Summary
Are you a computer science or computer/electrical engineering professional? Do you have strong software or hardware design, development, testing or reverse engineering skills? Do you want to be part of a team that develops ground breaking solutions?
NSA's development programs help employees enhance their skills and improve their understanding of a specific discipline. The programs are generally three years long and feature rotational tours throughout the Agency.
This job is open to
The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Veterans
Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference
Duties
Are you driven by a passion to work at the cutting edge of technology? Do you dream to make the impossible possible? The National Security Agency is seeking highly motivated Computer Science and Computer/Electrical Engineering professionals to drive its mission to develop new capabilities, design new approaches, help solve complex problems, and research new solutions to propel our mission.
As a Capabilities Development Specialist (CDS), your job will be to develop custom high-priority offensive and defensive capabilities targeting the hardest-to-reach adversarial networks in the world. In defense of our Nation, we conduct innovative research and produce hardware and software tools unlike anything in the world. By joining our team, you will apply and grow your expertise to create new ways to get critical information to our national decision makers. Whether it is in software, hardware, or cutting-edge research, if you are up for a challenge, have unbridled curiosity, and a drive to develop tomorrow's technologies and tools today, apply to join our team. Use your unique experiences and expertise to protect national security interests as part of the world's most advanced team of computer science and engineering professionals!
Applicants may be considered for direct placement positions or for the following NSA Development Program:
CNODP - Computer Network Operations Development Program
For additional information on development programs please visit: www.intelligencecareers.gov/NSA/nsadevprograms.html
For any questions regarding CNODP, please email CNODP@nsa.gov.
If you have interests, skills, or experience in one or more of the following areas, we'd like to hear from you:
- Software Specialties: Strong software development skills (C, C++, Assembly, ARM); Software RE/interactive debugging tools (e.g., Ghidra, OllyDbg, gdb); Software application vulnerability analysis and exploitation; Operating system internals; Mobile platform development and analysis; algorithmic analysis; prototyping.
- Malware Reverse Engineer: Perform advanced malware analysis/reverse engineering of specialized malware/complex files. CISSP, CEH, GREM, GPEN certifications are a plus.
- Hardware Specialties: - Hardware RE, design, development, or testing (Verilog, VHDL, FPGA, PCB); Testing and debugging tools (JTAG, Oscilloscopes, etc.);
Job roles may include:
- Developing exploitation capabilities and analytics to enable foreign target network collection
- Designing hardware components and systems to further signals intelligence missions
- Analyzing sophisticated malware
** When submitting your application, please ensure that you fully populate all sections of the resume tool with all relevant skills, experience, and education, as the resume entered into the tool will be the primary resume used to evaluate your application. Please do NOT populate the resume tool with 'see resume.' **
** Please upload a copy of your transcripts from all schools attended into your Candidate Profile, prior to applying for this position. Unofficial transcripts are fine at this stage. Minimum qualifications for this position require a degree that demonstrates a concentration of computer science (CS) courses in foundational CS areas.**
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- All applicants and employees are subject to random drug testing in accordance with Executive Order 12564.
Qualifications
ENTRY/DEVELOPMENTAL
Entry is with a Bachelor's degree and no experience. An Associate's degree plus 2 years of relevant experience may be considered for individuals with in-depth experience that is clearly related to the position.
The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position.
Degree must be in Computer Science (CS), Mathematics, Engineering, or a related field. Degrees in Information Technology, Information Systems, Information Security, Networking (Systems Administration), Information Assurance, or Cybersecurity may be considered relevant if the programs contain, at minimum, a concentration of courses in the following foundational CS areas: algorithms; computer architecture (not network architecture); programming methodologies and languages; data structures; logic and computation; and upper-level mathematics (for example, calculus, discrete mathematics).
Relevant experience must be in one or more of the following: engineering hardware or software over their lifecycle (i.e., requirements analysis, design, development, implementation, testing, integration, deployment/installation, and maintenance), programming, vulnerability analysis, penetration testing, computer forensics, or systems engineering. Completion of military training in a relevant area such as JCAC (Joint Cyber Analysis course) will be considered towards the relevant experience requirement (i.e., 24-week JCAC course will count as 6 months of experience).
Education
Degree must be in Computer Science (CS), Mathematics, Engineering, or a related field.
Additional information
Pay: Salary offers are based on candidates' education level and years of experience relevant to the position and also take into account information provided by the hiring manager/organization regarding the work level for the position.
Salary Range: $87,362 - $123,388 (Entry/Developmental)
Salary range varies by location, work level, and relevant experience to the position.
Training will be provided based on the selectee's needs and experience.
Benefits: NSA offers a comprehensive benefits package.
Work Schedule: This is a full-time position, Monday - Friday, with basic 8hr/day work requirement between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (flexible).
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
The ideal candidate is someone who thrives on solving hard problems, has excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and is able to:
- work independently as well as in a team environment to build solutions
- handle multiple assignments
- synthesize information to solve complex problems
- develop, diagnose, and operate complex computer systems
Additionally, the ideal candidate is someone with knowledge and experience in one or more of the following:
- programming and scripting experience (e.g., C, C++, Assembly, ARM, Python)
- computer networking (e.g., communication protocols, distributed systems, Internet of Things, real-time systems, routing and switching)
- protocol analysis (e.g. Wireshark, tcpdump)
- hardware and software vulnerability analysis
- software reverse engineering/interactive debugging tools (e.g., Ghidra, IDA Pro, Ollydbg, gdb)
- hardware reverse engineering tools (e.g., JTAG, Oscilloscopes)
- software development life-cycle (design, develop, implementation, debug, testing)
- kernel and device driver development
- network/socket programming
- embedded systems development
- operating systems
- algorithm analysis and design
- reverse engineering
Required Documents
The National Security Agency (NSA) is part of the DoD Intelligence Community Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). All positions in the NSA are in the Excepted Services under 10 United States Codes (USC) 1601 appointment authority. DoD Components with DCIPS positions apply Veterans' Preference to eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. If you are a veteran claiming veterans' preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you may be asked to submit documents verifying your eligibility.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.