Senior Secure Embedded Software Architect

Location: Redmond, WA or San Deigo, CA

Basic Qualifications

- 7+ years of non-internship professional software development experience
- 5+ years of programming with at least one software programming language experience
- 7+ years of leading design or architecture (design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and existing systems experience
- Experience as a mentor, tech lead or leading an engineering team
- Knowledge of programming languages such as C/C++, Python, Java or Perl
- 7+ years of professional software engineering experience, with significant contributions to system design and architecture of complex systems (including architecture patterns, reliability, scaling, and security considerations)
- Deep expertise in secure embedded firmware development for bare-metal or RTOS-based systems, with proven ability to meet real-time, low-power, reliability, and security requirements under hardware resource constraints
- Experience with debugging tools such as GDB for testing code on FPGA or prototype chips
- Experience with security-aware software design, including threat modeling, security reviews, and vulnerability assessment
- Practical knowledge of penetration testing methodologies and tools for embedded systems

Preferred Qualifications

- Experience in system-level architecture and board-level design
- Background working with security-aware bootloaders, secure boot chains, and trusted execution environments
- Practical experience using cryptography libraries (mbedTLS, OpenSSL, PKCS11) in secure applications, including key management and secure storage
- Knowledge of security standards and frameworks (e.g., Common Criteria, NIST guidelines, secure coding standards)
- Experience with hardware security modules (HSMs) or trusted platform modules (TPMs)
- Familiarity with secure communications protocols and encryption implementations
- Knowledge of telecommunications or data communications systems security (routers and switches)
- Experience with security certifications or compliance requirements for aerospace/defense systems

Key job responsibilities
* Lead secure software development for critical modules including ASIC firmware, commanding systems, telemetry processing, power control, hardware interfaces, and autonomous capabilities, implementing security-by-design principles throughout the satellite's operational lifetime
* Drive security architecture and threat modeling by identifying potential vulnerabilities, conducting security reviews, and designing defensive measures to protect satellite systems from cyber threats
* Design and implement robust, security-hardened software and firmware in Linux and real-time operating system (RTOS) environments, ensuring high reliability and security under resource constraints
* Conduct and support penetration testing to validate security controls, identify weaknesses, and implement remediation strategies for embedded systems
* Build secure hardware interfaces by writing software that communicates with devices and electronics using protocols including I2C, I3C, SPI, UART, USB, JTAG, and Ethernet, with appropriate security controls and authentication mechanisms
* Collaborate closely with hardware design teams, security architects, and customers to support secure custom silicon chip and board design, bringing new hardware from concept through secure bring-up, verification, and integration
* Champion security and reliability by following best practices in secure embedded software development, including secure coding standards, code reviews, and security testing to ensure our systems meet the demanding requirements of space operations
* Optimize for secure production by partnering with test engineers to integrate security validation into manufacturing and test environments