Subject Matter Expert Hardware Reverse Engineer

NewGen Technologies; Arlington (VA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

NewGen Technologies in Arlington, Virginia is looking for a Subject Matter Expert in Hardware Reverse Engineering to assist U.S. Government customers with incident response and cybersecurity efforts. The role involves evaluating and addressing cyber threats to hardware assets, including performing reverse engineering of compromised systems.

Ideal candidates will possess extensive experience in hardware forensics, along with solid skills in software reverse engineering. The position requires U.S. citizenship and an active TS/SCI clearance.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in hardware reverse engineering or embedded systems analysis.
• Deep expertise in OT/ICS hardware platforms and vulnerabilities.
• Experience analyzing proprietary systems with limited documentation.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive hardware reverse engineering of OT and IC devices.
• Perform vulnerability analysis and identify exploitation risks.
• Provide expert consultation on edge device security.

Skills

Hardware reverse engineering

Firmware analysis

Strong programming skills (Python, C, Assembly)

Communication skills

Analytical and problem-solving abilities

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline

Master’s degree or PhD preferred

Tools

IDA Pro

Ghidra

Binary Ninja

Job description

Subject Matter Expert Hardware Reverse Engineer

Our Partner is supporting a U.S. Government customer to provide support for onsite incident response to civilian Government agencies and critical asset owners who experience cyber-attacks, providing immediate investigation and resolution. Contract personnel perform investigations to characterize the severity of breaches, develop mitigation plans, and assist with the restoration of services. They are seeking a Subject Matter Expert with hardware reverse engineering to support this critical customer mission.

This position requires deep technical knowledge of proprietary hardware systems, exploitation methodologies, and defensive strategies to support forensic investigations of compromised edge devices and systems where threat actors have embedded malware deeply within hardware components.

This position focuses on the analytical and investigative aspects of hardware forensics, with particular emphasis on operational technology and industrial control systems. The ideal candidates will have strong reverse engineering skills and deep understanding of threat actor methodologies targeting critical infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive hardware reverse engineering of OT and IC devices
• Analyze network-edge devices and embedded systems compromised by advanced threats
• Perform deep-dive analysis of proprietary hardware targeted by adversaries
• Conduct reverse engineering, failure analysis, vulnerability analysis, and other research techniques to understand complex hardware systems, assess the functionality of components, and identify exploitation risks
• Identify and extract deeply embedded malware from hardware components
• Reverse engineer firmware and low-level software on embedded devices
• Collaborate with Partner research teams to leverage cutting-edge analytical capabilities
• Utilize and enhance KI2 system emulation capabilities for hardware analysis
• Document exploitation methodologies and defensive countermeasures
• Develop standard operating procedures for hardware forensics workflows
• Train CSD analysts on hardware reverse engineering techniques
• Provide expert consultation on edge device security and vulnerabilities
• Support forensic investigations in environments lacking EDR visibility
• Analyze proprietary communication protocols and embedded systems functions
• Identify hardware backdoors, implants, and malicious modifications
• Collaborate with electrical engineers on chip-off forensics procedures
• Provide reach-back support to operational analysts during active investigations
• Contribute to research initiatives on emerging hardware threats
• Document technical findings and intelligence for stakeholder dissemination

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship
• Active TS/SCI Clearance
• Must be able to obtain DHS Suitability
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or related discipline; Master’s degree or PhD preferred
• 10+ years of experience in hardware reverse engineering or embedded systems analysis
• Deep expertise in OT/ICS hardware platforms and vulnerabilities
• Ability to analyze novel or proprietary systems with limited documentation
• Strong communication skills for explaining complex technical findings
• Experience working collaboratively in research-oriented environments
• Strong experience with firmware reverse engineering and analysis
• Proficiency with reverse engineering tools (IDA Pro, Ghidra, Binary Ninja)
• Deep understanding of ARM, MIPS, PowerPC, and other embedded processor architectures
• Experience analyzing network-edge devices (routers, switches, firewalls, IoT devices)
• Knowledge of hardware debugging interfaces (JTAG, SWD, UART)
• Strong programming and scripting skills (Python, C, Assembly)
• Understanding of exploitation techniques targeting embedded systems
• Experience with malware analysis in hardware/firmware contexts
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities

Desired Skills

• Experience supporting federal cybersecurity or critical infrastructure protection programs
• Experience performing inspection, imaging, decapsulation, deprocessing, and other activities related to hardware reverse engineering and exploitation in a state-of-the-art microelectronics exploitation laboratory
• Background in offensive security or penetration testing of OT environments
• Advanced certifications in reverse engineering (GREM, GXPN, or similar)
• Experience with SCADA, PLC, RTU, and other industrial control components
• Knowledge of critical infrastructure sector technologies (energy, utilities, manufacturing)
• Familiarity with supply chain security and hardware implant detection
• Experience with system emulation platforms and virtual hardware analysis
• Understanding of threat actor TTPs targeting OT and edge devices
• Background in electronics manufacturing or hardware security research
• Experience with chip decapsulation and invasive hardware analysis techniques

Desired Certifications

• DoD 8140.01 IAT Level III
• PMP