Early Career, R&D Digital Systems Security, Hybrid

About the role

Are you passionate about designing and securing high-consequence digital systems that support national security? Do you enjoy exploring hardware and software security architectures and applying rigorous techniques to ensure system correctness and resilience? Are you interested in leveraging emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance security analysis, verification, and risk discovery? If so, Sandia is looking for motivated early career engineers (job title: R&D Cybersecurity) to join our team.

Responsibilities

• Assist in security assessments, red-teaming exercises, and technical evaluations to identify and mitigate vulnerability risks.
• Support the design, analysis, and validation of security implementations for digital systems.
• Help develop workflows that automate cyber risk discovery and support verification processes to improve trusted operation of mission-relevant systems.
• Explore and integrate emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, design automation tools, and analysis frameworks to enhance security analysis and risk discovery.
• Conduct hands-on experimentation and prototyping using simulation and emulation platforms to validate security concepts.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts on modernization, stockpile, and national security programs.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of security policies, standards, and best practices.
• Build relationships across internal teams, research centers, and external partners including academia and industry to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing.
• Engage in research and development initiatives that advance digital systems hardening.
• Foster a mission-driven culture of innovation, continuous learning, and technical excellence.

Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline, 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-level security clearance.

Qualifications

• 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.

Desired Qualifications

• Proficiency with hardware description languages and understanding of digital IC product lifecycles (ASIC, FPGA).
• Demonstrated communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
• Familiarity with software and firmware security, including secure coding practices and embedded system protections.
• Basic knowledge of formal methods and verification tools, with interest in learning theorem proving and cryptographic protocol verification.
• Experience in programming languages such as C/C++, Python, Java, Rust, or hardware design languages.
• Practiced security testing techniques such as penetration testing, fuzzing, or red teaming.
• Interest in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning applied to security.
• Hands-on experience or coursework involving experimental validation, prototyping, or emulation platforms.
• Ability to learn and evaluate trade-offs among system complexity, design constraints, and security requirements.
• Familiarity with security requirements, standards, and assurance frameworks (e.g., NIST, CNSS) is desirable.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to continuous learning and professional growth.

Pay

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.

Schedule

The selected applicant can work a combination of onsite and offsite work. The selected applicant must live within a reasonable distance for commuting to the assigned work location when necessary.

Benefits

On any given day, you may be called on to:

• Assist in security assessments, red-teaming exercises, and technical evaluations to identify and mitigate vulnerability risks.
• Support the design, analysis, and validation of security implementations for digital systems.
• Help develop workflows that automate cyber risk discovery and support verification processes to improve trusted operation of mission-relevant systems.
• Explore and integrate emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, design automation tools, and analysis frameworks to enhance security analysis and risk discovery.
• Conduct hands-on experimentation and prototyping using simulation and emulation platforms to validate security concepts.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts on modernization, stockpile, and national security programs.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of security policies, standards, and best practices.
• Build relationships across internal teams, research centers, and external partners including academia and industry to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing.
• Engage in research and development initiatives that advance digital systems hardening.
• Foster a mission-driven culture of innovation, continuous learning, and technical excellence.