Software Engineering Intern (Cyber focus)

Company Description

Every minute of every day, Smiths Detection’s threat detection and security screening technology helps to protect people and infrastructure, making the world a safer place. 

Smiths Detection, part of Smiths Group is a global leader in the development, manufacture and management of security and detection solutions designed to make the world a safer place. Our technology provides threat detection and screening solutions for customers in our key markets: aviation, ports and borders, defence, and urban security.

Our expertise spans 21 global offices, seven manufacturing sites and five R&D centres, with a global network of 3,000 dedicated colleagues contributing towards over 40 years at the frontline of advances in safety and security.  

This results in careers built on variety and the opportunity to work on a range of state-of-the-art solutions, where you can develop your knowledge and experience every day.

Job Description

The Software Engineering Intern will support the Software Engineering and Security teams in integrating vulnerability scanning platforms with Jira ticketing systems, developing automation workflows, and enhancing continuous monitoring capabilities.

This role provides hands-on experience in cybersecurity operations, tool integration, automation development, and applied AI experimentation using tools such as Nessus, Jira, and Ollama.

The intern will evaluate vulnerability scan results, assist in automating reporting and ticket generation, and potentially develop lightweight GUI frontends with Python or other technologies to improve operational workflows.

This position is ideal for a highly motivated student with a strong interest in cybersecurity, automation, DevOps practices, and applied AI tooling.

Responsibilities

Essential functions: SPECIFIC DUTIES, ACTIVITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

Primary Responsibilities:

• Work with software development, test, infrastructure, and security teams to design and prototype automated solutions for vulnerability management
• Integrate Nessus cloud scanning tools with Jira for automated ticket generation and tracking
• Install, configure, and maintain vulnerability scanning software to facilitate system and application scanning
• Perform vulnerability scans and evaluate findings for severity, impact, and remediation guidance
• Develop automation scripts (e.g., Python) to transform scan results into actionable reports and Jira tickets
• Assist in implementing a continuous vulnerability monitoring capability
• Develop GUI frontends (as needed) with Python or related frameworks to streamline interaction with backend automation tools
• Research and experiment with open-source AI models running locally using Ollama and other open-source AI frameworks
• Explore AI-assisted summarization or categorization of vulnerability scan results
• Write clear documentation, processes, and procedures related to implemented tools and workflows
• Generate validation and status reports
• Provide daily progress updates to supervisor and team

Secondary/Support Duties: 

• Possibility to develop and integrate with additional tools in the engineering group
• Generate validation reports

Qualifications

Education and Experience

Education/Training:

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Cybersecurity, or related technical field

Experience:

• Academic or project experience with scripting or programming (Python preferred)
• Familiarity with Linux and/or Windows system administration concepts
• Exposure to cybersecurity concepts such as vulnerability scanning, CVEs, patching, or risk prioritization preferred
• Experience with APIs, automation workflows, or DevOps tools is a plus
• Exposure to AI/ML concepts or open-source LLM tools is a plus

Knowledge/Skills:

• Strong interest in cybersecurity and automation
• Programming/scripting skills (Python strongly preferred)
• Understanding of REST APIs and data parsing (JSON, CSV, XML)
• Basic understanding of vulnerability management concepts
• Ability to analyze technical findings and propose automation solutions
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work independently and be a self-starter
• Strong problem-solving and analytical thinking skills
• Curiosity and willingness to research new tools and technologies

REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be enrolled in an ac