Cybersecurity (Early/Mid-Career)
Posting Duration
This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of seven (7) calendar days, including the ‘posting date’. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.
What Your Job Will Be Like
Are you passionate about research dedicated to keeping systems safe and thwarting cyber intrusions? Are you dreaming of a chance to develop protective technologies, conduct threat assessments, and analyze government, military, and civilian computer networks? If so, you will want to apply for this opportunity to join our outstanding multidisciplinary team committed to solving the information security challenges facing our nation! As part of Organization 05681, Cyber Systems Security R&D, you will engage in work across the technology spectrum including embedded, mobile, desktop, and enterprise systems, as well as globally connected networks of networks.
To support Sandia's national security missions, our cybersecurity scientists and engineers engage in a variety of research areas including:
- Real-time operating systems (RTOS) and embedded systems, including Internet of Things (IoT)
- Virtualization (system and network) and cloud technologies
- Low-level research to support ongoing experimentation and development in OSes, hypervisors, and multiple levels of firmware
- Analysis of mobile/cellular infrastructure, including hardware and software
- Manual and automated reverse engineering, vulnerability assessment, and malware analysis
- Intrusion prevention/detection and response, penetration testing, and forensic
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 Defense (DoD) and programs inside and outside the National Security Program (NSP). They will also be responsible for collaborating closely with peers and management across Center 5600 and the Labs.
Qualifications We Require
- A Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field plus 5 years experience; or a Master's degree in a related field plus 1 year experience; or a Doctorate in a related field; or equivalent experience and/or achievements that demonstrate the knowledge, skills and ability to perform the duties of the job
- The ability to acquire and maintain a DOE Q level security clearance and SCI-level clearance
Qualifications We Desire
- Strong C with a proven understanding of memory (alignment, pointers) and how to make processors perform the memory accesses wanted (or the hardware requires)
- Experience with:
- Reading/writing assembly (inline or standalone)
- Analyzing mobile device software and hardware
- RF (radiofrequency) signal analysis
- Working at or below the operating system level – Ring 0, EL1+, etc.
- Hardware virtualization and hypervisors (at hypervisor level, not administration level)
- Assembly or operating system programming, application layer programming, Dev-Ops programming, and/or network layer programming
- Reverse engineering, malware analysis, deciphering known and unknown file formats, data structures, and network protocols
- One or more of the following: network design, implementation, administration, database systems, webservers, application servers, firewalls, network devices, data science/analytics
- Auditing code in C/C++, Java, Python, assembly, or other languages
- Awareness and understanding of the hardware security vulnerabilities of the past few decades, and an ability to translate those into less technical terms for more general comprehension
- Well-developed leadership skills and able to prioritize and execute in a principled and focused manner
- Strong oral and written communication skills, with the ability to explain sophisticated ideas clearly and concisely
- An active SCI-level security clearance
About Our Team
The Cyber Systems Security R&D Department is a forward-looking security risk management team of specialists 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 specialists, 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 nations critical systems and technologies.
About Sandia
Sandia National Laboratories is the nation’s premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation, with teams of specialists focused on cutting-edge work in a broad array of areas. Some of the main reasons we love our jobs:
- Challenging work with amazing impact that contributes to security, peace, and freedom worldwide
- Extraordinary co-workers
- Some of the best tools, equipment, and research facilities in the world
- Career advancement and enrichment opportunities
- Flexible schedules, generous vacations, strong medical and other benefits, competitive 401k, learning opportunities, relocation assistance and amenities aimed at creating a solid work/life balance*
World-changing technologies. Life-changing careers. Learn more about Sandia at: http://www.sandia.gov *These benefits vary by job classification.
Security Clearance
Sandia is required by DOE to conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Applicants for employment need to be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance and SCI access, both of which require US citizenship. SCI access may also require a polygraph examination. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain these levels of access may be impacted.
Applicants offered employment with Sandia are subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by the DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.
EEO
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and any other protected class under state or federal law.