Operational Cyber Researcher

BAE Systems Digital Intelligence is home to 4,500 digital, cyber and intelligence experts. We work collaboratively across 10 countries to collect, connect and understand complex data, so that governments, nation states, armed forces and commercial businesses can unlock digital advantage in the most demanding environments.

Our world class team of Cyber Researchers and Reverse Engineers tackle some of the most interesting problems with a meaningful and tangible impact on the national security of the UK. We are growing our Cyber Developer team significantly and are looking for a diverse range of talent from experienced Software Engineers with a proven track record to those with a keen interest and aptitude looking to develop their skills in this exciting space!

We have a community of technical specialists with a friendly and inclusive culture with great opportunities to learn from experts and make use of a carefully curated training plan with some of the best trainers and conferences available.

Job Summary

An operational cyber researcher is able to plan and perform research into a wide range of systems and technologies with a focus on discovering and exploiting weaknesses in their design or implementation. The role provides technical guidance for customers as well as supporting bids and proposals. An operational cyber researcher has broad skills which generally involve, but are not limited to, the following activities:

• Exploratory Research
• Vulnerability & Technical Research

Key Responsibilities

Researchers undertaking exploratory research are expected to:

• Rapidly summarise and assess new domains
• Provide domain knowledge for technical analysis, experimental development and subsequent engineering

Researchers undertaking vulnerability & technical research are expected to:

• Know which pen-testing and reverse engineering tools and methodologies are appropriate to a given problem
• Have experience of advanced vulnerability assessment techniques such as fuzzing and code injection

Researchers undertaking experimental development are expected to:

• Develop, assess and prioritize prototype and simulated capabilities

Mandatory Skills and Experience Required

A wide range of skills are required for Cyber Research. The number one skill is being able to think systematically and take logical steps towards deconstructing a complex system. For lower-level work, an intermediate/advanced understanding of how computers work is important (e.g. knowing the difference between the heap and the stack, and between compiled and interpreted languages).

More required skills for this role include:

• Technical writing
• Innovative problem solving
• Technical Analysis
• Scripting (e.g. with Python)
• Rapid development of prototypes or simulations (e.g. with C#)

Other Desirable Skills and Experience

As well as the above, an Operational Cyber Researcher will need skills and experience in at least one of the areas below. An ideal candidate will cover several areas.

• Skills

• Network traffic analysis
• Vulnerability analysis
• Exploratory Research: OSINT and interacting with SMEs
• Developing new research skills as appropriate

• Technical Leadership
• Team management
• Knowledge
• Network architecture and security
• Operating systems and firmware
• Standard and domain-specific protocols and data formats
• Assured development practices (at a high-level)

• Scripting languages (e.g. Python)
• Traffic capture and analysis tools (e.g. Wireshark)
• Debuggers (e.g. gdb)
• Decompilers (e.g. Hex-Rays Decompiler)
• Domain-specific simulation and development tools

How you will be supported:

Work-life balance is important; you’ll get 25 days holiday a year and, via our flexible benefits package the option to buy/sell and carry over from the year before. You can work around core hours with flexible and part-time working. Our flexible benefits package includes; private medical and dental insurance, a competitive pension scheme, cycle to work scheme, taste cards and more. You’ll have a dedicated Career Manager to help you develop your career and guide you on your journey through BAE Systems Digital Intelligence. Don’t know a particular technology? Your learning and development is key to your future career. You’ll be part of our bonus scheme. You are welcome to join any/all of our Diversity and Support groups. These groups cover everything from gender diversity to mental health and wellbeing.

Why BAE Systems?

This is a place where you’ll be able to make a real difference. You’ll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity, rewards integrity and merit, and where you’ll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and particularly from sections of the community who are currently under represented within our industry, including women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ individuals.

We also want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.

We are embracing Hybrid Working. This means you and your colleagues may be working in different locations, such as from home, another BAE Systems office or client site, some or all of the time, and work might be going on at different times of the day. By embracing technology, we can interact, collaborate and create together, even when we’re working remotely from one another. Hybrid Working allows for increased flexibility in when and where we work, helping us to balance our work and personal life more effectively, and enhance well-being.

Diversity and inclusion are integral to the success of BAE Systems Digital Intelligence. We are proud to have an organisational culture where employees with varying perspectives, skills, life experiences and backgrounds – the best and brightest minds – can work together to achieve excellence and realise individual and organisational potential.

Division overview: Government

At BAE Systems Digital Intelligence, we pride ourselves in being a leader in the cyber defence industry, and Government contracts are an area we have many decades of experience in. Government and key infrastructure networks are critical targets to defend as the effects of these networks being breached can be devastating. As a member of the Government business unit, you will defend the connected world and ensure the protection of nations. We all have a role to play in defending our clients, and this is yours.