Cybersecurity Embedded Software Engineer

Viasat; Carlsbad (CA); Hybrid; USD 174,000 - 261,000; Full time

Job summary

Viasat in the United States is seeking an Embedded Software Engineer – Cybersecurity to design, develop, and deploy secure embedded terminal systems for government satellite infrastructure.

You will collaborate with software, security, and automation teams to integrate security into the full SDLC, automate CI/CD pipelines, and ensure authentication and data integrity across Linux devices.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Strong C and C++ development and debugging skills on Linux.
• Experience with encryption and authentication software.
• Experience with OpenSSL cryptographic libraries.
• Working knowledge of Linux security controls.
• Proficiency with Bash and scripting languages such as Python or Lua.
• Experience in Agile, Perforce or Git-based development environment.
• Ability to work autonomously and mentor junior engineers.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, a related field or equivalent experience.
• Must be able to work out of our office in Carlsbad, CA or Germantown, MD 3 days per week; hybrid role.
• Ability to Obtain and Maintain a United States Secret Clearance required.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, document, troubleshoot, and maintain security-focused embedded software.
• Develop automated access controls for systems and devices.
• Integrate security tools into CI/CD pipelines including static and dynamic analysis.
• Configure, enforce, and tune security tool policies.
• Triage and analyze security scan results.
• Develop technical documentation and security test plans.
• Automate configuration and validation of Linux security settings.
• Create scripts and tools for managing secrets, keys, and digital certificates.
• Research and prototype security mechanisms for development and production environments.
• Evaluate Linux controls for cybersecurity and privacy compliance.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with product, test, and security teams.

Skills

C/C++

Linux development

Encryption & authentication

OpenSSL

Scripting: Bash/Python

CI/CD automation

Mentor junior engineers

Linux security controls

Agile / Git

US security clearance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/Engineering or related field

Tools

Linux device drivers

Kernel crypto modules

REST APIs

JSON

Docker/Podman/LXC

TLS/IPsec

Job description

About us

One team. Global challenges. Infinite opportunities. At Viasat, we’re on a mission to deliver connections with the capacity to change the world. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the globe communicate. We’re looking for people who think big, act fearlessly, and create an inclusive environment that drives positive impact to join our team.

What you’ll do

We are looking for an Embedded Software Engineer - Cybersecurity to join our Government team! Our team develops satellite modems and terminals that communicate over multi-band satellite systems, including the Viasat-3 global constellation. As an Embedded Software Engineer – Cybersecurity, you will collaborate with software, security, and automation engineers to design, develop, and deploy secure embedded terminal systems. This role emphasizes secure software development across the full SDLC, including automation, testing, deployment, and continuous integration in both development and production environments. There may be opportunities for non-security related feature development as well.

This role directly contributes to the security, reliability, and scalability of our global satellite terminal infrastructure.

The day-to-day

• Design, develop, test, document, troubleshoot, and maintain security-focused embedded software
• Develop automated access controls for systems and devices
• Integrate security tools into CI/CD pipelines including static and dynamic analysis
• Configure, enforce, and tune security tool policies
• Triage and analyze security scan results
• Develop technical documentation and security test plans
• Automate configuration and validation of Linux security settings
• Create scripts and tools for managing secrets, keys, and digital certificates
• Research and prototype security mechanisms for development and production environments
• Evaluate Linux controls for cybersecurity and privacy compliance
• Collaborate cross-functionally with product, test, and security teams

What you’ll need

• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience
• Strong C and C++ development and debugging skills on Linux
• Experience with encryption and authentication software
• Experience with OpenSSL cryptographic libraries
• Working knowledge of Linux security controls
• Proficiency with Bash and scripting languages such as Python or Lua
• Experience working in an Agile, Perforce or Git-based development environment
• Ability to work autonomously and mentor junior engineers
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, a related field or equivalent experience
• Must be able to work out of our office in Carlsbad, CA or Germantown, MD 3 days per week; hybrid role
• Ability to Obtain and Maintain a United States Secret Clearance required

What will help you on the job

• Deep knowledge of Linux OS internals including threading, synchronization, memory management, and networking
• Experience with Linux device driver development and kernel crypto modules
• Experience implementing REST APIs and working with JSON
• Experience configuring and debugging embedded HTTP/HTTPS servers
• Strong foundations in data structures and algorithms
• Experience designing and implementing network security protocols
• Experience with Agile / Scrum methodologies
• Experience with modern C++ standards (C++17 and newer)
• Experience with ARM, Power and x86 architectures
• Knowledge of Trusted Execution Environments like ARM TrustZone
• Knowledge of hardware security with TPM
• Experience with secure transport protocols such as TLS and IPsec
• Experience with virtualized environments: Docker/Podman/LXC containers
• Experience with confidential containers
• Experience with secure firmware update and OTA software integrity mechanisms
• Experience with threat modeling and structured vulnerability analysis

Salary range

$140,500.00 - $221,500.00 annually. For specific work locations within San Jose, the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, the base pay range for this role is $174,000.00- $261,000.00 annually.

EEO Statement

Viasat is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, genetics, age, or veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status or characteristic. If you would like to request an accommodation on the basis of disability for completing this on-line application, please click here.