Senior Embedded Security Engineer – Digital Systems Security

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MITRE’s Electronic Systems Security department is seeking to hire talented and creative engineers with a focus on hardware security for embedded systems to support advanced research and development projects of national significance.

Qualified candidates will join a team of technical experts in embedded system security. This multi-disciplinary team performs hands-on research and analysis and develops proof-of-concept prototypes to demonstrate and advance the state-of-the-art in embedded security. Our diverse set of sponsors and research objectives provide a wide variety of interesting work opportunities.

Roles & Responsibilities:

Engineers in this role will develop and apply their technical expertise to:

• Research and develop new secure design approaches and countermeasures for emerging threats to embedded systems
• Design and build prototypes (hardware and software) to demonstrate advanced capabilities
• Analyze secure implementations, designs, and architectures to identify weak points for further analysis or hardening
• Perform hands-on and whitepaper-level security assessments of embedded systems
• Develop software for interfacing with and controlling lab equipment for data collection, measurement, and analysis
• Shape creative and innovative ideas through internal research programs to advance the state-of-the art in embedded security
• Track, adapt, and apply academic and industry advances in embedded security analysis and protection techniques to secure our sponsors’ systems
• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, while leading tasks and/or teams of engineers
• Collaborate with academic partners to improve embedded security education at our nation’s universities and high schools

Basic Qualifications:

• Typically requires a minimum of 5 years of related experience with a bachelor’s degree; or 3 years and a master’s degree; or a PhD with relevant experience who can immediately contribute at this job step; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• Experience with secure system modelling, design, implementation, and test
• Experience with hardware description languages such as Verilog, System Verilog, or VHDL
• Experience with FPGA prototype development
• Experience with programming in languages such as Python, C/C++, or Rust for PCs and embedded systems
• Experience analyzing microelectronics and hardware systems for susceptibility to implementation attacks, such as side-channel analysis, fault injection, laser voltage probing, photon emission microscopy, laser stimulation techniques, and/or microprobing and circuit edits
• Familiarity with cryptographic protocols and algorithms
• Familiarity with secure boot and root of trust architectures
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Secret U.S Government issued Security Clearance. Per the U.S. Government’s eligibility requirements, you must be a U.S Citizen to be considered for a security clearance.
• This position requires a minimum of 3 days per week on-site

Preferred Qualifications:

• MS, or PhD degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or similar field and/or 8+ years of related experience
• Experience leading teams developing or evaluating secure embedded systems
• Strong problem-framing skills in ambiguous research environments
• Experience in one or more of the following embedded system security topics:
  • Development and analysis of implementation attack countermeasures
  • Analysis of cryptographic algorithms, protocols, and systems for implementation attack threats
  • Execution of invasive and semi-invasive attacks and associated protection techniques on integrated circuits such as side-channel analysis, fault injection, laser voltage probing, photon emission microscopy, etc.
• Experience with one or more of the following technical areas:
  • ASIC design, implementation, and test
  • Experience with board- and component-level instrumentation and measurement (e.g., capturing digital and analog signals via mixed-domain oscilloscopes)

This requisition requires the candidate to have a minimum of the following clearance(s):

None

This requisition requires the hired candidate to have or obtain, within one year from the date of hire, the following clearance(s):

Secret

Salary compensation range and midpoint:

$126,800 - $158,500 - $190,200 Annual

Work Location Type:

Onsite

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local or international law.

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