Offensive Cybersecurity Engineer

About us

One team. Global challenges. Infinite opportunities. At Viasat, we're on a mission to deliver connections with the capacity to change the world. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the globe communicate. We're looking for people who think big, act fearlessly, and create an inclusive environment that drives positive impact to join our team.

What you'll do

As a Viasat Offensive Security Engineer, you will be responsible for simulating real-world cyberattacks against Viasat's hardware, service network infrastructure, satellite ground stations and related systems. The ideal candidate has deep expertise in both traditional network penetration testing and hardware-specific techniques, including firmware reverse engineering and physical device analysis. You will conduct comprehensive technical cybersecurity risk assessments and report your findings to technical and executive teams, providing clear, actionable improvements to team practices and activities.

The day-to-day

• Hardware and Embedded Systems Testing: Conduct comprehensive security assessments of proprietary Viasat hardware, including satellite terminals, satellite gateways, and related devices. This includes firmware analysis, reverse engineering, and interacting with hardware interfaces like JTAG and UART.
• Network Penetration Testing: Perform gray-box and closed system penetration tests on the Viasat network infrastructure, encompassing customer-facing networks, firewalls, and core ISP systems.
• Vulnerability Exploitation: Develop and run custom exploits to demonstrate the impact of identified vulnerabilities and combine multiple weaknesses into chained attack scenarios.
• Reporting and Communication: Create high-quality, comprehensive reports that detail vulnerabilities, risk levels, and recommendations for engineering teams.
• Threat Research: Stay ahead of the latest security trends, exploits, and methodologies, particularly in the telecommunications and embedded systems fields.
• Tool Development: Develop custom scripts and tools to automate testing processes and improve the efficiency of security assessments.

What you'll need

• 2+ years of experience in offensive cybersecurity engineering, network penetration testing, threat emulation development, embedded systems testing.
• Experience with low-level and memory-safe languages such as C, C++, Rust, and Python.
• Familiarity with embedded system development or hardware reverse engineering.
• Strong communications skills, the ability to write detailed reports, and deliver technical briefings
• ship required with an Active US Top Secret SCI Clearance.
• Ability to travel up to 10%.

What will help you on the job

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Cybersecurity or related engineering field
• Managing competing priorities and timelines effectively
• The ability to work effectively with ambiguity
• Strong self-motivation and independent work ethic
• Skill in operating within a geographically distributed team

Salary range

$107,500.00 - $170,500.00 / annually.For specific work locations within San Jose, the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, the base pay range for this role is $127,500.00- $191,500.00/ annually

At Viasat, we consider many factors when it comes to compensation, including the scope of the position as well as your background and experience. Base pay may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Additional cash or stock incentives may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position offered. Learn more about Viasat's comprehensive benefit offerings that are focused on your holistic health and wellness at
EEO Statement

Viasat is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, genetics, age, or veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status or characteristic. If you would like to request an accommodation on the basis of disability for completing this on-line application, please click here.