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Carnegie Mellon University · 21 hours ago

Senior Technical Engagement Lead

United States

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level

5+ years exp

Carnegie Mellon University is seeking a Senior Technical Engagement Lead to support the Rapid Fielding of High Assurance Software Technical Directorate at Eglin Air Force Base, FL. This role involves advising Department of Defense program offices on navigating technical and organizational challenges while leading transformation initiatives in software-intensive systems.

EducationHigher EducationUniversities

Growth Opportunities

No H1B

Security Clearance Required

U.S. Citizen Only

Responsibilities

Serve as a trusted advisor to government program offices, helping leadership understand challenges, tradeoffs, and options related to software-intensive systems and acquisition

Engage with senior government and contractor stakeholders to build alignment, shared understanding, and momentum toward improved practices and outcomes

Help programs assess their current state across acquisition, governance, engineering, and organizational processes, and articulate practical, phased improvement strategies

Guide and support organizational, cultural, and process transformations, including shifts toward Agile, DevSecOps, or modern acquisition approaches, as appropriate to program context

Facilitate difficult conversations, decision-making, and prioritization in environments characterized by competing objectives, legacy constraints, and external pressures

Translate technical and programmatic complexity into clear, concise communication suitable for leadership decision-making

Provide steady leadership and continuity during periods of transition, disruption, or heightened scrutiny

Collaborate with SEI technical experts to bring the right depth of expertise to customer challenges while maintaining a strategic, integrative perspective

Capture lessons learned and help codify repeatable approaches and insights that can benefit other government programs

Qualification

DoD acquisition experienceTransformation leadershipSystems thinkingAgile methodologiesDevSecOpsStakeholder engagementHigh-pressure decision-makingCultural transformationExceptional communicationMentorship

Required

BS with 10+ years, MS with 8+ years, or PhD with 5+ years of relevant experience in engineering, systems, management, or a related field

Demonstrated experience working with or within Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition programs, program offices, or government-sponsored development efforts

Proven ability to lead, influence, or enable transformation, whether technical, organizational, process-oriented, or cultural

Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively across leadership, technical staff, contractors, and non-technical stakeholders

Demonstrated capacity to operate effectively in ambiguous, high-pressure environments, providing clarity and steadiness during periods of uncertainty

Strong systems-thinking mindset with the ability to see interdependencies across technology, people, process, and policy

Experience advising senior leaders and helping them make informed decisions under constraints

Ability to travel (~25%) to support SEI mission needs

Ability to work onsite at SEI or customer facilities at least 75% of the time

Applicants must have an active Department of Defense Secret security clearance, and must be able to meet additional customer-specific security requirements