{"id":119675,"url":"https://alion.io/job/cmu-assistant-ai-security-researcher","title":"Assistant AI Security Researcher","company":{"id":46403,"name":"Software Engineering Institute","domain":"sei.cmu.edu","url":"https://alion.io/company/sei-cmu","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workday","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":75,"open_postings":19,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":1,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":30,"computed_at":"2026-10-21T05:46:15Z"}},"role":"Security","role_family":"Security","seniority":null,"employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Pittsburgh, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":100000,"max_usd":227000,"period":"year","method":"role_country_seniority_unknown","sample_n":3385},"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"Ghidra","optional":false},{"name":"IDA Pro","optional":false},{"name":"Machine Learning","optional":false},{"name":"NumPy","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"PyTorch","optional":false},{"name":"TensorFlow","optional":false},{"name":"TensorFlow C++","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-06-16T00:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-06-16","last_verified_at":"2026-10-21T06:05:56Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":127,"trust":{"level":"stale","repost_count":0,"flags":["stale"],"days_open":127},"description":"Are you a cybersecurity and/or AI researcher who enjoys a challenge? Are you excited about pioneering new research areas that will impact academia, industry, and national security? If so, we want you for our team, where you’ll collaborate to deliver high-quality results in the emerging area of AI security.\nThe CERT Division of the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) is seeking applicants for the Assistant AI Security Researcher role. Originally created in response to one of the first computer viruses -- the Morris worm - in 1988, CERT has remained a leader in cybersecurity research, improving the robustness of software systems, and in responding to sophisticated cybersecurity threats. Ensuring the robustness and security of AI systems is the next big challenge on the horizon, and we are seeking life-long learners in the fields of cybersecurity, AI/ML, or related areas, who are willing to cross-train to address AI Security.\nAs part of the Threat Analysis Directorate, you will join a group of security experts focused on advancing the state of the art in AI security at a national and global scale. Our tasks include vulnerability discovery and assessments for AI systems, evaluation of the effectiveness and robustness of defenses and mitigations for AI systems, reverse engineering AI systems and models, and identifying new areas where security research is needed. We participate in communities of network defenders, software developers and vendors, security researchers, AI practitioners, and policymakers.\nYou will co-author technical proposals, execute research, and present findings and recommendations to our DoD sponsors, decision makers within government and industry, and at academic conferences. The SEI is a non-profit, federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) at Carnegie Mellon University.\nWhat you’ll do:\nDevelop state of the art approaches for analyzing robustness of AI systems.\n\nApply these approaches to understanding vulnerabilities in AI systems and how attackers adapt their tradecraft to exploit those vulnerabilities.\n\nReverse engineer malicious code in support of high-impact customers, design and develop new analysis methods and tools, work to identify and address emerging and complex threats to AI systems and effectively participate in the broader security community.\n\nStudy and influence the AI security and vulnerability disclosure ecosystems.\n\nEvaluate the effectiveness of tools, techniques and processes developed by industry and the AI security research community.\n\nUncover and shape some of the fundamental assumptions underlying current best practice in AI security.\n\nDevelop thought models, tools and data sets that can be used to characterize the threats to, and vulnerabilities in, AI systems, and publish those results. You will also use these results to aid in the testing, evaluation and transition of technologies developed by government-funded research programs.\n\nIdentify opportunities to apply AI to improve existing cybersecurity research.\n\nWho you are:\nYou have BS in machine learning, cybersecurity, statistics, or related discipline.\n\nYou have an interest in AI/ML and cybersecurity with a penchant for intellectual curiosity and a desire to make an impact beyond your organization.\n\nYou have practical experience with applying cybersecurity knowledge toward vulnerability research, analysis, disclosure, or mitigation.\n\nYou have familiarity with implementing and applying AI/ML techniques to solving practical problems.\n\nYou have familiarity with common AI/ML software packages and tools (e.g., Numpy, Pytorch, Tensorflow, ART).\n\nYou have knowledge or familiarity with reverse engineering tools (e.g. NSA Ghidra, IDA Pro)\n\nYou have experience with Python, C/C++, or low-level programming.\n\nYou have experience developing frameworks, methodologies, or assessments to evaluate effectiveness and robustness of technologies.\n\nYou have excellent communication skills (oral and written), particularly regarding technical communications with non-experts.\n\nApplicants with strong technical proficiency in either AI/ML or cybersecurity are welcome to apply, provided a demonstrated intellectual agility and commitment required for accelerated learning within the role.\n\nYou are able to:\nTravel to various locations to support the SEI’s overall mission. This includes within the SEI and CMU community, sponsor sites, conferences, and offsite meetings on occasion (5%).\n\nYou will be subject to a background check and will need to obtain and maintain a Department of Defense security clearance.\n\nWhy work here?\nJoin a world-class organization that continues to have a significant impact on software.\n\nWork with cutting-edge technologies and dedicated experts to solve tough problems for the government and the nation.\n\nBe surrounded by friendly and knowledgeable staff with broad expertise across AI/ML, cybersecurity, software engineering, risk management, and policy creation.\n\nGet 8% monthly contribution for your retirement, without having to contribute yourself.\n\nGet tuition benefits to CMU and other institutions for you and your dependent children.\n\nEnjoy a healthy work/life balance with flexible work arrangements and paid parental and military leave.\n\nEnjoy annual professional development opportunities; attend conferences and training or obtain a certification and get reimbursed for membership in professional societies.\n\nQualify for relocation assistance and so much more.\n\nLocation\nPittsburgh, PAJob Function\nSoftware/Applications Development/EngineeringPosition Type\nStaff - RegularFull time/Part time\nFull timePay Basis\nSalaryMore Information:\nPlease visit “Why Carnegie Mellon ” to learn more about becoming part of an institution inspiring innovations that change the world.\n\nClick here to view a listing of employee benefits\n\nCarnegie Mellon University is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran.\n\nStatement of Assurance","description_format":"text","description_chars":5922,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Flexible schedule","Professional development","Relocation assistance"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":true,"industries":["Information Security","Engineering Services","Research Institutes"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-06-16T00:00:00Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":4,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.137,"p_room":0.28,"age_days":127,"expected_fill_days":30,"reasons":["conf:8","stale_co","velocity","win:tail","crowd:"],"computed_at":"2026-10-21T05:46:15Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/cmu-assistant-ai-security-researcher","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/cmu-assistant-ai-security-researcher.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-21T13:17:44Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":18888,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-22T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":46403},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=46403"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fcmu-assistant-ai-security-researcher"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fcmu-assistant-ai-security-researcher"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fcmu-assistant-ai-security-researcher"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/cmu-assistant-ai-security-researcher\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fcmu-assistant-ai-security-researcher"}]}