Draper
Direct Workday career site

Principal System Security Engineer

Pay
$95,000 – $237,500 per year
Location
Cambridge, MA
Listed
3 days ago

Overview

Draper is an independent, nonprofit research and development company headquartered in Cambridge, MA. The 2,000+ employees of Draper tackle important national challenges with a promise of delivering successful and usable solutions. From military defense and space exploration to biomedical engineering, lives often depend on the solutions we provide. Our multidisciplinary teams of engineers and scientists work in a collaborative environment that inspires the cross-fertilization of ideas necessary for true innovation.

Job Description Summary

The Secure Solutions Group within the System's Engineering Directorate is seeking a Principal System Security Engineer to support engineering, integrating, and deploying trustworthy secure platforms that resist cyber, reverse engineering, and supply chain threats. The group has multidisciplinary proficiencies in secure systems architecture, hardware security and resilience, software security and resilience, system validation and accreditation, and cryptography.

Specific responsibilities include the following

  • Work with cross disciplinary team of system, hardware, and software engineers to support program execution.
  • Communicate with program members, program offices, and sponsors to present work to the technical and evaluation community.
  • Bring a systems engineering prospective to support development system architectures for secure solutions.
  • Support analysis of Draper, customer, and sponsor developed systems to evaluate effectiveness and suitability.

Duties/Responsibilities

  • Manage and control priorities, scope, schedule, and cost to baselines by proactively monitoring program/task performance across larger activities.
  • Independently derive system-level requirements based on mission requirements and defines plan and approach to solve complex problems.
  • Supports helping customers shape problems and needs.
  • Subject Matter Expert (SME) able to develop and implement security approaches through a program lifecycle.
  • Identify program/system-level technical risks and develop and execute mitigation strategies.
  • Develop, document, and teach best practices to less experienced engineers. Demonstrate strong organization, planning, and time management skills to achieve program goals.

Skills/Abilities

  • Curiosity-driven approach to solving complex, industry and customer-driven problems as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
  • Collaborate and communicate effectively and openly with multi-disciplinary program team members. program leadership, and non-technical personnel
  • Team player able to work in a fast-paced environment.
  • Ability to balance multiple competing tasks and demands.

Education

Requires a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Applied Physics, or related field. Master's degree preferred.

Experience

  • Bachelor's degree requires 10+ years' experience of working on System Security Engineer or other relevant position.
  • Master's degree requires 5-10 years' experience of working on System Security Engineer or other relevant position.

Additional Qualifications

  • Proficiency in full life-cycle systems engineering (architecture, design, development, integration, approval, and deployment) of security technologies and components within cyber-physical systems and systems-of-systems
  • Experience in the design and implementation of secured systems based on system requirements, design analysis, and consideration of external vectors
  • Familiarity with processes and technologies for identification of critical program information and development of the associated program protection plans
  • Experience in the development of System Security documentation per Government requirements
  • Familiarity with developing and implementing Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs)
  • Understanding of supply chain operations, risk management framework, information assurance, technology protection
  • Familiarity with the processes and technologies for cross-domain products, including secured firmware solutions and microelectronics
  • An understanding of the fundamentals of cryptographic key management, public key infrastructure, and NSA's Key Management Infrastructure, and the applications of cryptology
  • Experience in writing innovative R&D proposals to commercial and government sponsors
  • Familiarity with DOORS, MATLAB, and/or Python
  • Flexibility to multi-task and adapt to changing priorities, technologies, and program needs

Security Requirements

  • Applicants selected for this position will be required to obtain and maintain a government security clearance.
  • Current in-scope Secret security clearance required, Top Secret preferred.

Additional information

Connect With Draper for Future Opportunities! If you don't find the right posting in our Career Opportunities, you may submit your resume for future consideration.

  • Job Location - City: Cambridge
  • Job Location - State: Massachusetts
  • Job Location - Postal Code: 02139-3563

Pay and benefits

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $95,000.00 - $237,500.00

Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

Union ranges will be in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement's approved rates by location and role. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and does not include bonuses or benefits.

Our work is very important to us, but so is our life outside of work. Draper supports many programs to improve work-life balance including workplace flexibility, employee clubs ranging from photography to yoga, health and finance workshops, off site social events and discounts to local museums and cultural activities.

Read the original posting

From Draper's careers page, first listed on Rolev.ai on November 6, 2026. Rolev.ai is not the employer.

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Common questions

What is the salary for the Principal System Security Engineer role at Draper?

The Principal System Security Engineer posting at Draper states compensation of $95,000 – $237,500 per year. Final pay may depend on location, experience, and interview evaluation on Draper's official career site.

Where is the Principal System Security Engineer job at Draper located?

This Principal System Security Engineer position at Draper is located in Cambridge, MA. Always check Draper's application page for specific state eligibility or relocation policies.

How do I apply for the Principal System Security Engineer position at Draper?

This listing links directly to Draper's Workday application page. You can apply directly on Draper's site, or use Rolev.ai to check your resume fit, generate a zero-hallucination tailored resume and cover letter for this posting, and autofill the Workday application form in 1 click with the Rolev.ai Chrome extension. You always review the form and press Submit yourself.