Hardware Security Engineer

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you’ll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators. Join us and take your place in space.

Information Systems and Cyber Division (ISCD) staff couple the latest in information system technologies, such as elastic compute clouds, containerization, microservices, real-time operating systems, and visualization frameworks, with expertise in cyber security, software architecture, software engineering, data science, Artificial Intelligence, process improvement, and software development to deliver responsive, resilient, high-performance software intensive systems to our Intelligence Community, DoD, and civilian customers. 

The Embedded & Specialized Computing Department focuses on critical space systems R&D and rapid prototyping in the areas of Rapid Prototyping (HW & SW), Resilient/Novel/Accelerated Compute Solutions, and Hardware Security. The group supports a variety of customers including the Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and other civil partners (e.g., NASA) to resolve unique challenges in implementation and research.  

The Aerospace Corporation is hiring a Hardware Security Engineer. The qualified candidate will become part of the Hardware Security and Specialty Engineering section of the Embedded & Specialized Computing Department. 

This is a full time position based in  El Segundo, CA, which requires 100% onsite work. 

What You’ll Be Doing 

• Provide hardware security support to government and contracted personnel in the areas of security controls, configuration management, configurable logic device management, and microelectronic security assessments. 

• Directly contribute to hardware security research, development, and applications while helping to secure National Security Space Systems. 

• Define threat paths and develop guidance on FPGA/ASIC/embedded systems vulnerability mitigations. 

• Demonstrate the ability to diagnose, troubleshoot, and debug both hardware and firmware issues effectively. 

• Assist in the development and improvement of microelectronics assurance policy, requirements and documentation. 

• Collaborate with other Aerospace departments and external organizations to develop new technical demonstrations and capabilities. 

• Learn and grow through new work opportunities, trainings, and mentorship from experienced staff 

What You Need to be Successful  

Minimum Requirements for the Member of Technical Staff – Embedded Software Engineering 

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or STEM related program. 
• 4 or more years of relevant experience in a position related to FPGA design and verification, embedded systems, hardware security or similar fields. 
• Proven experience in FPGA design, and major vendor tools including AMD Xilinx, Microchip, or Intel Altera 
• Experience with embedded system design (e.g., Xilinx Zynq/Microblaze, ARM, Altera NIOS) 
• Experience using project management tools such as Jira or MS Project. 

• Proven experience in FPGA design, including familiarity with HDLs (VHDL, Verilog, and SystemVerilog)  

• Proficiency in coding and scripting with languages such as C, C++, Python, Perl, or Shell 

• Hands-on experience with Linux environments 

• Willingness to travel approx. 15% domestically (customer sites, locations, etc) 

• This position requires ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, which is issued by the US government. U.S citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance. 

How You Can Stand Out  

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these: 

• Advanced degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or STEM related program. 

• Exposure to and understanding of hardware security attacks in the following areas: Hardware Trojans, Side Channel Analysis, Fault Injection, and Reverse Engineering 

• Experience with Root of Trust, Secure Boot, or Hardware Cryptographic Accelerators 

• Possession of relevant industry certifications such as CompTIA Se