OverviewThis position will be located on the campus at Auburn University.The Charles D. McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security at Auburn University is seeking an accomplished technical leader to serve as
Deputy Director, Applied Research & Services, and
Director of the Edge Lab. This role functions as the Institute's principal technical authority and provides strategic, supervisory, and operational leadership for the Edge Lab and all associated technical capabilities, including the Southeast Region Cyber Collaboration Center (SERC3) and the Alabama Cybersecurity Intelligence Center (ACIC).
The Deputy Director oversees all technical staff, cybersecurity analysts, research engineers, and operational personnel across both the Southeast Cyber Collaboration Center's OT Lab and the Alabama Cybersecurity Intelligence Center's SOC and field deployment teams. This leader is accountable for the strategy, execution, and performance of McCrary's applied research mission.
Reporting directly to the Associate Director and COO, the Deputy Director serves as a key member of the Institute's executive leadership team. The role works in close partnership with the Deputy Director for Business Development & Partnerships, the Program Managers of McCrary's three directorates (Energy & Infrastructure, Defense & National Security, and State & Local), and the COO on matters of strategy, sponsor engagement, and program delivery.
This position plays a central role in advancing the McCrary Institute's mission to strengthen national security through applied cybersecurity research, operational capabilities, and trusted partnerships with federal agencies including the Department of Energy, Department of War, the intelligence community, national labs, and critical infrastructure operators.
Why Join McCrary?The McCrary Institute is dedicated to defending the systems that power our national and economic security, our communities, and our way of life. Through its Edge Lab, McCrary integrates policy, research, and field operations to deliver trusted solutions that secure America's critical infrastructure.
By leading McCrary's R &D, you will shape the national standard for how cybersecurity solutions are tested, validated, and deployed-driving measurable impact on resilience across sectors that matter most to our nation's future.
ResponsibilitiesEnterprise Technical Leadership• Serves as the senior technical executive of the McCrary Institute, accountable to the Associate Director and COO for all research, development, security operations, field deployment, and operational technology capabilities.
• Provides strategic direction for the Edge Lab across all capability pillars: HIL testbed operations, managed cybersecurity services, AI/ML defense research, and critical infrastructure resilience.
• Defines and executes the Institute's technical capability roadmap in alignment with federal sponsor priorities, national cybersecurity strategy, and Auburn's research mission.
• Represents McCrary's technical capabilities in external engagements with federal agencies, congressional stakeholders, national laboratory partners, and industry.
• Possesses architecture-level understanding of artificial intelligence, autonomous agents, and agent workflows - with particular emphasis on how agents consume data and interact with APIs - and apply that understanding to McCrary's research agenda and technical capability development.
• Participates in select hands-on software development and technology integration activities alongside students and staff, modeling a culture of applied technical leadership within the Edge Lab.
• Works in close coordination with the Deputy Director for Business Development & Partnerships to align technical capabilities with capture strategy and sponsor engagement, and with the COO on resource allocation, operational priorities, and organizational planning.
Supervisory Leadership - Edge Lab & Technical Staff• Provide supervisory and operational leadership over all Edge Lab personnel, including the Field Deployment and SOC Manager (ACIC), research engineers, senior cyber analysts, OT/ICS specialists, and all technical and cybersecurity operations staff.
• Establishes team structure, define roles and responsibilities, and build the staffing plan required to execute McCrary's growing portfolio of federal contracts and sponsored research.
• Leads hiring, onboarding, and performance management for all technical positions, in coordination with McCrary's operations staff and Auburn HR.
• Develops and enforces lab operating procedures, security posture requirements, and quality standards across all Edge Lab environments.
Southeast Cyber Collaboration Center (SERC3) / Critical Infrastructure Systems Laboratory (CISL)• Leads the design, build-out, and operational maturation of CISL - McCrary's multi-sector HIL testbed - ensuring it delivers repeatable, sponsor-grade research outcomes across power, water, telecom, data center, agriculture, and renewable energy domains.
• Oversees execution of DOE CESER SERC3 program deliverables, including the cooperative agreement with coordinated research through Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and integration with the CyTRICS program.
• Collaborates closely with the Energy & Infrastructure, Defense & National Security, and State & Local Program Managers to ensure technical execution aligns with sponsor deliverables and contract requirements.
• Maintains technical accountability for all OT/ICS research infrastructure, STIG hardening, zero-trust architecture requirements, and segmentation standards across CISL environments.
• Drives field deployment of McCrary's DCEI capability and support quarterly operational unveiling milestones.
Alabama Cybersecurity Intelligence Center (ACIC) - Cybersecurity Operations• Provides executive oversight of the Alabama Cybersecurity Intelligence Center (ACIC), including 24/7 MDR/SOC operations, EDR/SIEM platforms, and vCISO service delivery.
