portfolio. This portfolio includes a mixture of unclassified and classified programs with R&D in vulnerability research, reverse engineering, exploit mitigation techniques, and static and dynamic analyses applied to cyber-physical systems (such as critical infrastructure, IoT, mobile devices, or vehicular systems), with a focus on hardware and low-level software. The overall program portfolio will support DOE, DoD, Intelligence Community (IC), and homeland protection requirements.

The selected candidate will be responsible for the group’s applied R&D agenda, recruit and hire new staff, and guide the ongoing growth and development of research staff. As a senior staff member, the group leader will also lead efforts to respond to new funding opportunities and contribute to research projects as a principal investigator and/or individual contributor.

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Engage with senior management to refine and implement ORNL’s embedded systems security strategy to support national security programs, projects, and tasks.
• Initiate, develop, mature, and lead ORNL vulnerability R&D capabilities for hardware and low-level software.
• Serve as a player-coach for a group of technical and research professionals. Supervise, mentor, and advise in all matters relating to career development. Evaluate, document, and report annual staff performance.
• Stay abreast of embedded systems security R&D requirements from potential sponsors.
• Generate plans, proposals, budgets, and strategy for research programs.
• Provide scientific and technical advice for national-level embedded systems security research issues and ORNL programs.
• Brief technical audiences, ORNL leadership, and sponsors on the ORNL embedded systems security portfolio and capabilities. Identify and articulate ORNL capabilities and customer requirements.

• Consistently apply appropriate ES&H standards.
• Maintain a strong commitment to the implementation and perpetuation of ORNL’s core values and ethics.
• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success. 

Basic Qualifications:

• Requires a degree in an engineering or scientific field. Any of the following education and experience combinations may be considered:
  • Ph.D. and 6 years of relevant experience
  • M.S. and 12 years of relevant experience
  • B.S. and 15 years of relevant experience

• Equivalent combinations of skills and experience may be considered.
• Applied R&D expertise in computer science or computer engineering in a national security domain.
• Experience in embedded systems security.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Three plus years of experience with large project/program management and/or research management.
• A demonstrated ability and willingness to acquire new knowledge and learn new skills.
• Ability to proactively work independently and as a member of a team.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, outstanding written and oral communication skills, and good organizational skills.
• Experience conducting and managing classified research and development projects and/or experience working with the Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Defense (DoD) or US government intelligence agencies.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively interact with senior management both inside and outside the organization.
• A successful record of developing research partnerships and collaborative relationships with universities, industry, and research laboratories.
• Experience developing new business with government agencies and writing successful R&D proposals.

Special Requirements:

• Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Q clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access from the Department of Energy. As such, this position is a Workplace Substance Abuse (WSAP) testing designated position. WSAP positions require passing a pre-placement drug test and participation in an ongoing random drug testing program.  In addition, due the SCI, you may also be subject to random polygraph testing.  

Benefits at ORNL:  

ORNL offers competitive pay and benefits programs to attract and retain its mission-driven workforce. The laboratory offers many employee benefits, including medical and retirement plans and flexible work hours, to help you and your family live happy and healthy. Employee amenities such as on-site fitness, banking, and cafeteria facilities are also provided for convenience.

Other benefits include the following: Prescription Drug Plan, Dental Plan, Vision Plan, 401(k) Retirement Plan, Contributory Pension Plan, Life Insurance, Disability Benefits, Generous Vacation and Holidays, Parental Leave, Legal Insurance with Identity Theft Protection, Employee Assistance Plan, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, Wellness Programs, Educational Assistance, Relocation Assistance, and Employee Discounts.

If you have difficulty using the online application system or need an accommodation to apply due to a disability, please email: [email protected].

This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply.  UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.