Principal Engineer

Job Summary :We're seeking a Senior Embedded Software Engineer to lead the design, integration, development, maintenance and certification of a modular cryptographic framework for mission-critical embedded systems.If you have passion for cryptography, embedded programming, and aerospace innovation, join us to advance secure aerospace computing. What You Will Do: Lead the evaluation and procurement of off-the-shelf cryptographic libraires from external vendors or chipset suppliers, selecting optimal solutions based on performance, compliance and integration ease. In case where suitable external cryptographic libraries are unavailable, design and develop custom modular cryptographic components (e.g., AES, SHA-3, ECC or post quantum primitives) adhering to secure coding practices and formal verification and and aerospace standards to minimize risks and ensure reusability Direct integration of selected (or custom-developed) libraries in to embedded system through development of standardized peripheral drivers compatible with diverse chip vendors (e.g., ARM, Power PC etc.) and common driver services in a modular framework Collaborate with hardware, security, and systems teams to prototype integrations, document APIs/frameworks, make design decisions, prepare usage guidelines and recommend production-scale adaptations. Build and test applications leveraging this framework, demonstrating end-to-end hardware security concepts with cryptographic operations like encryption/decryption, digital signature, key management, and authentication in aerospace environments. Implement secure boot processes, including firmware validation, chain-of-trust establishment, and hardware root of trust integration. Conduct verification and validation testing, including unit/integration testing, security audits and performance benchmarking, to verify interoperability and compliance. Conduct security analyses, including side channel attack mitigations (e.g. timing, power analysis) and formal verification of cryptographic implementations Mentor engineers across embedded development lifecycle, sharing cryptographic best practices, conduct code reviews, and enforce adherence to coding standards e.g., MISRA, CERT guidelines Monitor emerging updates to libraries, standards and aerospace security threats in order to plan roadmap of the project; contribute to patches when required Perform and coordinate dedicated risk assessment for cryptographic integrations and overall security concepts to identify, prioritize, and mitigate vulnerabilities, threats and failure modules in embedded environments. Qualifications You Must Have: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electronics and Communication, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace engineering, Computer Science or a closely related field; advanced degree preferred. 5+ years of experience in embedded software development, with at least 2 years focused on cryptographic integration and development Deep proficiency in C/C++ for low level embedded programming; including bare metal, real-time operating systems environments (e.g., VxWorks, FreeRTOS) Demonstrated expertise in interfacing with multi-vendor hardware peripheral, such as SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, Ethernet, and cryptographic accelerators on platforms with chipset vendors TI, NXP etc. Proven track record integrating commercial crypto libraries and (e.g., mbedTLS, wolfSSL, OpenSSL derivatives) in to embedded systems, with successful deployments in secure applications Experience with implementing cybersecurity controls on hardware platforms e.g., secure boot mechanism including cryptographic firmware signing, secure provisioning, and chain-of-trust validation In depth knowledge of security validation frameworks for embedded systems Excellent analytical and debugging skills, with experience in prototyping development, security validation, and risk assessment in regulated and high-reliability environment. Ability to work collaboratively in cross-functional teams, with strong communication skills for technical documentation documentation and stakeholder briefings. Qualifications We Prefer: Expertise in developing abstraction layers for driver interoperability across chip vendors, including Hardware Abstraction Layer(HAL) design for peripherals Strong familiarity with aerospace, safety critical and security standards, such as DO-326A, DO-355, DO-356, DO-254, DO178C (up to DAL A/B), ARINC 653, FIPS, Common Criteria, and MISRA C guidelines Familiarity with communication protocols e.g., ARINC 429, AFDX, CAN, MIL-STD-1553 Extensive experience in software library and driver development for embedded systems, including protocols such as I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, Ethernet to build modular, processor agnostic modules/libraries with configuration options for specific tuning Hands-on experience with hardware security primitives and tools for formal verification Familiarity with agile methodologies and tools like Git, Jira and CI/CD pipelines e.g., Jenkins tailored for embedded systems Active contributions to open-source security or embedded projects (e.g., GitHub) or prior engagement with vendor ecosystem. Knowledge of emerging standards like post-quantum cryptography and their integration in to libraries Publications, patents, or contributions to cryptographic / open-source projects in embedded contexts Excellent tech documentation skills for certification workflows e.g., FAA/EASA Collins Aerospace, a Raytheon Technologies company , is a leader in technologically advanced and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defence industry. Collins Aerospace has the capabilities, comprehensive portfolio and expertise to solve customers’ toughest challenges and to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global market.