Software Developer I (System Security)

Nightwing•Huntsville, AL

About The Position

Join Nightwing's Products team to develop and enhance multi-layered cyber resiliency solutions that protect mission-critical systems. The software-based products provide OS-level protections for Windows, Linux, and VxWorks environments, securing execution environments, applications, and data at rest and during execution, and implementing cyber detection and response mechanisms. The role is intended for an early-career developer interested in operating-system internals and low-level security engineering, with the opportunity to learn kernel programming and driver development with mentorship from senior engineers. The team’s solutions have been field-deployed since 2009 to protect data and applications on Department of Defense weapon systems and platforms. The work addresses threats from adversaries who have gained escalated privileges or bypassed traditional security controls, and includes cryptographic binding of sensitive software to trusted hardware and integration with Hardware Root of Trust solutions. Nightwing describes the role as contributing to technology supporting national security and offers access to tools, training, and technologies.

Requirements

Academic and/or internship experience in software development.
C/C++ skills and a basic understanding of memory management, pointers, and low-level programming concepts.
Familiarity with software and hardware debugging.
Familiarity with Git or other version control concepts.
Ability to learn new technical concepts.
Typically requires a university degree in a STEM field such as Computer Science or Software Engineering.
Must meet the requirements to obtain and maintain a Secret government security clearance.
U.S. citizenship is required; applicants may be subject to a security investigation and must meet minimum qualifications for access to classified information.

Nice To Haves

Understanding of operating-system concepts, including process/thread management, memory management, I/O systems, and interrupt handling.
Assembly language experience, such as x86_64 or ARM, including reading and debugging at the instruction level.
Experience with scripting languages such as Python or Batch for automation and testing.
Familiarity with security concepts such as cryptography, threat modeling, and attack surfaces.
Comfort reading documentation, source code, and assembly when needed.
Interest in operating-system internals, low-level security engineering, and learning kernel development.

Responsibilities

Develop and enhance OS-level security features that operate deep within the operating system.
Build detection and response mechanisms to counter advanced persistent threats.
Implement cryptographic binding of sensitive software to trusted hardware.
Integrate with Hardware Root of Trust (HRoT) solutions.
Help protect against sophisticated attacks from well-funded adversaries.
Support Windows, Linux, and VxWorks platforms.
Learn kernel programming and driver development with mentorship from senior engineers.