• Ensures operational quality, service level compliance, and technical innovation across ACIC's managed cybersecurity service portfolio, including CrowdStrike, Splunk, and TekStream integrations.
• Partners with the State & Local Program Manager to support ACIC's grant participant base, ensuring service delivery meets program and sponsor requirements.
• Supports the Army ASA(ALT) Defense Industrial Base (DIB) Security pilot program and other emerging DoD engagements requiring operational cybersecurity delivery.
Sponsored Research & Federal Contract Execution• Serves as technical authority for McCrary's growing sponsored research portfolio across active government sponsors including DOE, DoW, CISA, DHS, AOIT, and others.
• Collaborates with the three directorate Program Managers (Energy & Infrastructure, Defense & National Security, and State & Local) to align technical capabilities with sponsor deliverables, ensuring on-time, on-budget execution with P&L accountability.
• Partners with the Deputy Director for Business Development & Partnerships to support federal business development with technical content, capability demonstrations, and sponsor-facing briefings.
• Coordinates with Auburn's Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) on contract compliance, IP management, and grant administration requirements.
Research & Technology Commercialization• Drive McCrary's applied research agenda from concept through delivery, including AI-enabled threat detection, OT/ICS security architecture, and critical infrastructure resilience methodologies.
• Identify and develop pathways for commercialization of McCrary-developed technologies and methodologies, including technology transfer, licensing, and public-private partnership models.
• Manage and grow partnerships with national laboratories (ORNL, INL, Sandia), industry technology providers, and defense research organizations.
• Oversee development and maintenance of technical documentation, research publications, and capability briefing materials consistent with classification and IP requirements.
Policy Integration & External Positioning• Collaborate with McCrary's policy and communications leadership to translate technical capabilities into policy-relevant insights and public-facing messaging.
• Represent McCrary in conferences, congressional briefings, and interagency forums on critical infrastructure cybersecurity, OT/ICS security, and emerging technology threats.
• Maintain and expand McCrary's network of federal sponsor relationships and cleared community partnerships.
Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Cybersecurity, or a related technical field.
- 10 years of experience in cybersecurity, critical infrastructure security, OT/ICS, or related technical fields, including significant leadership roles.
License and Certifications:
- Active Secret security clearance upon hire required.
Desired Qualifications:Advanced degree or equivalent professional experience strongly preferred.
Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities- Knowledge in the intelligence community, national laboratories, or defense research organizations.
- Deep OT/ICS security expertise, including STIG hardening, zero-trust architecture for operational technology, and ICS/SCADA vulnerability research.
- Knowledge of FIPS 140-2/140-3 cryptographic standards and secure by design engineering for mission-critical systems.
- Familiarity with DOE CESER, CISA, DHS, DARPA, or Army research programs and acquisition processes.
- Knowledge of commercial platform delivery in classified or sensitive environments.
- Record of technical publication, patent development, or technology commercialization.
- Demonstrated knowledge of building and operating technical lab or testbed environments, including hardware-in-the-loop or cyber-physical systems.
- Demonstrated knowledge of leading and supervising technical teams in a high-performance, mission-driven environment.
- Demonstrated knowledge of federal agency partnerships, sponsored research contracts, or DoD/intelligence community program.
- Strong technical expertise across multiple domains: OT/ICS, IT security tools, AI/ML assurance, or RF/comm systems.
- Knowledge of validation/testing methodologies, cybersecurity assurance frameworks, and compliance standards.
- Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and translate sponsor needs into defensible validation outputs.
- Familiarity with DOE CESER, DHS/CISA, and other agency priorities related to infrastructure resilience.
Why Work at Auburn?- Life-Changing Impact: Our work changes lives through research, instruction, and outreach, making a lasting impact on our students, our communities, and the world.
- Culture of Excellence:We are committed to leveraging our strengths, resources, collaboration, and innovation as a top employer in higher education.
- We're Here for You:Auburn offers generous benefits, educational opportunities, and a culture of support and work/life balance.
- Sweet Home Alabama:The Auburn/Opelika area offers southern charm, vibrant downtown scenes, top-ranked schools, and easy access to Atlanta, Birmingham, and the Gulf of Mexico beaches.
- A Place for Everyone: Auburn is committed to fostering an environment where all faculty, staff, and students are welcomed, valued, respected, and engaged.
- Ready to lead and shape the future of higher education? Apply today! War Eagle!
Equal Opportunity Compliance StatementIt is our policy to provide equal employment and education opportunities for all individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other classification protected by applicable law. Please visit the Office of Equal Opportunity Compliance's website to learn more.
