Secure Software and Cryptography Engineer

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Secure Software and Cryptography Engineer

Date Posted: 27 October 2026

Closing Date: 17 November :59 CET/CEST

Directorate: Technology, Engineering and Quality

This is a non-renewable postfor a limited duration of 4 years andopen for the specific needs of a National Project.Accordingly, the external candidate selected for this post will continue to be considered an external candidate for the purposes of any future applications to the Agency.

Description

Secure Software and Applied Cryptography Engineer in the System Security Section (TEC-SES), End-to-End Systems Division, Systems Department, Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality.

The System Security Section is responsible for end-to-end system security engineering for the Agency’s missions, projects and activities across space, ground and user segments and communication links, at system, subsystem, element and equipment levels. Its responsibilities span the mission lifecycle from the study phase and definition of requirements to design, development, security integration and verification, and security service preparation, across the full stack, from the physical to the application layer.

To fulfil these functions, the System Security Section defines and conducts the associated research and development (R&D) activities and studies and implements the necessary security engineering standards.

Using its security laboratory facilities, the System Security Section performs vulnerability assessments across all areas within its remit and proposes detection methods and mitigation and protection measures using security assessment tools and equipment.

This position will support a third-party activity aimed at developing a national security evaluation laboratory capability.

Duties

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

• supporting the Project Manager by providing recommendations, guidance and plans for test and evaluation laboratory capability development and technologies for software security evaluation;
• regular reporting to the Project Manager on the status of the duties assigned under the project;
• engaging directly with and advising national customers and ESA experts on options for developing and maturing software security evaluation capability;
• deriving technical requirements and reviewing, assessing and evaluating project proposals, including the security design, development, implementation, qualification and validation;
• fostering new security application areas for multidisciplinary activities, placing emphasis on innovative concepts and cutting-edge technologies in the field of software security evaluation;
• supporting laboratory activities as required;
• continuously following technological and scientific developments relevant to the position, particularly emerging threats, exploits and industry trends;
• contributing, as requested, to other technical activities beyond the main project in your area of expertise.

Applied cryptography and cryptographic engineering

Cryptographic side-channel and protocol security

Software vulnerability analysis, testing and fuzzing

Security evaluation standards and certification

Software security evaluation methodologies and laboratory capability development

Result Orientation
Operational Efficiency
Fostering Cooperation
Relationship Management
Continuous Improvement
Forward Thinking

A master’s degree in a relevant field and, in principle, three years of relevant professional experience are required for this post. Alternatively, candidates with a bachelor’s degree and an additional four years of relevant professional experience may be considered.

Additional requirements

In-depth knowledge of the following:

• source code review and static code analysis;
• secure C/C++ programming;
• root causes of vulnerabilities (memory safety, undefined behaviour, integer overflow and underflow, null pointer deference, concurrency and race conditions, input validation, error handling, resource exhaustion, use-after-free and format-string issues);
• compiler transformations and compiler/linker security features;
• serialisation and parsing;
• inter-process communication;
• entropy sources and estimation, DRBG construction and health tests;
• design of modules intended for NIST FIPS-140 validation or equivalent security assurance frameworks, such as EUCC;
• standards such as FIPS 140-3 and FIPS 197, current PQC standards, and code review standards applicable to test and evaluation facilities;
• secure protocols and related attacks a