Cyber Software Engineer at Leidos in Reston, VA

Summary: Leidos is a leading company in advanced technology solutions, and they are seeking a motivated Cyber Software Engineer. 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. 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 Required 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 Required Skills: Python, C/C++, Bash, Embedded systems, Microcontrollers, IoT platforms, Networking fundamentals, Distributed algorithms, Communication protocol design, Security engineering, Side-channel power analysis, Hardware-level workload profiling, Penetration testing tooling, Linux environments, Scripting, Infrastructure maintenance