Software Cybersecurity Engineer V/VI

Title: Software Cybersecurity Engineer V/VI Location: United States

Position Summary

Zone 5 Technologies is seeking a Software Cybersecurity Engineer to lead the design, development, and implementation of cybersecurity protections for advanced unmanned aircraft systems, embedded software, and mission-critical defense platforms.

This hands-on technical leadership role is responsible for integrating cybersecurity throughout the product lifecycle, including embedded software, hardware interfaces, communications, cryptographic protections, and secure software deployment.

The ideal candidate possesses deep technical expertise in embedded systems security, software engineering, threat analysis, and secure system architecture, with the ability to translate complex security requirements into practical, mission-ready solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead cybersecurity architecture and engineering activities for embedded flight software, mission-critical systems, and supporting applications.

• Design and implement protections against unauthorized access, software exploitation, malicious modification, and cybersecurity threats.

• Develop and integrate secure boot, cryptographic key management, software signing, secure storage, authentication, and integrity verification mechanisms.

• Conduct threat modeling, attack surface analysis, vulnerability assessments, and cybersecurity risk evaluations across hardware and software interfaces.

• Define cybersecurity requirements, architecture, verification methods, and technical acceptance criteria.

• Collaborate with Software, Systems, Hardware, GNC, and Platform Engineering teams to integrate security protections without compromising mission performance, real-time constraints, or system safety.

• Lead product security testing, vulnerability remediation, penetration testing coordination, and cybersecurity verification activities.

• Establish secure software development practices and support automated security analysis within CI/CD pipelines.

• Develop cybersecurity technical documentation, security control evidence, risk assessments, and security engineering artifacts.

• Support customer technical reviews, cybersecurity assessments, and applicable DoD security requirements.

• Provide technical mentorship and guidance to engineering teams on secure architecture, secure coding, and embedded cybersecurity practices.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Cybersecurity, or equivalent technical experience.

• 8+ years of relevant experience in cybersecurity, embedded software engineering, systems security, or related disciplines.

• Strong programming experience in C, C++, Python, or comparable systems programming languages.

• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing cybersecurity protections for embedded systems, real-time operating systems, or resource-constrained computing platforms.

• Strong understanding of cryptography, secure boot, authentication, software integrity, and secure communications.

• Experience conducting threat modeling, vulnerability analysis, and security architecture reviews.

• Knowledge of hardware/software security boundaries, processor security features, and secure software deployment.

• Ability to independently develop technical solutions and lead cybersecurity engineering activities across multidisciplinary teams.

• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with aerospace, defense, unmanned systems, or other mission-critical embedded platforms.

• Experience with ARM-based processors, VxWorks, embedded Linux, or similar real-time operating environments.

• Knowledge of hardware roots of trust, trusted execution environments, and secure key provisioning.

• Familiarity with NIST SP 800-53, NIST SP 800-160, NIST SP 800-171, RMF, CMMC, and applicable DoD cybersecurity requirements.

• Experience with secure software supply chains, SBOMs, software signing, and automated security testing.

• Familiarity with safety-critical systems, MIL-STD-882, and cybersecurity considerations in airworthiness and system safety.

• Experience with GitHub Enterprise, GitHub Actions, Docker, Artifactory, and embedded development toolchains.

• Experience developing cybersecurity architectures, security control matrices, security verification procedures, and risk assessments.

• Active U.S. security clearance.

What Success Looks Like

The successful candidate will establish practical, effective cybersecurity protections that are integrated into Zone 5 products from initial architecture through deployment.

This individual will balance security, safety, performance, and operational requirements while ensuring our systems remain resilient against cyber threats, unauthorized access, and software vulnerabilities.

Level V: $176,000 - $223,000/yr. 

Level VI: $196,000 - $250,000/yr.