Hardware Security Engineering Undergrad Intern

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you’ll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators.

Join us and take your place in space. The Aerospace Corporation is hiringa Hardware Security Engineering Undergrad Intern for the Cyber and Mission Technology Department (CMTD) in the Information Systems and Cyber Division (ISCD). This position will be full-time, onsite at our office in El Segundo, CA or Chantilly, VA.

Job Summary ISCD staff couple the latest in information system technologies, such as elastic compute clouds, containerization, microservices, real-time operating systems, and visualization frameworks, with expertise in cyber security, software architecture, software engineering, data science, Artificial Intelligence, process improvement, and software development to deliver responsive, resilient, high-performance software intensive systems to our Intelligence Community, DoD, and civilian customers. CMTD focuses on critical space systems in the areas of Hardware Security, Advanced Cryptography, Network Security, and Embedded/ Specialized Compute Solutions.

The group supports a variety of customers including the Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and other civil partners (e.g., NASA) to resolve unique challenges in implementation and research. The qualified candidate will become part of the Hardware Security and Specialty Engineering section of the Cyber and Mission Technology Department.

• Directly contribute to hardware security research, development, and applications while helping to secure National Security Space Systems.
• Define threat paths and develop guidance on FPGA/ASIC/embedded systems vulnerability mitigations.
• Demonstrate the ability to diagnose, troubleshoot, and debug both hardware and firmware issues effectively.
• Assist in the development and improvement of microelectronics assurance policy, requirements and documentation.
• Collaborate with other Aerospace departments and external organizations to develop new technical demonstrations and capabilities.
• Learn and grow through new work opportunities, trainings, and mentorship from experienced staff

• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Ability to collaborate effectively in a team environment
• Possess organizational, time management and project management skills
• Demonstrate flexibility and ability to adapt to changing organizational need
• Interpersonal skills to coordinate efforts and work with other internal and external organizations

• Minimum Requirements Currently enrolled at an accredited college/university degree program pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, or related program.
• Availability to work full-time for a minimum of 10 weeks outside of university term and ability to return to a degree program full- time after completion of the internship.
• Minimum GPA 3.0
• Experience with FPGA design, including familiarity with HDLs (VHDL, Verilog, and System Verilog) and major vendor tools (AMD Xilinx, Microchip, and Intel Altera).
• Experience with embedded system design (e.g., Xilinx Zynq/Microblaze, ARM, Altera NIOS)
• Experience in coding and scripting with languages such as C, C++, Python, Perl, or Shell
• Hands-on…