Systems Engineer IV – Electrical Engineer (Hardware Forensics Lead)

ARGO Cyber Systems; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Argo Cyber Systems seeks an experienced Systems Engineer IV to establish and lead a government Chip-Off Forensics Laboratory supporting DHS cyber investigations. You will direct hardware forensic investigations on embedded devices, memory technologies, and SoC architectures, working with incident responders and reverse engineers to advance national cyber capabilities.

The role requires leading lab operations, developing SOPs, and ensuring chain-of-custody while aligning with DoD/DHS

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Active TS/SCI clearance or ability to obtain.
• 10+ years in electrical engineering or embedded hardware.
• Experience establishing or operating hardware laboratories.
• Strong soldering, desoldering, micro-rework skills.
• Ability to recover data from flash memory technologies.
• Experience with embedded processors, SoC architectures, and PCB analysis.

Responsibilities

• Lead establishment of a government Chip-Off Forensics Laboratory from design to readiness.
• Develop lab architecture, workflows, equipment standards, and SOPs.
• Serve as the technical authority for hardware forensic investigations.
• Evaluate advanced lab equipment and technologies; map future roadmap.
• Guide hardware forensic investigations across devices and ICS/IoT contexts.
• Collaborate with DHS engineers, incident responders, and external SMEs.
• Create repeatable forensic methodologies and maintain chain-of-custody.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related STEM

Master's degree or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering or CS

Tools

JTAG

SPI

UART

I²C

SWD

Oscilloscopes

Logic Analyzers

Multimeters

NAND Flash Recovery

eMMC Recovery

UFS Recovery

Job description

Systems Engineer IV - Electrical Engineer (Hardware Forensics Lead)

Location

Government Facility (Onsite)

Security Clearance

Active TS/SCI Required

Customer

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Employment Type

Full-Time

About Argo Cyber

Argo Cyber Systems is a veteran-owned cybersecurity company delivering advanced cyber operations, incident response, digital forensics, cloud security, and engineering services to the U.S. Government and critical infrastructure organizations. Our professionals support some of the Nation's most complex cybersecurity missions by combining technical expertise with operational excellence.

We are seeking an experienced Electrical Engineer / Hardware Forensics Lead to establish and lead a next-generation Chip-Off Forensics Laboratory supporting a high-priority DHS mission. This position is ideal for an engineer with deep expertise in embedded electronics, hardware reverse engineering, and forensic data extraction who enjoys solving technically challenging problems involving sophisticated cyber threats.

Position Overview

The Systems Engineer IV serves as the senior technical authority responsible for designing, establishing, and operating a government Chip-Off Forensics Laboratory supporting cyber incident response operations.

You will lead hardware forensic investigations involving compromised embedded devices, network appliances, IoT systems, industrial control systems (ICS), and proprietary electronics where traditional forensic methods cannot recover evidence.

Working alongside incident responders, malware analysts, digital forensic specialists, and reverse engineers, you will develop advanced hardware forensic capabilities that directly support national cybersecurity operations.

Primary ResponsibilitiesHardware Forensics Leadership

• Lead establishment of a government Chip-Off Forensics Laboratory from initial design through operational readiness.
• Develop laboratory architecture, workflows, equipment standards, and technical operating procedures.
• Serve as the technical authority for hardware forensic investigations.
• Evaluate and recommend advanced laboratory equipment and forensic technologies.
• Manage laboratory capability growth and future technology roadmap.

Hardware Analysis

• Perform chip-off forensic extraction from flash memory, NAND, NOR, EEPROM, eMMC, UFS, and other storage technologies.
• Conduct PCB analysis and reverse engineering.
• Analyze embedded processors, microcontrollers, FPGAs, and System-on-Chip (SoC) architectures.
• Recover digital evidence from damaged, encrypted, or inaccessible storage devices.
• Analyze hardware targeted by sophisticated threat actors.

Embedded Systems Security

• Conduct forensic analysis of embedded devices.
• Analyze firmware and bootloaders.
• Investigate hardware-assisted persistence techniques.
• Identify hardware modifications used to evade detection.
• Support investigations involving malware embedded within firmware or hardware components.

