What Your Job Will Be Like

We are seeking professional, hardworking, self-directed, results focused electrical engineer, computer engineers, computer scientists, and RF engineers who have strong interpersonal skills to support lab-wide efforts focusing on the cybersecurity of embedded hardware systems, such as flight vehicles and rocket systems. This cybersecurity R&D staff member will perform research, capability development, and analyses using empirical, analytical, and computational techniques to secure, design, and analyze embedded systems. The responsibilities associated with this position span the spectrum of activities from research & development to assessment & secure design engineering. The role requires a strong grasp of technical engineering concepts, methods, and mathematics commonly learned in computer engineering and electrical engineering fields.

On any given day, you may be called on to:

• Work with other researchers in the department over the complete capability development cycle of discover, model, validate, and apply new or existing cybersecurity capabilities to embedded systems to deal with constantly evolving technical needs and requirements.
• You will be involved in supporting Sandia's numerous test programs, working to analyze proposed systems to support design, and analyze test data to validate models in support of these programs. It is expected that this experience will feed back into the capability development cycle.

Join our dynamic team and make a difference! The selected candidate will help cultivate relationships, grow existing programs, and develop new programs with both new and existing customers across US government agencies, including the Department of War (DoW) and programs inside and outside the National Security Program (NSP). They will also be responsible for collaborating closely with peers and management across the Labs.

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite in Albuquerque, NM.

Salary Range

$102,400 - $199,700

*Salary range is estimated, and actual salary will be determined after consideration of the selected candidate's experience and qualifications, and application of any approved geographic salary differential.

Qualifications We Require

• A Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline, or an equivalent combination of directly relevant education and engineering or scientific experience that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform independent research and development.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q and SCI clearance.

Qualifications We Desire

The ideal R&D Cybersecurity candidate for Sandia National Laboratories will in addition possess the following:

• Graduate degree in Computer Science/Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Information Systems, Computer Forensics, Mathematics or a directly related field where an independent research project was a graduation requirement (e.g., independent project, thesis, or dissertation).
• Experience in one or more of the following: reverse engineering, software vulnerability assessment, web application assessment, computer networking, computer architecture, compilers, or similar computer security topics.
• Proficiency in scripting or high-level programming.
• Familiarity with secure-system design principles and information assurance principles.
• Excellent communication skills and a demonstrated ability to develop technical ideas and results and present them in oral and written form in a concise manner.

Also, for this posting we are seeking individuals with the following experience:

• Demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform cybersecurity research and development.
• Knowledge or experience in relevant technical areas such as:
  • Weapon system design, embedded system design, mobile device security, vulnerability analysis, or embedded hardware security
  • Real-time operating systems (RTOS) and embedded systems.
  • Low-level research in multiple levels of firmware.
  • Programming with an understanding of memory and resource management
  • Analyzing device software, hardware, and communications protocols.
  • Auditing code in C/C++, Java, Python, assembly, or other languages
  • Hardware virtualization technologies.
  • Assembly or operating system, application layer, Dev-Ops, and/or network layer programming
  • Deciphering file formats, data structures, and network protocols
  • Analyzing mobile device software and hardware
  • RF (radiofrequency) signal analysis
• Strong oral and written communication skills, with the ability to explain sophisticated ideas clearly and concisely
• An active DOE Q and SCI-level security clearance or equivalent.

About Our Team

The Cyber Systems Security R&D Department is a forward-looking security risk management team of experts that analyze existing and future security architectures and technologies, and develop next generation methods and tools to improve the security effectiveness and assurance of our nation's critical systems. We employ systems engineering approaches across a spectrum that covers embedded, wireless, enterprise, and globally connected technologies. Our multidisciplinary R&D security research group includes electrical engineers, computer scientists, network security and engineering experts, and security risk management thought leaders. Core program areas our teams support include system red teaming, specialized secure software development, and enterprise security risk assessments. We have exciting career opportunities for individuals with a passion to improve the security effectiveness of our nation's critical systems and technologies.

Posting Duration

This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of three (3) calendar days, including the 'posting date'. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.