Senior Electric Grid Cybersecurity Researcher

Posting Title

Senior Electric Grid Cybersecurity Researcher

CO - Golden

Regular

40

NLR is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado, and is the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development. Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), where world‑class scientists, engineers, and experts accelerate energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NLR 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 NLR, 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.

The Cybersecurity Threat Analysis Group (CTAG) within the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) Cybersecurity Research Center performs research to make cybersecurity an enabling part of the nation’s energy ecosystem. This is primarily accomplished through engaging with energy sector partners, government program offices, and national security organizations. Research areas within CTAG include energy system modeling and simulation, threat‑consequence risk analysis, and hardware & software supply chain security.

CTAG is seeking an experienced senior electric grid cybersecurity research professional to lead our Energy Threat Analysis Center (ETAC) portfolio of work. The ETAC is an operational collaborative that convenes experts from the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. energy sector to collectively identify, analyze, and mitigate cyber threats to America’s critical energy infrastructure. The successful candidate will bring a combination of strong technical security background and power systems engineering.

This role also requires proficiency in developing and executing cybersecurity research within a laboratory environment, knowledge of cutting‑edge adversarial tactics, techniques, and procedures, experience leading complex cybersecurity programs across a matrixed organization, a passion for leading and driving new research, and the ability to collaborate with partners from across the national laboratory complex, the Department of Energy, industry, and national security partners.

• Provide technical leadership supporting multi‑partner programs, coordinating with program office leadership, tasking and mentoring staff in support of program objectives.
• Lead adversarial research initiatives targeting energy sector systems, including threat emulation, cyber range experimentation, and model‑based simulation, defining experimental objectives and strategies.
• Independently design, execute, and evaluate complex adversary–defender studies, including multi‑stage attack‑chain modeling, vulnerability exploration, and defense validation, ensuring reproducible and rigorous research outcomes.
• Proven leadership in offensive cybersecurity research and program management, including planning and executing complex experiments with strategic impact.
• Advanced proficiency in Python, Power Shell, C/C++, or other languages, enabling automation, data‑driven analysis, and modeling integration across projects.
• Expert‑level knowledge of CIC, OT, and energy sector systems, including protocols, architectures, and security considerations.
• Writing high‑quality intelligence assessments and briefings for both senior‑level and technical audiences.
• Contribute specialized knowledge to collaborative response efforts based on cyber incidents.
• Provide technical thought‑leadership by proposing and leading new areas of work.
• Support quick reaction tasking…