Hardware Penetration Testing and Security Engineer (Multiple Levels)

Job Title

Hardware Penetration Testing and Security Engineer (Multiple Levels)

Role Summary

Hands-on offensive security engineer working in a hardware penetration testing lab on Qualcomm Snapdragon SoCs and chipsets. The role focuses on silicon-level attacks, cryptographic analysis, and developing test methodologies and tools to identify and mitigate hardware security vulnerabilities.

The engineer will operate within the GSOC Tech Security Lab in Cork and collaborate with Qualcomm security teams globally to evaluate and harden hardware and firmware implementations.

Experience Level

Mid-level. Typical candidates will have multiple years of relevant hardware/security experience (see Education Requirements for the posted combinations of degree and experience).

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities in the lab and cross-functional security engagements:

• Perform hardware and firmware penetration testing on SoCs and chipsets.
• Design and execute Side-Channel Attack (SCA) and Fault Injection (FI) experiments on real silicon.
• Evaluate cryptographic implementations (AES, RSA, SHA, DES) for vulnerabilities and weaknesses.
• Develop offensive tools, scripts, and repeatable methodologies for security evaluation.
• Analyze results, assess threat impact, and recommend effective countermeasures and mitigations.
• Collaborate with other Qualcomm security labs and stakeholders to share findings and remediation guidance.
• Support engagements involving government security certification frameworks where applicable.

Requirements

Core technical skills and domain experience expected for the role. Education-related requirements are summarized separately under Education Requirements.

• Must-have: Hands-on experience with Fault Injection (FI) or Side-Channel Attacks (SCA) and real-silicon experimentation.
• Must-have: Strong understanding of cryptographic algorithms and their hardware implementations.
• Must-have: Experience with hardware/firmware penetration testing on SoCs or similar platforms.
• Must-have: Proficiency in scripting/programming languages such as Python or C; familiarity with MATLAB is beneficial.
• Should have: Knowledge of microprocessor architecture and low-level hardware behavior.
• Should have: Familiarity with statistical analysis and entropy analysis for SCA data interpretation.
• Nice-to-have: Exposure to signal processing, data analytics, or machine learning applied to side-channel data.
• Nice-to-have: Familiarity with government security standards and certification processes.

Education Requirements

Minimum qualifications specify one of the following: Bachelor's degree in Science, Engineering, or a related field plus 4+ years of ASIC design/verification/validation/integration or related experience; OR Master's degree in Science, Engineering, or related field plus 3+ years; OR PhD in Science, Engineering, or related field plus 2+ years. Applications with equivalent practical experience will be considered.

About the Company

Company: Qualcomm

Headquarters: San Diego, California, United States

Qualcomm is a global leader in semiconductor and telecommunications equipment, specializing in mobile technologies and innovations. Known for its Adreno GPUs, the company provides solutions enabling advancements in mobile gaming, AI, VR/AR, and autonomous driving. Qualcomm's cutting-edge technology and commitment to high-performance, power-efficient designs drive the evolution of mobile graphics and connectivity worldwide.