Systems Engineer IV

Socket.dev; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

ARSIEM Corporation seeks an experienced Electrical Engineer to lead the Chip-Off Forensics Lab for a government client in Arlington, VA. You will guide hardware forensics, chip extraction, and low-level device analysis, serving as the technical lead for lab setup and infrastructure.

Ideal candidates have 10+ years in electrical engineering, PCB design expertise, and hands-on forensics experience. The role requires active TS/SCI clearance and the ability to procure and operate specialized lab

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field; advanced degrees preferred.
• 10+ years in electrical engineering or hardware design.
• Expert PCB design, circuit analysis, and digital electronics knowledge.
• Strong chip extraction and hardware forensics experience.
• Proficient with electronic test equipment (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters).
• Understanding embedded systems architecture and memory technologies.
• Experience with microcontrollers, SoCs, and embedded processors.
• Data recovery from damaged or protected storage devices.
• Strong soldering/de-soldering to access memory chips.
• Experience reverse engineering proprietary hardware systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and setup of Chip-Off Forensics Lab infrastructure at a government facility.
• Provide expert guidance on chip extraction, PCB analysis, and hardware forensics.
• Develop and document chip-off workflows and SOPs.
• Conduct forensic analysis of network-edge devices and embedded systems.
• Perform circuit board reverse engineering and component identification.
• Extract data from flash memory and storage components.
• Procure laboratory equipment and forensic tools.
• Train analysts on chip-off techniques and procedures.
• Collaborate with SMEs on hardware requirements.
• Document findings and forensic methodologies.

Skills

Electrical Engineering

PCB Design

Hardware Forensics

MCU Platforms

Data Recovery

Soldering Skills

Circuit Analysis

Embedded Systems

Documentation

Forensic Techniques

Education

Bachelor in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Logic Analyzers

Multimeters

Job description

About ARSIEM Corporation

At ARSIEM Corporation we are committed to fostering a proven and trusted partnership with our government clients. Weprovide support to multiple agencies across the United States Government. ARSIEMhas an experienced workforce of qualified professionals committed to providing the best possible support.

As demand increases, ARSIEM continues to provide reliable and cutting-edge technical solutions at the best value to our clients.That means a career packed with opportunities to grow and the ability to have an impact on every client you work with.

ARSIEM is looking for an Electrical Engineer to lead the establishment and operation of Client’s Chip-Off Forensics Lab, providing expert technical guidance on hardware forensics, chip extraction, and low-level device analysis. This senior position requires deep expertise in electrical engineering principles applied to forensic investigations of network-edge devices and embedded systems containing deeply embedded malware where standard forensic methods cannot obtain usable device images.

This position serves as the technical lead for lab establishment and will be the primary point of contact for laboratory infrastructure, equipment procurement, and technical capability development. The ideal candidate will have strong project leadership abilities combined with deep hands-on technical expertise.

This position will support one of our Government clients in Arlington, VA.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical design and setup of Chip-Off Forensics Lab infrastructure at government facility
• Provide expert guidance on chip extraction, PCB analysis, and hardware-level forensics
• Develop and document chip-off forensics workflows and standard operating procedures
• Conduct forensic analysis of compromised network-edge devices and embedded systems
• Perform circuit board reverse engineering and component identification
• Extract and analyze data from flash memory, EEPROM, and other storage components
• Design and implement safe chip removal and data recovery procedures
• Specify and procure laboratory equipment and forensic tools
• Collaborate with Nightwing SMEs on hardware and skillset requirements
• Train CSD analysts on chip-off forensics techniques and procedures
• Conduct lab demonstrations showcasing chip-off capabilities
• Analyze proprietary hardware systems targeted by threat actors
• Support forensic investigations where EDR solutions are absent or insufficient
• Document technical findings and forensic methodologies
• Provide reach-back support and technical consultation to analysts

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or related discipline; Master’s degree or PhD preferred
• 10+ years of experience in electrical engineering or hardware design
• Expert knowledge of PCB design, circuit analysis, and digital electronics
• Strong experience with chip extraction and hardware forensics techniques
• Proficiency with electronic test equipment (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters)
• Understanding of embedded systems architecture and memory technologies
• Experience with microcontrollers, SoCs, and embedded processor platforms
• Knowledge of data recovery from damaged or protected storage devices
• Strong soldering and de-soldering components to access memory chips and other critical hardware for data extraction
• Experience with reverse engineering proprietary hardware systems
• Excellent documentation and technical writing abilities

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting federal cybersecurity or forensics program
• Background in digital forensics or incident response
• Knowledge of firmware analysis and reverse engineering
• Experience with network-edge device security and vulnerabilities
• Familiarity with JTAG, SPI, I2C, and other hardware debugging interfaces
• Understanding of IoT and OT device architectures
• Experience training technical personnel on forensics methodologies
• Knowledge of malware embedded in hardware or firmware
• Familiarity with EDR limitations in embedded device environments
• Professional Engineer (PE) license or equivalent advanced certification preferred
• PMP
• DoD 8140.01 IAT Level III

Clearance Requirement

This position requires an Active TS/SCI clearance and the ability to obtain Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Entry on Duty (EOD) Suitability.

Candidate Referral

Do you know someone who would be GREAT at this role? If you do, ARSIEM has a way for you to earn a bonus through our referral program for persons presenting NEW (not in our resume database) candidates who are successfully placed on one of our projects. The bonus for this position is $3,500, and the referrer is eligible to receive the sum for any applicant we place within 12 months of referral. The bonus is paid after the referred employee reaches 6 months of employment.

ARSIEM is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affi... All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age, or any other federally protected class.