Fort George G. Meade Complex, MD
Pay Plan: GG, Grade: 07/1 to 12/10
Open: 2024-04-18, Close: 2024-05-18
Responsibilities
NSA is a world leader in both the protection and exploitation of intelligence. NSA’s mission is to collect and process foreign intelligence to answer critical questions from policy makers, our military, and our national leaders. While very few of the action movies you watch about NSA describe our protect mission, defending US critical infrastructure from attack is extremely important as well. At the end of the day, our job is to keep the Nation safe and informed about potential threats from foreign adversaries.
Cryptanalysis, or codebreaking, is at the heart of NSA. Cryptanalysts monitor, collect, and process encrypted communications from foreign nations who may post a threat to the United States. We perform the cryptanalytic mission on encrypted foreign collection containing bespoke encryption algorithms and strong commercial cryptography. Additionally, cryptanalysts provide solutions to authenticate and enable computer network exploitation of the United States’ foreign adversaries. Our outcomes yield the highest impact intelligence and security outcomes for NSA and the Nation.
If you enjoy reverse engineering code and working with low level languages, this may be a great position for you. Cryptanalysis has incredible teams made up of analysts with a multitude of backgrounds, including computer science, computer engineering, cybersecurity, and more. If you would like to leverage your background and be a part of our exciting mission, apply now!
Job Summary
The responsibilities of a Cryptanalytic Programmer for our organization vary as we have a very broad mission set. However, at the core of our tradecraft is the ability to perform software reverse engineering and an analytic mindset. We actively pursue analysis of various types of technologies, and formulate hypotheses. The position requires frequent communications between technical and customer organizations as well.
Qualifications
The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position.
Degree must be in Computer Science (CS), Mathematics, or Engineering. Related fields (e.g., Information Technology, Information Systems) may be considered relevant if the programs contain, at minimum, courses in 4 out of 6 of the following CS/math areas: algorithms; computer architecture (not network architecture); logic and computation; programming methodologies and languages; data structures; and mathematics (calculus or above) or statistics.
Relevant experience must be in one or more of the following: cryptanalysis, programming, math, statistics, ethical hacking, or network security at the operating systems level or deeper.
ENTRY/DEVELOPMENTAL
Entry is with a Bachelor’s degree and no experience.
FULL PERFORMANCE
Entry is with a Bachelor’s degree plus 3 years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree plus 1 year of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree and no experience.
Competencies
The ideal candidate will have 1 year+ experience with low level programming (C, C++, Assembly).
Skills (required):
Proficiency in C/C++
Experience with software debugging
Software reverse engineering tradecraft
Skills (preferred):
Network protocol analysis
Operating System/Kernel knowledge
Vulnerability research
Cryptography basics
Pay, Benefits, & Work Schedule
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: $85,052 – $149,026 (Entry/Developmental, Full Performance)
Salary range varies by location, work level, and relevant experience to the position.
On the job training, internal NSA courses, and external training will be made available based on the need and experience of the selectee.
Benefits: NSA offers excellent benefits to include relocation assistance, flexible work schedules, generous leave programs, paid personal fitness time, training and continuing education classes, health and life insurance, Federal Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), and a Federal retirement plan.
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).
How to apply
Apply soonest, as job postings can close earlier than stated end dates due to changes in requirements. It is important to review and note the minimum qualifications, as only those applicants who meet the required qualifications will be contacted to continue the employment process. Please populate the resume tool to showcase any relevant work experience and education related to the position and answer any applicable screening questions. Information collected will be used to determine eligibility, and failure to provide accurate information may result in disqualification for this position.
A confirmation email will be sent after submission of the first application and also after any future updates to submitted applications. **Due to time sensitive communications regarding applications, please ensure your spam filters are configured to accept email from noreply@intelligencecareers.gov. For job vacancies that include stated testing requirements, also include the following: @uwe.nsa.gov, @nsa.gov, and @pearson.com**
U.S. Citizenship is required for all applicants. NSA is an equal opportunity employer and abides by applicable employment laws and regulations. NSA is also committed to the promotion of diversity within its workforce. All applicants and employees are subject to random drug testing in accordance with Executive Order 12564. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a security background investigation and polygraph. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to applicants with disabilities during the application and hiring process where appropriate. Please visit our Diversity link for more information https://www.intelligencecareers.gov/NSA/diversity-and-inclusion.
DCIPS Disclaimer
The National Security Agency (NSA) is part of the DoD Intelligence Community Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). All positions in the NSA are in the Excepted Services under 10 United States Codes (USC) 1601 appointment authority. DoD Components with DCIPS positions apply Veterans’ Preference to eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. If you are a veteran claiming veterans’ preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you may be asked to submit documents verifying your eligibility.
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