Open-Rank, Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty Cyber Security Engineering

Department: Col of Engineering and Computing

Classification: 9-month Instructional Faculty

Job Category: Instructional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

Established in 2019, the Cyber Security Engineering Department was created after the success of the nation’s first Bachelor’s Degree in Cyber Security Engineering, which experienced exponential growth due to its innovative approach to address cyber security from a holistic perspective. The Department is focused on academics and research for the cyber security engineering of integrated cyber-physical systems. The mission of the department is to develop proactive approaches in engineering design of physical systems with cyber security incorporated from the beginning to the end of the system development life cycle. Cyber security engineering is an important quantitative methodology to be used in all industries to include, but not limited to, transportation, energy, healthcare, infrastructure, finance, government (federal, state, and local), manufacturing and defense.

The department prepares students with a foundation and hands-on applicability of cyber security engineering and is most appropriate for students with a strong mathematics, science and computing background. Accordingly, the department is dedicated to creating a premier body of faculty open to applying diverse engineering scientific methods in providing well engineered resilient systems. Not surprisingly, the department has been consistently highly ranked in diverse venues. Recently, Cybersecurity Talent Discovery by SANS Technology Institute in a nationwide Cyber FastTrack field of 5,200 U.S. colleges ranked the department as the 1st in the nation, while CyberDegrees.org ranked us as the 8th among all cybersecurity schools and the US News and Report 2023 rankings lists us as 10th in the nation among public schools (up from 15th in 2022). Our CYSE BS has been ranked 2nd best cybersecurity program by OnlineU, the 4th in the nation by GetCollegeCredit.com, and 9th in the nation by EduRank. Quality in education is also reflected in the various competitions our students participate with undeniable success, winning or being among the top finalists in venues such as the Virginia Cyber Range / VMI Cyber Fusion Competition and others in both national and state stages. 

About the Position:

To develop a program of scholarly research, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, participating in university, college and departmental governance, professional and public service, and performing related instructional assignments such as supervising senior projects, student internships and practicum.

Responsibilities:

Successful candidates will be expected to:

• Teach at the undergraduate and graduate levels;
• Develop an independent, externally funded research program;
• Advise students;
• Participate in all aspects of the department’s mission; and
• Serve the profession.

Required Qualifications:

Applicants to the tenured or tenure-track faculty positions must have:

• Received a PhD in Engineering, Computing or a related field by the start date of the position; 
• Demonstrated potential for excellence and productivity in research; and
• A commitment to high-quality teaching.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Applicants in all areas of cybersecurity research and their applications will be given serious consideration;
• We are particularly interested in candidates in the areas of cyber physical systems (CPS), state of the art in hands on experimental capabilities including defensive and offensive capabilities (such as penetration testing, red teaming, side-channel attacks), and the ability to back them up with strong formal methods applied to the security of CPS,  IIOT/IOT Security, cybersecurity of automated industrial systems and supply chain security, security of autonomous vehicles, and 5G security;
• Preference will be given to candidates with teaching and mentoring experience, and to candidates who have had a solid record of participation in projects within the above areas;
• Government-issued clearance is a plus, as well as administrative and/or managerial experience in research projects;
• The Department and the College place a high value on engaging students from traditionally underrepresented groups, and candidates from these groups are especially encouraged to apply.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Open-Rank, Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty Cyber Security Engineering at https://jobs.gmu.edu/; complete and submit the online application; and upload a cover letter, complete CV with publications, statement of professional goals including your perspective on teaching (upload as Philosophy of Teaching), research statement, transcript (optional), and the names of three professional references. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. 

Posting Open Date: March 3, 2025

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  March 17, 2025

Open Until Filled:  Yes

Mason Engineering:  The Future of Engineering is Here!

About the College:

The College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) at George Mason University is a fast-growing force for innovation in research and education. Ranked nationally in the top 100 in both undergraduate and graduate education, the CEC enrolled a record high of 11,296 students in fall 2024. The college has 34 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degree programs including several first-in-the-nation offerings. Of its 309 full-time faculty, 100 are tenured, 58 are tenure-track, 96 are term faculty, and 55 are research faculty. As part of a nationally ranked research university, CEC research teams expended $83.7 million in sponsored research awards in the past year and had projects with over $68 million in awards. The college stands out for its leading research in areas such as artificial intelligence, data analytics engineering, cybersecurity engineering, biomedical imaging and devices, healthcare, autonomous systems, 5G/Next G communications, systems architectures, computational biomedicine, advanced materials and manufacturing, sustainable infrastructure, and more. The college encourages and supports multidisciplinary research and provides ample opportunity for faculty to work with other disciplines.

About the University and the Region:

George Mason University is the largest and most diverse public research university in Virginia, with an enrollment of more than 40,000 students studying in over 200 degree programs. Mason is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with national distinction in a range of academic fields. It was classified as an R1 research institution in 2016 by the Carnegie Classifications of Institutes of Higher Education. The university has campuses in Fairfax, Arlington, and Prince William County. Its proximity to Washington, D.C. provides unmatched geographical access to federal agencies and national laboratories. Northern Virginia is also home to one of the largest concentrations of high-tech firms in the nation, providing excellent opportunities for interaction with industry. The region is consistently rated as being among the best places to live in the country and has an outstanding local public school system.

About the Future:

In conjunction with Amazon’s decision to establish a second headquarters in Northern Virginia, the Commonwealth of Virginia announced a multi-year plan to invest in the growth of degree programs in computing. As a result, Mason has committed to accelerate its plans to grow its capacity in computing and high-tech fields. Among the university’s exciting initiatives are the launch of the Institute for Digital Innovation—a university think tank and incubator to serve the digital economy—and the expansion of Mason Square home to its Arlington facilities. In 2025, Fuse a new 355,000 square foot building, will open to students, faculty, and research teams. This net-zero facility will house the Institute for Digital Innovation, state-of the-art classrooms, labs, and collaborative spaces. It will also include retail space, and leasing opportunities for local businesses. These initiatives reflect hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment by Mason that will rapidly elevate the university’s already leading national position in computing and related areas.