Summary

Are you a computer science or computer/electrical engineering professional? Do you have strong software or hardware design, development, testing or reverse engineering skills? Do you want to be part of a team that develops ground breaking solutions?

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Federal employees - Excepted service

Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluation criteria.

Students

Current students enrolled in an accredited high school, college or graduate institution.

Recent graduates

Individuals who have graduated from an accredited educational institute or certificate program within the last 2 years or 6 years for Veterans.

Individuals with disabilities

Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A.

Duties

Are you driven by a passion to work at the cutting edge of technology? Do you dream to make the impossible possible? The National Security Agency is seeking highly motivated Computer Science and Computer/Electrical Engineering professionals to drive its mission to develop new capabilities, design new approaches, help solve complex problems, and research new solutions to propel our mission.

As a Capabilities Development Specialist (CDS), your job will be to develop custom high-priority offensive and defensive capabilities targeting the hardest-to-reach adversarial networks in the world. In defense of our Nation, we conduct innovative research and produce hardware and software tools unlike anything in the world. By joining our team, you will apply and grow your expertise to create new ways to get critical information to our national decision makers. Whether it is in software, hardware, or cutting-edge research, if you are up for a challenge, have unbridled curiosity, and a drive to develop tomorrow's technologies and tools today, apply to join our team. Use your unique experiences and expertise to protect national security interests as part of the world's most advanced team of computer science and engineering professionals!

If you have interests, skills, or experience in one or more of the following areas, we'd like to hear from you:

Software Specialties: Strong software development skills (C, C++, Assembly, ARM); Software RE/interactive debugging tools (e.g., Ghidra, OllyDbg, gdb); Software application vulnerability analysis and exploitation; Operating system internals; Mobile platform development and analysis; algorithmic analysis; prototyping.
Malware Reverse Engineer: Perform advanced malware analysis/reverse engineering of specialized malware/complex files. CISSP, CEH, GREM, GPEN certifications are a plus.
Hardware Specialties:
Hardware RE, design, development, or testing (Verilog, VHDL, FPGA, PCB); Testing and debugging tools (JTAG, Oscilloscopes, etc.);

Job roles may include:

Developing exploitation capabilities and analytics to enable foreign target network collection
Designing hardware components and systems to further signals intelligence missions
Analyzing sophisticated malware

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a security background investigation and polygraph.

Qualifications

The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position.

Degree must be in Computer Science (CS), Mathematics, Engineering, or a related field. Degrees in Information Technology, Information Systems, Information Security, Networking (Systems Administration), Information Assurance, or Cybersecurity may be considered relevant if the programs contain, at minimum, a concentration of courses in the following foundational CS areas: algorithms; computer architecture (not network architecture); programming methodologies and languages; data structures; logic and computation; and upper-level mathematics (for example, calculus, discrete mathematics).

Relevant experience must be in one or more of the following: engineering hardware or software over their lifecycle (i.e., requirements analysis, design, development, implementation, testing, integration, deployment/installation, and maintenance), programming, vulnerability analysis, penetration testing, computer forensics, or systems engineering. Completion of military training in a relevant area such as JCAC (Joint Cyber Analysis course) will be considered towards the relevant experience requirement (i.e., 24-week JCAC course will count as 6 months of experience).

ENTRY/DEVELOPMENTAL
Entry is with a Bachelor's degree and no experience. An Associate's degree plus 2 years of relevant experience may be considered for individuals with in-depth experience that is clearly related to the position.

Additional information

Pay: Salary offers are based on candidates' education level and years of experience relevant to the position and also take into account information provided by the hiring manager/organization regarding the work level for the position.

Salary Range: $86,498 - $122,157 (Entry/Developmental)
Salary range varies by location, work level, and relevant experience to the position.

Training will be provided based on the selectee's needs and experience.

Benefits: NSA offers a comprehensive benefits package.

Work Schedule: This is a full-time position, Monday - Friday, with basic 8hr/day work requirement between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (flexible).

DCIPS Trial Period:
If selected for this position, you will be required to serve a two-year DCIPS trial period, unless you are a veterans' preference-eligible employee, in which case you are required to serve a one-year trial period. This trial period runs concurrently with your commitment to the position, if applicable. Before finalizing your appointment at the conclusion of your trial period, NSA will determine whether your continued employment advances the public interest. This decision will be based on factors such as your performance and conduct; the Agency's needs and interests; whether your continued employment would advance the Agency's organizational goals; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
If you do not receive certification for continued employment, you should receive written notice prior to the end of your trial period that your employment will be terminated and the effective date of such termination.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

We're looking for someone with knowledge, skills, and experience in one or more of the following:

Programming in languages such as C, C++, and Java, especially in kernel development and device driver development, network/socket programming, and embedded systems development
Advanced malware analysis/reverse engineering skills for specialized malware/complex files. CISSP, CEH, GREM, GPEN certifications are a plus
Assembly language(s)
Hardware design (e.g., FPGA, VHDL, Verilog, PCB)
Hardware Reverse Engineering
RF system design (e.g., DSP, SDR)
Embedded systems development
Software reverse engineering/interactive debugging tools (e.g., Ghidra, OllyDbg, gdb)
Hardware analysis tools (e.g., JTAG, Oscilloscopes)
Software vulnerability analysis and exploitation

Required Documents

**VETERANS AND TRANSITIONING SERVICE MEMBERS**
Thank you for your service! The National Security Agency (NSA) is part of the Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). All positions at NSA are in the Excepted Service under Title 10, United States Codes (U.S.C.), Section 1601 appointment authority.

Veterans' Preference
In accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, "DoD Civilian Personnel Management System: Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System Employment and Placement," NSA applies veterans' preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5, U.S.C., to eligible candidates. If you are claiming veterans' preference, you are required to provide acceptable documentation of your preference eligibility upon application.

Acceptable documentation includes:

DD-214: "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions (Copy 4);

Certification of Service:

A written document on letterhead from the appropriate branch of the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is signed. The certification should include the military service dates, including the expected discharge or release date;
AND

Standard Form 15 (SF-15)

Application for 10-point Veteran Preference (http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf).

If you are claiming a service-connected disability of 30 percent or more, the documentation you provide must specifically demonstrate this level of disability;
AND

VA Letter of Disability (for 10pt and Sole Survivorship rating)

You may obtain a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs reflecting your level of disability for preference eligibility by visiting a VA Regional Office, contacting a VA call center, or online (https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/).

**Failure to provide sufficient documentation of veterans' preference eligibility may preclude NSA from identifying you as a preference eligible candidate during the hiring selection process.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Please visit our application site to apply: https://apply.intelligencecareers.gov/job-description/1251135

Agency contact information

NSA POC

Phone

1-844-424-4737

intelcareers@nsa.gov

Next steps

Please visit our application site to apply: https://apply.intelligencecareers.gov/job-description/1251135

Overview

Accepting applications

Open & closing dates

11/04/2025 to 11/07/2025

Salary

$86,498 to - $122,157 per year

Pay scale & grade

GG 7 - 9

Location

few vacancies in the following location:

Fort Meade, MD

Remote job

Telework eligible

Travel Required

Not required

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.

Appointment type

Permanent

Work schedule

Full-time

Service

Excepted

Promotion potential

None

Job family (Series)

0854 Computer Engineering

Supervisory status

Security clearance

Top Secret

Drug test

Yes

Position sensitivity and risk

Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

Trust determination process

National security

Financial disclosure

Bargaining unit status

Announcement number

1251135

Control number

849456800

US National Security Agency/Central Security Service

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