Demo

Senior Technical Leader – Systems Security Engineering • Active Secret Clearance REQUIRED

Nickerson Talent Solutions
Grand Rapids, MI Full Time
POSTED ON 9/2/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 10/30/2026

The Advanced Technology Organization (ATO) Emerging Technologies Team focuses on early-stage pursuits and new technology introduction in sensing, autonomy, AI/ML, cybersecurity, and advanced edge hardware. This role involves collaborating with a diverse technical team, business teams, and product managers to develop technology strategy aligned with emerging market opportunities. The Systems Security Engineering Technical Leader provides technical expertise, strategic collaboration, and leadership. The team enables mission management and multi-domain operations at the edge; the leader will bring a holistic understanding of cybersecurity and electromagnetic spectrum operations (EMSO) strategies to deliver robust mission capability, working with peers, product managers, and stakeholders to turn vision into reality. Essential


Responsibilities

  • Provide expertise in systems security engineering for edge devices and embedded platforms.
  • Analyze attack techniques, common/emerging threats, and develop defensive mitigations at logical and physical levels.
  • Provide expertise in electronic warfare for RF spectrum dominance (wireless communications, radar, GPS-denied environments).
  • Apply industry standards such as the Risk Management Framework (RMF).
  • Design, develop, and implement cybersecurity solutions for complex heterogeneous compute systems.
  • Apply knowledge of low-level firmware and real-time software for embedded systems, including hardware-software integration and performance optimization.
  • Develop quantitative risk assessments and analyze cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
  • Support early-stage pursuits and capture (customer engagement, requirements definition, proposal and white-paper writing).
  • Collaborate with technical teams, business teams, product managers, and SMEs to develop strategies that transition new technology into products and deliver holistic solutions to customer needs.
  • Maintain continuous learning and adapt approaches as technologies evolve.
  • Develop transition plans that enable new technologies to meet mission requirements and progress toward productization.


Qualifications/Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or related field (relevant experience may substitute).
  • Minimum 10 years of experience in systems security engineering, threat intelligence/response, vulnerability assessment, and electronic attacks.
  • Excellent communication, presentation, and technical writing skills for varied audiences.
  • Willingness to travel (~25%).
  • ACTIVE Security Clearance.


Desired Characteristics

  • Master’s or Ph.D. in a relevant field.
  • Security certifications (e.g., CEDSE, CISSP, Security , CEH or DoD 8140/8570 equivalent).
  • Knowledge of ISR, SIGINT, MASINT, and ELINT.
  • Experience modeling, simulating, and analyzing emerging threats.
  • Experience with scripting/modeling tools (Python, MATLAB, C/C , AFSIM).
  • Experience with intrusion detection, protection, and mitigation; electronic attack methods (spoofing, jamming) and mitigations.
  • Knowledge of attacks on ML/autonomous systems and mitigations; digital signal processing, sensor deployment, and data acquisition.
  • Experience applying AI/ML for cyber resiliency; transitioning research to fieldable platforms.
  • Experience in early-stage pursuits, customer engagement, project leadership, R&D/prototype development, and working with U.S. Government sponsors.
  • Knowledge of system engineering best practices and open architecture standards.


Salary : $160,000 - $220,000

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