Cyber Security Software Engineer - GTRI - CIPHER - Open Rank
About the Organization
The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Founded in 1934, GTRI has grown to more than 2,900 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing over $940 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry. GTRI's researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.
Georgia Tech's mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The institute values students as its top priority, strives for excellence, thrives on diversity, celebrates collaboration, champions innovation, safeguards freedom of inquiry and expression, nurtures community wellbeing, acts ethically, and practices responsible stewardship.
About the Unit
The Embedded Systems Vulnerability Division (ESVD) within CIPHER leverages expertise in hardware, software, network, and RF communications to identify and evaluate cyber vulnerabilities in military assets, industrial control systems, and critical infrastructure. The division specializes in wireless and embedded devices such as radios, modems, routers, and embedded controllers. Red and Blue team activities focus on vulnerability discovery and developing multi-domain techniques to gain unauthorized access to or exploit information networks, ensuring mitigations are effective. Researchers collaborate with government working groups and Georgia Tech faculty on cyber vulnerability assessments and embedded systems security.
About the Role
The Cyber Security Software Engineer designs, develops, and tests cybersecurity software in languages such as Java, C, and C++. This role requires extensive knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems to apply engineering principles to software creation. The engineer creates novel cybersecurity technology components and software to ensure critical systems and information are resilient to cyber exploits and attacks, performs vulnerability assessments, and conducts software engineering and design.
Responsibilities
- Perform software development, testing/debugging, modification/enhancement, and documentation
- Develop and maintain kernel and user-level software and scripts
- Contribute to technical reports and presentations
- Assist with performing software assurance scans using stakeholder-approved tools
- Assist in static and dynamic analysis of software/firmware components of embedded systems
- Assist in development of software analysis tools for reverse engineering, implementing methods to determine software functionality
- Assist in development and use of virtual and emulation environments for executing software under test
- Assist in data protocol analysis (network, RF, etc.)
- Perform digital forensics on computer and embedded equipment
- Participate in designing and/or testing of embedded circuit boards
Requirements
- Experience with firmware/software reverse engineering
- Experience with disassemblers such as Ghidra and IDA Pro
- Experience with 1 or more programming languages (e.g., Python, C/C++, Rust)
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related engineering/scientific field
- U.S. Citizenship (required due to federal government research contracts)
Preferred Qualifications
- Active Secret Clearance
- Experience interacting with software test environments (e.g., VMware, VirtualBox, QEMU, Unicorn)
- Experience developing plugins for disassemblers
- Experience with capture the flag events
- Experience with hardware reverse engineering
- Experience developing embedded systems
- Experience with PCB level communication buses (SPI, I2C, etc.)
- Experience with software defined radios
- Experience with debuggers
- Experience with dynamic/static analysis and fuzzing
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
Additional Information
This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain an active security clearance. Travel requirements are less than 10%. The position is an open-rank announcement; the final job offer will depend on candidate qualifications in alignment with Research Faculty Extension Professional ranks.
Benefits
Comprehensive benefits include Health & Welfare, Retirement Plans, Tuition Reimbursement, Time Off, and Professional Development. More details can be found at GTRI Benefits.