SecureStrux® is hiring: Hardware Exploitation Engineer in Bethesda

Hardware Exploitation Engineer

The Hardware Exploitation Engineer will support the DC3 program and will be primarily responsible for performing thorough examinations of digital media, including hard drives, flash drives, cell phones, and other electronic devices that may hold critical data.

Location

NDOC, Bethesda, MD

Base pay range

$120,000.00/yr - $140,000.00/yr

Responsibilities

• Perform technical hardware exploitation and thorough examination of a variety of digital storage devices.
• Conduct reverse engineering, failure analysis, vulnerability analysis, and other research techniques to understand complex hardware systems, assess the functionality of components, and identify exploitation opportunities.
• Alter hardware components to facilitate forensic analysis of the media or to adjust the functionality of the hardware to meet specific objectives.
• Perform inspection, imaging, decapsulation, de-processing, and other activities related to hardware reverse engineering and exploitation in a state-of-the-art microelectronics exploitation laboratory.
• Develop and maintain frameworks, processes, design patterns, techniques, tools, and standards for conducting hardware exploitation of digital media.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for IC/DoW customers.
• Prepare clear and concise technical reports to a wide range of audiences.

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree and 8+ years of experience, or Master’s Degree and 6+ years of experience, or 3+ years with PhD. Bachelor’s degree should be in one of these fields: Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, Mathematics, or Software Engineering.
• Active TS/SCI with Poly Clearance required to start.
• Solid understanding of programming languages such as C/C++, Python, VHDL/Verilog, MATLAB, Assembly language, etc.
• Experience with Operating Systems: Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Embedded Linux, RTOS, etc.
• Knowledge of communication protocols (e.g., I2C, SPI, JTAG, UART, Wi‑Fi, BT/BLE, TCP/IP, CAN) to interface with and extract data from electronic components.
• Advanced troubleshooting skills to effectively diagnose, isolate, and resolve complex failures in circuit boards: power integrity, thermal imaging, component-level analysis, etc.
• Proficiency in debugging techniques using tools like oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, and other hardware debuggers.
• Working experience in Microprocessors/Architectures: ARM, MIPS, x86, PIC, RISC, PowerPC.
• Proficiency in soldering and desoldering components to access memory chips and other critical hardware for data extraction.
• Experience writing Technical Reports to create detailed documentation of findings.

Preferred

• Familiarity with Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) for circuit design and simulation, such as MATLAB/Simulink, Altium Designer, KiCad, Proteus, and similar tools.
• Experience requiring skills in reverse engineering of embedded systems with proprietary operating systems for the purpose of introducing functionally to a fielded system.
• Experience with static analysis tools such as IDA Pro, Ghidra and Binary Ninja.

Salary Range

$120,000 – $140,000

Benefits & Compensation

• Robust total compensation package includes comprehensive health benefits, flexible time off, continuing education allowance, donation allowance for charitable causes, and a matched 401(k).
• Annual professional development stipend and access to a virtual environment for evaluating recent technologies.
• Other benefits: Medical insurance, Vision insurance, 401(k), Paid maternity leave, Paid paternity leave, Tuition assistance, Disability insurance.

Seniority level

Mid-Senior level

Employment type

Full-time

Job function

Information Technology and Engineering

Industries

Computer and Network Security and Engineering Services