Capabilities Development Engineer (CDS) - Defense Tech

CNSS • National Security Systems; Carvel Beach (MD); On-site; USD 105,000 - 197,000; Full time

Job summary

NSA seeks Capabilities Development Specialists (CDS) to join the world\'s most advanced team of CS and engineering professionals. You will develop offensive and defensive capabilities, analyze sophisticated malware, and design hardware and systems for signals intelligence at Fort George G.

Meade Complex, MD. Ideal candidates have strong software/hardware design, development, testing or reverse engineering skills, with priority given to expertise in C, C++, Java, kernel/device driver work, and

Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, or related field with foundational CS courses.
• Experience across the hardware/software lifecycle (requirements, design, development, testing, deployment, maintenance).
• Vulnerability analysis, penetration testing, computer forensics, or systems engineering experience.
• Military training (e.g., JCAC) counted towards experience.

Responsibilities

• Developing exploitation capabilities and analytics to enable foreign target network collection.
• Designing hardware components and systems to further signals intelligence missions.
• Analyzing sophisticated malware.

Skills

C

C++

Java

Kernel development

Device driver development

Embedded systems development

Network programming

Socket programming

Malware reverse engineering

Software reverse engineering

Hardware design

Hardware reverse engineering

RF system design

Assembly

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS, Mathematics, Engineering or related field

Tools

Ghidra

OllyDbg

gdb

JTAG

Oscilloscopes

FPGA

Verilog

VHDL

PCB

Job description

NSA seeks Capabilities Development Specialists (CDS) to join the world\'s most advanced team of CS and engineering professionals. You will develop offensive and defensive capabilities, analyze sophisticated malware, and design hardware and systems for signals intelligence at Fort George G.

Meade Complex, MD. Ideal candidates have strong software/hardware design, development, testing or reverse engineering skills, with priority given to expertise in C, C++, Java, kernel/device driver work, and