Research Engineer

About the Opportunity

About the Khoury College of Computer Sciences

Khoury College is committed to building a community of belonging among students, faculty and staff. We strongly encourage applicants from individuals with disabilities, veterans, and those with varied experiences and backgrounds. We invite you to join a fast-moving, ambitious college with an underlying mission that is driven by our motto of “CS for Everyone.”

About the Opportunity

The Security and Privacy Heterogeneous Environment for Reproducible Experimentation (SPHERE) is a newly funded National Science Foundation (NSF) mid-scale research infrastructure being built by the University of Southern California Information Sciences Institute and Northeastern University’s Khoury College of Computer Sciences. This research infrastructure will offer access to an unprecedented variety of hardware, software, and other resources relevant to cybersecurity and privacy research. These resources will be connected by a user-configurable network substrate and protected by security policies uniquely aligned with cybersecurity and privacy research needs.

The Research Engineer will help build this innovative cyberinfrastructure. The portion of SPHERE being developed at Northeastern University will focus on Internet of Things (IoT) device experimentation. The primary goal is to create the world’s largest remotely accessible IoT testbed, composed of dozens of samples of IoT devices across several categories and manufacturers, including smart speakers, smart televisions, and smart cameras.

In addition to hosting IoT devices, the SPHERE IoT testbed will provide programming interfaces for interacting with devices through all available modalities, including physical access, companion application access, and voice access. These interfaces will be remotely accessible, allowing users worldwide to interact with devices and conduct experiments without purchasing devices or building their own infrastructure. The IoT testbed will be complemented by tools for capturing network traffic produced by the devices, securely storing data, integrating with the broader SPHERE research infrastructure, and streamlining automated and repeatable experiments at scale.

This is a unique opportunity to join a vibrant team and conduct groundbreaking research supporting scalable, large-scale virtual access to diverse IoT hardware. This is a research position and is on-site at the Boston campus.

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education, and skills when extending an offer. Northeastern University provides a comprehensive benefits package for benefits-eligible employees, including medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness and life benefits, retirement benefits, and commuting and transportation benefits. Visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/ for more information.

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities

• Software Development Activities (70%): Design, implement, test, document, and maintain SPHERE software
• Support Activities (20%): Prepare project documentation and periodic reports, coordinate with project partners, and prepare and present testing demonstrations
• Learning (10%): Acquire and broaden knowledge of the technologies and development tools used by SPHERE

Minimum Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a closely related area; this requirement may be waived based on relevant software development work experience
• Fluency in at least one programming language
• Experience with Linux and software development tools, such as Git
• Resourcefulness, initiative, and the ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team

Preferred

• Experience or interest in system or network administration, the Internet of Things, and/or cybersecurity

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Position Type

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.

Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation. Visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/ for more information.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Compensation Grade/Pay Type:

Expected Hiring Range:

With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, and skills as well as a pay comparison to similarly-situated employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are subject to change.