Security Researcher

Carnegie Mellon University - Pittsburgh, PA

Full-time - Mid Level

Pittsburgh, PA

Educational Services

About the position

Join a dynamic team of motivated individuals with deep collective experience throughout digital forensics, incident response, investigation, operations, and academic research. We seek individuals with strong interest in understanding and resolving technical challenges in the national security space. Our group focuses on applied research into the functionality of emerging and already ubiquitous technologies at all constituent logical layers, from component-level aspects through system and software implementation to communication protocols. Concurrent with achieving this understanding, we examine the variation between expected and actual functionality that results from real-world implementation. Finally, in support of stakeholders throughout the US Government, we reason about and advise on the implications of our findings. Qualified individuals will have a strong aptitude to reformulate open questions; devise creative solutions; deliver concise, rigorous prototype implementations; and clearly articulate this process in discussions, presentations, and formal reports. Recent examples of our work have included novel approaches to analyzing network traffic, reasoning about automated imaging analysis, and software implementation of novel file and format extraction techniques.

Requirements

• BS in Computer Science or related quantitative discipline plus eight (8) years of related work experience; OR MS in the same fields with five (5) years of experience, OR PhD in the same fields with two (2) years of experience.
• Willingness to occasionally travel to customer sites, conferences, and offsite meetings (10%).
• You will be subject to a background investigation and must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Department of Defense security clearance.
• Deep technical knowledge of and experience with fundamental Internet protocols and functionality.
• Systems-level programming experience.
• Strong experience with UNIX/Linux.
• Familiarity with current hardware and software vulnerabilities and mitigations.

Benefits

• 8% monthly contribution for your retirement, without having to contribute yourself.
• Tuition benefits to CMU and other institutions for you and your dependent children.
• Healthy work/life balance with flexible work arrangements and paid parental and military leave.
• Access to university resources including mindfulness programs, childcare and back-up care benefits, a monthly transit benefit on WMATA, free transportation on the Pittsburgh Regional Transit System.
• Annual professional development opportunities; attend conferences and training or obtain a certification and get reimbursed for membership in professional societies.
• Relocation assistance and more.
• Comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous employer contribution to retirement savings program.
• Ample paid time off and observed holidays.
• Life and accidental death and disability insurance.
• Free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass.
• Family Concierge Team to help navigate childcare needs.
• Fitness center access.