Capabilities Development Specialist

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?

Major 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! 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, prior to applying for this position. Unofficial transcripts are fine at this stage. Providing a copy of your transcripts is essential since the minimum qualifications for this position may require a degree that demonstrates a concentration of Computer Science (CS) courses in foundational CS areas.**

Qualifications

FULL PERFORMANCE Entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 3 years of relevant experience or a Master's degree plus 1 year of relevant experience or a Doctoral degree and no experience. An Associate's degree plus 5 years of relevant experience may be considered for individuals with in-depth experience that is clearly related to the position. SENIOR Entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 6 years of relevant experience or a Master's degree plus 4 years of relevant experience or a Doctoral degree plus 2 years of relevant experience. An Associate's degree plus 8 years of relevant experience may be considered for individuals with in-depth experience that is clearly related to the position. EXPERT Entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 9 years of relevant experience or a Master's degree plus 7 years of relevant experience or a Doctoral degree plus 5 years of relevant experience. An Associate's degree plus 11 years of relevant experience may be considered for individuals with in-depth experience that is clearly related to the position.

Education

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).

Promotion Potential

GG-None

How You Will Be Evaluated

We're looking for someone with knowledge, skills, and experience in one or more of the following: - Programming in languages such as C, C++, and Java, especially in kernel development and device driver development, network/socket programming, and embedded systems development - Advanced malware analysis/reverse engineering skills for specialized malware/complex files. CISSP, CEH, GREM, GPEN certifications are a plus - Assembly language(s) - Hardware design (e.g., FPGA, VHDL, Verilog, PCB) - Hardware Reverse Engineering - RF system design (e.g., DSP, SDR) - Embedded systems development - Software reverse engineering/interactive debugging tools (e.g., Ghidra, OllyDbg, gdb) - Hardware analysis tools (e.g., JTAG, Oscilloscopes) - Software vulnerability analysis and exploitation

Who Can Apply

• Open to the public

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.

How to Apply

https://apply.intelligencecareers.gov/job-description/1259766

What to Expect Next

https://apply.intelligencecareers.gov/job-description/1259766

Other 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: $105,262 - $197,200 (Full Performance, Senior, Expert) 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).