Manager, Validation Command, Edge Lab

Job Summary

This position will be located on the campus at Auburn University.

The Charles D. McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security at Auburn University seeks an accomplished technical leader to serve as Manager, Validation Command, Edge Lab.

Reporting to the Senior Technical & Lab Director, this position leads the Validation Command within McCrary’s Edge Lab, serving as the Institute’s national proving ground for cybersecurity assurance, independent validation, and real-world resilience testing. The Manager is responsible for designing, leading, and delivering complex validation campaigns that test, measure, and strengthen the cybersecurity of America’s most critical systems.

This role directly supports current and developing programs with the U.S. Department of Energy ( DOE ) Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response ( CESER ), Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ( CISA ), Department of War (DoW), Department of Transportation ( DOT ), U.S. Secret Service ( USSS ), and U.S. Department of Agriculture ( USDA ). The position also collaborates with DOE national laboratories ( ORNL , INL , and PNNL ) and private-sector technology leaders in cybersecurity, operational technology (OT), and AI assurance and other innovation partners advancing the security of critical infrastructure systems.

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 Validation Command, 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.

Essential Functions

• Lead the Validation Command as McCrary’s center for independent cybersecurity testing, evaluation, and assurance across operational technology (OT), information technology (IT), and artificial intelligence (AI) systems.
• Direct validation campaigns and use case testing under the Southeast Region Cybersecurity Collaboration Center (SERC3), focusing on energy, water, communications, transportation and critical infrastructure resilience.
• Design and execute adversary-informed testing, red/blue team exercises, zero-trust pilots, and continuity-under-compromise evaluations.
• Develop and maintain rigorous validation methodologies for OT/ ICS , AI/ML assurance, RF/communications systems, and multi-domain cyber tools.
• Lead technical execution for programs including DOE /SERC3, USSS Forensics, DOT / FTA RF Toolkit, and USDA /State Program Hygiene Tools, ensuring deliverables meet sponsor expectations.
• Produce authoritative technical reports, playbooks, and findings that inform both operational sponsors and national policy discussions.
• Strengthen partnerships with national laboratories, AI and cybersecurity technology companies, and industry consortia to advance standards-based validation.
• Represent McCrary as the validation authority at technical working groups, industry forums, and federal program reviews.
• Mentor engineers, analysts, and student researchers engaged in validation and testing programs.
• Support capture and proposal development by providing technical insight into test design, validation frameworks, and performance measurement.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

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!