University of Missouri-Kansas City · 2 weeks ago
Cyber Operations and Security Team Lead, Missouri Institute for Defense and Energy, 96142
Kansas City, MO
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
$95K/yr - $125K/yr
5+ years expThe University of Missouri-Kansas City is seeking a mission-driven Cyber Operations and Security Team Lead to guide the institute’s research direction and funding strategy in cybersecurity and cyber operations. This role involves developing a cybersecurity research roadmap, acquiring federal funding, leading a multidisciplinary team, and engaging with external stakeholders to enhance research initiatives.
E-LearningEducationTraining
No H1B
Security Clearance RequiredU.S. Citizen Only
Responsibilities
Develop and maintain a forward-looking cybersecurity research roadmap that reflects emerging DoD, federal, and industry cyber needs
Align institutional capabilities with national security priorities through applied research initiatives
Identify strategic areas for growth in cybersecurity operations, infrastructure, resilience, and analytics
Identify and assess federal funding opportunities (e.g., DoD BAAs, NSF, DHS, DARPA, IARPA) and coordinate competitive proposal development
Lead or contribute to white papers, concept development, and collaborative proposal writing across faculty and research teams
Build and maintain relationships with program officers, DoD sponsors, and prime contractors to position the institute for cyber-related research awards
Provide leadership to a multidisciplinary team of research scientists, graduate students, and affiliated faculty engaged in cybersecurity R&D
Mentor early-career researchers and students on applied research, proposal development, and stakeholder engagement
Work closely with academic departments, labs, and technology transfer offices to foster internal collaboration and innovation
Coordinate and collaborate with AI/ML researchers to expand the research portfolio and push the state-of-the-art
Represent the institute at DoD workshops, industry days, technical symposia, and federal research meetings
Establish and grow relationships with partners in defense, government labs, and the private sector to support sponsored research and workforce development
Lead or support collaborative initiatives between the university, national labs, and defense R&D entities
Qualification
Required
A Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least 5 years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary
Active or eligible U.S. security clearance (Secret or higher)
Preferred
Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical discipline
8+ years of relevant experience in cybersecurity, cyber operations, or cyber R&D, including experience with federally funded research
Demonstrated success in identifying and capturing external research funding, especially from DoD, DHS, or federal agencies
Familiarity with DoD cyber missions, funding cycles, and acquisition processes (e.g., BAAs, SBIR/STTR, S&T programs)
Experience leading or managing research projects or programs involving multi-disciplinary teams
Strong interpersonal skills with an ability to engage both technical researchers and external sponsors
Masters degree or Ph.D. in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical discipline
Prior experience in or with a university-affiliated research center, DoD lab, or FFRDC/UARC
Knowledge of key cybersecurity frameworks (e.g., NIST, RMF), threat intelligence, cyber-physical systems, and applied research methodologies
Strong proposal writing and research development skills
Experience working with graduate students or mentoring junior researchers
Benefits
Medical, dental and vision plans
Retirement
Paid time off
Short- and long-term disability
Paid parental leave
Paid caregiver leave
Educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses
Company
University of Missouri-Kansas City
UMKC, Kansas City’s only R1 public research university, is part of the University of Missouri System.
1001-5000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$3.4MKey Investors
US Department of Commerce, Economic Development AdministationMissouri Department of Economic DevelopmentNational Institute of Standards and Technology
2023-11-09Grant· $2M
2023-04-20Grant· $0.15M
2022-09-20Grant· $0.5M
Leadership Team
Amanda Davis MPA, CFRE
UMKC Foundation President & Chief Advancement Officer
Anna L. Simmons
* Partner, USFirst FLL Robotics at UMKC School of Computing & Engineering
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