Adversarial Cybersecurity Researcher

Adversarial Cybersecurity Researcher

Location:

Golden, CO

Position Type:
Regular

Hours per Week: 40

The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) is looking for a mid‑career Adversarial Cyber Researcher to join its Cybersecurity Research Center (CRC). The CRC conducts applied research at the intersection of cybersecurity, energy systems, and national resilience, developing the tools, methods, and scientific foundations necessary to secure and sustain the nation’s evolving energy infrastructure.

• 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.
• Lead development and validation of cybersecurity research tools, simulation frameworks, and automation scripts, ensuring integration with multiple projects and broader laboratory initiatives.
• Extend and operationalize threat modeling methodologies (e.g., MITRE ATT&CK, ATT&CK for IC S) for large‑scale experimental design and system‑level defense evaluation.
• Integrate research outcomes into system‑level risk, resilience models, and quantitative performance metrics, influencing laboratory‑wide strategies and priorities.
• Conduct advanced adversarial analysis and vulnerability assessments of IT, OT, and hybrid energy systems, producing insights for architecture improvement and defense strategies.
• Lead the preparation of research proposals, technical publications, and conference presentations, shaping research directions and laboratory reputation in the field.
• Drive interdisciplinary collaboration across power systems, controls, and modeling teams, bridging cyber‑physical domains and guiding project execution.
• Support and expand NLR’s adversarial research infrastructure, including cyber ranges, digital twins, and experiment orchestration frameworks, through leadership and mentorship.
• Mentor and guide junior and mid‑level researchers, promoting professional development, fostering a positive research culture, and building laboratory‑wide capability in adversarial modeling and defense research.

• Conduct adversarial research on energy sector systems, including threat emulation, cyber range experimentation, and model‑based simulation, with guidance from senior researchers.
• Design, execute, and evaluate controlled adversary–defender studies, such as attack‑chain modeling, vulnerability exploration, and defense validation experiments, contributing to reproducible research outputs.
• Develop and validate cybersecurity research tools, simulation frameworks, and automation scripts to support quantitative analysis of cyber‑physical dynamics.
• Apply and extend threat modeling methodologies (e.g., MITRE ATT&CK, ATT&CK for ICTS) to inform experimental design and system‑level defense evaluation.
• Integrate research outcomes into system‑level risk and resilience models, simulation environments, and performance metrics, under supervision as needed.
• Conduct adversarial analysis and vulnerability assessments of IT, OT, and hybrid energy systems, identifying insights for defense design improvements.
• Contribute to research proposals, technical publications, and conference presentations, supporting team‑level advancement of cybersecurity science.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams in power systems, controls, and modeling to bridge cyber and physical domains in experiments and model development.
• Support the growth of NLR’s adversarial research infrastructure, including cyber ranges, digital twins, and experiment orchestration frameworks, through direct contributions and process improvement.
• Provide mentorship to junior staff, including interns or early‑career researchers, supporting skill development and laboratory capabilities.

• Relevant PhD and 4 or more years of experience.
• Or, relevant…