Cyber Resilience and Operations Associate Researcher
Date: Nov 13, 2026
Location: Lexington, MA, US
Company: MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Come and help defend the nation in cyberspace! In the Cyber Operations & Analysis Technology Group at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, we research challenging technical problems in cyber security, develop new technologies, and prototype first-of-a-kind systems. We have particular focus on enabling human operators and improving operational systems, orienting our work toward strong practical impact.
We work across a variety of cutting-edge national-security applications:
- Quantifying risk posed by adversary cyber threats to key national security missions
- Enhancing the cyber security and resilience of critical infrastructure and other operational technology
- Protecting and defending U.S. weapon systems in cyber contested environments
- Helping the nation’s cyber operators do their jobs better, faster, and at greater scale
- Creating game-changing capabilities for defensive cyberspace operations
As an interdisciplinary group, we innovate by drawing insights from computer science, software engineering, data engineering, data science, artificial intelligence/machine learning, electrical engineering, mathematics, statistics, physics, and allied technical fields. We collaborate with research partners across MIT, offering frequent opportunities to team and learn in new areas. If you want a career in R&D with the opportunity to have real impact on important problems, join us!
Job Overview
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Associate Technical Staff provide critical multi-domain through expert multi-domain innovative research supporting the Laboratory’s national security mission. They prototype state-of-the-art technology solutions and engage in many steps of a program lifecycle with increasing independence and responsibility. As an Associate Technical Staff member, you will contribute independently to multidisciplinary efforts, contribute to sponsor briefings, write test plans and reports, and apply complex and creative solutions to solving technical problems. You may own discrete project/program components or lead complex workstreams and small teams.
As a successful candidate, you will bring solid to strong technical depth, broaden your understanding across adjacent disciplines, and adapt approaches where precedent is limited. You will integrate technical inputs, contribute to program documentation and reporting, and collaborate with interdisciplinary project/program teams supporting projects that may range from rapid, high-risk efforts to longer-term mission programs. Your work will include multiple activities such as hardware and software development, systems analysis, data analysis, component fabrication, system integration, testing, and documentation.
Additional Job Overview Details
As an Associate Staff member in the Cyber Operations & Analysis Technology Group, you will perform analysis, develop technology, and/or architect and build software for the next generation of operational cyber security systems. You will collaborate with a highly motivated and skilled research team, but be expected to act with considerable autonomy and independence. You will apply your technical skill to improve cyber security and resilience of national security systems and equip the nation's cyber operators to defend against persistent, intelligent adversaries. You will have many opportunities to develop your skills as a researcher, including in technical execution, project leadership, and sharing results with the community through publications and presentations.
Job Duties & Responsibilities
- Own or lead design, development, data analysis, programming, modeling, simulation, integration, testing, troubleshooting, and technical evaluation activities within broader project or program efforts.
- Apply technical depth and judgment to less-defined and complex problems, identifying appropriate methods, adapting established approaches, and evaluating trade-offs.
- Contribute to or lead system-, subsystem-, or component-level work spanning multiple disciplines, mission needs, products, or technical focus areas.
- Develop, review, and integrate technical documentation, analyses, design materials, program reporting, presentations, papers, and other deliverables.
- Coordinate milestones, assumptions, dependencies, quality expectations, and risks and present findings, recommendations, and alternatives to appropriate audiences.
- Provide technical guidance, review, feedback, and mentorship while continuing to deepen mission-aligned expertise.
Additional Job Duties & Responsibilities
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively on difficult, open-ended problems in cyber security and defense with interdisciplinary technical teams
- Motivation to identify underlying technical problems and proactively pursue viable solutions
- Experience in modern programming languages such as Python, Rust, or Java
- Experience in modern software engineering practices such as agile and DevSecOps
- Solid grasp of core cybersecurity concepts (threat modeling, secure software development, network/host defense, etc..)
Minimum Qualifications
Candidates will be considered for the appropriate level based on their education, experience, demonstrated technical capabilities, leadership responsibilities, and the scope and complexity of their prior work.
Level 3 – Associate Technical Staff
- Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline or other relevant technical field and typically 2+ years of relevant experience; or Master’s degree and typically 0+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Solid technical depth in a primary engineering, research, or other technical domain, with the ability to apply knowledge independently.
- Demonstrated ability to solve complex technical problems and manage components of project work.
- Experience contributing to technical documentation, analyses, reports, presentations, or project deliverables.
- Ability to collaborate across project teams and communicate technical information clearly to appropriate audiences.
- Emerging ability to guide less experienced colleagues and contribute to team capability development.
Level 4 – Associate Technical Staff
- Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline or other relevant technical field and typically 4+ years of relevant experience; or Master’s degree and typically 2+ years of relevant experience; a PhD may be considered; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Strong technical depth in a primary domain with emerging breadth across related engineering, research, technical disciplines, or mission areas.
- Demonstrated ability to solve complex technical problems and lead components of projects or technical workstreams.
- Experience managing milestones, dependencies, risks, and deliverables for assigned project areas.
- Ability to communicate complex information to varied audiences and collaborate with project teams, sponsors, and internal partners.
- Demonstrated ability to mentor others, review work, and contribute to team technical capability.
Additional Minimum Qualifications
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively on difficult, open-ended problems in cyber security and defense with interdisciplinary technical teams
- Motivation to identify underlying technical problems and proactively pursue viable solutions
- Experience in modern programming languages such as Python, Rust, or Java
- Experience in modern software engineering practices such as agile and DevSecOps
- Solid grasp of core cybersecurity concepts (threat modeling, secure software development, network/host defense, etc..)
Preferred Qualifications
- A Master’s degree, or a Bachelor’s degree with 2-5 years of experience in Computer Science, Computer Security, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, or related field
- Experience with applying AI to engineering or research workflows—either as a research tool or as an augmentation to routine engineering tasks
- Hands-on experience developing or deploying systems that use generative and/or agentic AI
- Understanding of container technologies and usage of modern software architectures
- Familiarity with Zero Trust security principles and design
- Understanding of cloud services and platforms
- UI development experience
- Academic or professional research experience and/or publication in the areas of computer security or defensive cyberspace operations
Associate Staff 3 Hiring Range: $114,000 - $148,000
Associate Staff 4 Hiring Range: $124,000 - $164,000
Disclaimer: MIT Lincoln Laboratory provides a typical hiring range as a good faith estimate of what we reasonably expect to offer for this position at the time of posting. The final salary offered to a selected candidate will depend on various factors, including—but not limited to—the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate’s experience, skills and education/training, internal equity considerations and applicable legal requirements. This range reflects base salary only and does not include additional forms of compensation or benefits.
At MIT Lincoln Laboratory, our exceptional career opportunities include many outstanding benefits to help you stay healthy, feel supported, and enjoy a fulfilling work-life balance. Benefits offered to employees include:
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans
- MIT-funded pension
- Matching 401K
- Paid leave (including vacation, sick, parental, military, etc.)
- Tuition reimbursement and continuing education programs
- Mentorship programs
- A range of work-life balance options
- ... and much more!
Please visit our Benefits page for more information. As an employee of MIT, you can also take advantage of other voluntary benefits, discounts and perks.
Selected candidate will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation and must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret level DoD security clearance.
MIT Lincoln Laboratory is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information; U.S. citizenship is required.
Requisition ID: 43715
Nearest Major Market: Boston
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