Secure Software and Cryptography Engineer - European Space Agency (Redu)

About this position

The summary below is published by European Space Agency on the official vacancy notice. Our own analysis — salary realism, comparable openings, career trajectory, language profile — follows further down the page.

Key responsibilities

According to the vacancy notice, the role centres on the following duties:

• Support the Project Manager by providing recommendations, guidance and plans for test and evaluation laboratory capability development and technologies for software security evaluation
• Provide regular reporting to the Project Manager on the status of duties assigned under the project
• Engage directly with and advise national customers and ESA experts on options for developing and maturing software security evaluation capability
• Derive technical requirements and review, assess and evaluate project proposals, including security design, development, implementation, qualification and validation
• Foster new security application areas for multidisciplinary activities, placing emphasis on innovative concepts and cutting-edge technologies in software security evaluation
• Support laboratory activities as required
• Continuously follow technological and scientific developments relevant to the position, particularly emerging threats, exploits and industry trends
• Contribute to other technical activities beyond the main project in area of expertise as requested

Are you eligible?

Check these requirements from the notice before investing time in an application:

• Education: Master's degree in a relevant field, or alternatively a bachelor's degree with an additional four years of relevant professional experience
• Experience: In principle, three years of relevant professional experience required; alternatively, bachelor's degree holders may be considered with four additional years of relevant professional experience. At least three years of experience in a security certification or testing laboratory is desirable, preferably in cryptographic evaluation.
• Key skills: Secure software engineering and code analysis, 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, Source code review and static code analysis, Secure C/C++ programming, Timing attacks, Compiler transformations and compiler/linker security features

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: 4 years, non-renewable.

Working arrangements: On-site at ESEC, Redu, Belgium.

Hiring unit: System Security Section (TEC-SES), End-to-End Systems Division, Systems Department, Directorate of Technology, Engineer….

Position details

Reference

1451832833

Last Verified

27 October 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Secure Software and Cryptography Engineer at ESA based in Redu (Other). The vacancy reference is 1451832833.

Job Requisition ID:21079

Date Posted:27 October 2026

Closing Date:17 November 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication Method:External Only

Directorate:Technology, Engineering and Quality

This is a non-renewable post for a limited duration of 4 years and open 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.

Location ESEC, Redu, Belgium

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.

Technical competencies

Secure software engineering and code analysis

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

Behavioural competencies

Education and professional experience

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); - timing attacks; - compiler transformations and compiler/linker security features; - secure API design; - secure key/secret handling; - serialisation and parsing; - inter-process communication; - entropy sources and estimation, DRBG construction and health tests; - applied cryptography, including post-quantum (PQC); - 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; - fuzzing; - secure protocols and related attacks and vulnerabilities (downgrade and replay attacks, state-machine vulnerabilities and failure behaviour).

In addition, experience in the following would be beneficial:

- formal testing standards for evaluating cryptographic implementations used by national or nationally qualified test and evaluation facilities; - working with classified information.

At least three years of experience in a security certification or testing laboratory is desirable, preferably in cryptographic evaluation.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 27 October 2026, today.

The application deadline is 17 November 2026, 20 days from today. Late applications are not accepted, so submit through the official EU Careers portal well in advance.

Last verified against the EU Careers feed on 27 October 2026.

Where to learn more

For headcount, mission, and other open vacancies at ESA see the ESA institution page; for the cost of living, correction coefficient, and other postings in Redu see our Redu location page.

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