Cyber Software Engineer

Description

We are seeking a motivated Cyber Software Engineer with strong foundations in distributed systems, embedded networking, and hands‑on security‑focused engineering. In this role, you will contribute to the design, development, and prototyping of advanced cyber research capabilities spanning modern computing environments, IoT platforms, and hardware‑adjacent systems.

This position is ideal for an engineer who has demonstrated initiative through research, system‑level experimentation, and security‑relevant tooling, and who is ready to grow into a full‑spectrum cyber researcher under the guidance of other engineers.

The ideal candidate brings experience in embedded systems, lightweight communication protocols, distributed sensor networks, side‑channel or hardware‑level analysis, and automation frameworks, with a strong desire to expand into vulnerability research, adversary simulation, and mission‑aligned capability engineering.

Primary Responsibilities

• Contribute to cyber research initiatives involving distributed systems, embedded platforms, and hardware‑adjacent workloads.

• Develop and maintain software components, automation frameworks, and communication mechanisms for research prototypes.

• Support analysis of binaries, firmware, and embedded systems to understand behavior, performance characteristics, and potential weaknesses.

• Assist in designing and evaluating resilient communication channels, lightweight networking protocols, and covert or constrained‑environment data exchange mechanisms.

• Prototype automation and AI‑assisted approaches for reconnaissance, decision‑making, and workflow acceleration.

• Analyze adversarial behaviors, system bottlenecks, and protocol‑level vulnerabilities to inform capability design.

• Collaborate with other engineers, hardware researchers, and mission teams to integrate software, embedded, and AI‑driven components into cohesive prototypes.

• Document research findings, prototype behavior, and architectural concepts for technical and operational audiences.

• Participate in iterative testing cycles, system evaluations, and internal experimentation to refine tools and methodologies.

• Stay current with emerging trends in embedded security, distributed networking, side‑channel research, and AI‑enabled cyber capabilities.

Basic Qualifications

• Masters degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field. (in progress or completed). Degree must be completed by start date.

• Strong programming experience in Python, C/C++, and Bash, with demonstrated ability to build system‑level or automation tooling.

• Experience with embedded systems, microcontrollers, and IoT platforms.

• Familiarity with networking fundamentals, distributed algorithms, and communication protocol design.

• Exposure to security‑relevant engineering, including side‑channel power analysis, hardware‑level workload profiling, penetration‑testing‑adjacent tooling.

• Hands‑on experience with Linux environments, scripting, and infrastructure maintenance.

• Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly in both written and verbal formats.

• Demonstrated initiative through research projects, lab leadership, or open‑source contributions.

• US citizenship is required.

• Ability to obtain and maintain Top Secret/SCI with Polygraph security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI security clearance with Polygraph.

• Experience with side‑channel analysis, hardware‑level measurement, or embedded security research.

• Familiarity with distributed sensor networks, concurrency optimization, or low‑bandwidth communication systems.

• Experience developing or modifying security‑relevant tools, automation scripts, or data‑collection frameworks.

• Exposure to reverse engineering fundamentals or firmware‑level inspection.

• Background in AI/ML applied to systems analysis, communication optimization, or security workflows.

• Experience with web scraping, headless browser automation, or data‑acquisition pipelines.

• Familiarity with microcontroller debugging interfaces (UART, SPI, JTAG) or firmware modification workflows.

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Original Posting:

For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

Pay Range:

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

About Leidos

Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Pay and Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.

Securing Your Data

Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos’ name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system – never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at LeidosCareersFraud@leidos.com.

If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.

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