Junior Firmware Engineer Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Are you driven by curiosity, energized by complex challenges, and motivated to dissect the unknown? Join a cutting‑edge team where your expertise directly shapes mission outcomes and national security. We’re looking for engineers who excel at uncovering how systems work (and why), thrive in an environment where innovation moves fast and the stakes are high.

If you enjoy pushing boundaries, experimenting with new approaches, and delivering solutions that make a measurable impact — this is the role for you.

HII Mission Technologies (HII MT) is seeking talented engineers who are excited to work in a flipped engineering environment. Our team in Roanoke, VA specializes in reverse engineering and microelectronics trust and assurance. Candidates for this position will lead a team performing reverse engineering tasks on existing products and encoding discoveries directly into our codebase. Additional tasks involve the research, design, and development of innovative algorithms to automate challenging or time‑consuming tasks within the reverse engineering domain. Candidates will be exposed to and become proficient with a variety of technologies involving hardware description languages, embedded instruction architectures, high‑level software development languages, formal verification tools, and more.

The ideal candidate will have experience with object‑oriented design and an understanding of basic logic gates. We are particularly looking for candidates that have experience with FPGA design (Quartus, Vivado, ISE), embedded system design, EDA tools (synthesis, P&R, simulation), and/or microcontrollers. Experience with software reverse engineering is also valued in this position.

Level 2 salary range: 85,000-90,000

Level 3 salary range: 120,000-130,000

Level 4 salary range: 145,000-160,000

Level 5 salary range : 170,000-185,000

Candidates will be responsible for leading reverse engineering efforts into systems of interest and mentoring junior engineers in the reverse engineering and development processes. Candidates will be expected to communicate clearly and effectively and demonstrate the ability to architect maintainable solutions to complex problems. Effective collaboration with teammates on the development of new ideas and accepting constructive feedback through the code review process is required. Candidates may also be expected to implement algorithms created by hardware engineers or from academic sources with limited documentation.

Candidates must be U.S. citizens and be willing and able to obtain a DoD security clearance (if not already cleared).

Level 2 : 2 years relevant experience with Bachelors in related field; 0 years experience with Masters in related field; or High School Diploma or equivalent and 6 years relevant experience.

Level 3: 5 years relevant experience with Bachelors in related field; 3 years relevant experience with Masters in related field; 0 years experience with PhD or Juris Doctorate in related field; or High School Diploma or equivalent and 9 years relevant experience.

Level 4: 9 years relevant experience with Bachelors in related field; 7 years relevant experience with Masters in related field; 4 years relevant experience with PhD or Juris Doctorate in related field; or High School Diploma or equivalent and 13 years relevant experience.

Level 5 : 15 years relevant experience with Bachelors in related field; 13 years relevant experience with Masters in related field; 10 years relevant experience with PhD or Juris Doctorate in related field; or High School Diploma or equivalent and 19 years relevant experience.

• Are a United States citizen with the ability to obtain and maintain a DOD security clearance
• Have extensive experience with object‑oriented programming languages (C++, Java, Python)
• Have exposure to basic logic gates and Boolean math (AND, OR)
• Have the ability to learn new skills quickly

• Already possess an active security clearance
• Have experience with modern C++ standards C++17) and STL
• Have experience with Python
• Can demonstrate the use of design patterns
• Familiarity with Verilog or VHDL
• Have experience with FPGA design software (Quartus, ISE, Vivado, etc.)
• Have experience with software reverse engineering (IDA Pro, Ghidra, Binary Ninja etc.)
• Are proficient with source control systems (git, svn, perforce, etc.)
• Have experience with the code review process
• Have experience with binary patching
• Have experience bypassing encryption schemes (power glitching, side channel attacks, etc.)
• Have published research regarding cybersecurity, software exploitation, or reverse engineering

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, or veteran status or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please send an e‑mail to buildyourcareer@hii-co.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Reasonable accommodations are considered on a case‑by‑case basis. Please note that only those inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this e‑mail address. Additionally, you may also call 1-844-849-8463 for assistance. Press #3 for HII Mission Technologies.