Senior/Principal Electrical Engineering for R&D Cybersecurity - Embedded Systems, Onsite

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 work arrangements for many positions include 9/80 (work 80 hours every two weeks, with every other Friday off) and 4/10 (work 4 ten‑hour days each week) compressed workweeks, part‑time work, and telecommuting (a mix of onsite work and working from home)
• Generous vacation, 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:

*These benefits vary by job classification.

What Your Job Will Be Like

We are seeking professionally experienced, hardworking, self‑directed, results focused electrical 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 experienced 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 strong grasp of technical engineering concepts and methods 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

$117,500 - $235,700

*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 and five (5) years of directly relevant experience, 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 which may require a polygraph test.

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.
• Professional experience in one or more of the following: weapon system design, embedded system design, mobile device security, vulnerability analysis, or embedded hardware security.
• Experience in relevant technical areas:
  • Real‑time operating systems (RTOS) and embedded systems.
  • Low‑level research in multiple levels of firmware.
  • 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.
  • Analyzing mobile device software and hardware.
  • RF (radiofrequency) signal analysis.
• 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 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.

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.

NNSA Requirements for MedPEDs

If you have a Medical Portable Electronic Device (MedPED), such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, drug‑releasing pump, hearing aids, or diagnostic equipment and other equipment for measuring, monitoring, and recording body functions such as heartbeat and brain waves, if employed by Sandia National Laboratories you may be required to comply with NNSA security requirements for MedPEDs.

If you have a MedPED and you are selected for an on‑site interview at Sandia National Laboratories, there may be additional steps necessary to ensure compliance with NNSA security requirements prior to the interview date.