Laboratory Operations

• Specify, procure, install, and maintain laboratory equipment.
• Develop repeatable forensic methodologies.
• Create laboratory documentation and technical procedures.
• Ensure chain-of-custody requirements are maintained.
• Support quality assurance and continuous process improvement.

Technical Collaboration

• Partner with Nightwing SMEs, DHS engineers, and incident response teams.
• Provide technical consultation during active cyber investigations.
• Deliver reach-back engineering support for complex forensic cases.
• Participate in technology demonstrations and customer briefings.
• Train government analysts on advanced chip-off forensic techniques.

Required Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship
• Active Top Secret / SCI Clearance
• Ability to obtain DHS Suitability
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related STEM discipline
• 10+ years of professional experience in electrical engineering, embedded hardware design, digital electronics, or hardware security
• Demonstrated experience establishing or operating hardware laboratories
• Expert understanding of digital electronics and PCB architecture
• Strong soldering, desoldering, and micro-rework experience
• Experience recovering data from flash memory technologies
• Experience using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters, and related laboratory equipment
• Experience analyzing embedded systems and proprietary hardware
• Strong technical writing and documentation skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science
• Professional Engineer (PE) License
• DoD 8140 IAT Level III Certification
• PMP Certification
• Experience supporting DHS, DoD, FBI, NSA, or other Federal cyber programs
• Experience supporting incident response operations
• Experience performing firmware reverse engineering
• Knowledge of JTAG, SPI, UART, SWD, and I²C interfaces
• Experience with IoT, I²C interfaces
• Experience with NAND reconstruction and advanced flash recovery
• Familiarity with secure boot technologies and Trusted Platform Modules (TPM)

Desired Technical Skills

• Chip-Off Forensics
• Hardware Reverse Engineering
• Embedded Systems
• Digital Forensics
• PCB Analysis
• NAND Flash Recovery
• Firmware Analysis
• JTAG
• SPI
• UART
• I²C
• SWD
• Logic Analyzers
• Oscilloscopes
• eMMC
• UFS
• EEPROM
• SoC Architecture
• Embedded Linux
• ARM Processors
• Hardware Security
• Malware Analysis
• Digital Evidence Recovery
• ICS/OT Security

What Success Looks like

Within Your First Year You Will

• Successfully establish a fully operational Chip-Off Forensics Laboratory.
• Develop repeatable forensic workflows and standard operating procedures.
• Train government analysts on advanced hardware forensic techniques.
• Enable forensic recovery from devices that cannot be analyzed using conventional methods.
• Expand the customer's hardware forensic capabilities to support advanced cyber investigations.

Why Join Argo Cyber?

• Mission-focused work supporting national cybersecurity
• High-impact engineering challenges
• Opportunity to build a first-of-its-kind government capability
• Collaboration with nationally recognized cyber experts
• Access to cutting-edge forensic technologies
• Professional development and technical training
• Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits

Background & Drug Screening Disclaimer

• Criminal background checks (federal, state, and local)
• Employment and education verification
• Reference checks
• Drug screening (in compliance with federal and state law)
• Security clearance verification (as applicable for classified positions)

Argo Cyber Systems, LLC is committed to maintaining a safe, secure, and trusted workplace for all employees and our federal clients. Employment with Argo Cyber Systems is contingent upon successful completion of all required background investigations and pre-employment screenings, which may include, but are not limited to:

Candidates selected for employment in positions requiring access to sensitive or classified information may also be subject to additional U.S. Government background investigations and security adjudication processes, including DHS Entry on Duty (EOD) suitability or equivalent federal clearance requirements.

Argo Cyber Systems reserves the right to disqualify or rescind an offer of employment based on the results of any background or screening process that, in the company's judgment, may impact an individual's ability to perform essential job functions or meet contractual obligations.

All background investigations and screenings are conducted in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Candidates will be notified of their rights and provided an opportunity to review and dispute any adverse findings before final employment determinations are made.

Salary: $170000 - $220000 per year