Research Engineer II

USC’s Information Sciences Institute (ISI), a unit of the university’s Viterbi School of Engineering, is a world leader in the research and development of advanced artificial intelligence, information processing, computing, cybersecurity, and communications technologies. ISI’s 350 faculty, professional staff and graduate students carry out extraordinary information sciences research at three distinct locations - Marina Del Rey, CA; Arlington, VA; and Waltham, MA.

*This position is located in Marina del Rey, CA.  Remote & hybrid work options are available.*

The Networking & Cybersecurity Division at ISI is looking for a Research Engineer II.

JOB ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Help develop technologies that tackle two high risk attack vectors for 5G communications. This includes creating solutions for recognizing malicious and surveillance base stations and providing a mechanism for devices to connect to specific benign base stations. Further, through sophisticated and complex network analytics, develop mechanisms for communications to avoid untrusted network regions across the global Internet and provide safe paths to trusted networks.

• Supports the technical needs of research projects by implementing solutions in one or more programming languages. Maintains currency with and applies best practices in design, implementation, and engineering. Independently implements solutions to targeted research systems issues and tools to support project goals. Reviews and provides feedback on technical implementation of others. Independently performs most research assignments with instructions as to the general results expected

• Collaborates with senior researchers to translate domain-specific needs into implemented solutions. Applies domain-specific knowledge, gained from independent research, to implement project solutions. Demonstrates domain expertise and technical contributions in several related research areas. 

• Works as a member of a team, working closely with supervisor(s) on technical progress and challenges. Provides formal supervision to more junior staff as a part of a larger team. May serve as sole contributor and provide informal mentorship to projects for which they are not directly working on. Helps establish best practices within and/or across projects.

• Summarizes progress for project reports. Participates in meetings with external collaborators and/or cross-group meetings about program-level direction. May serve as the primary representative for the team. Presents work to external audiences.

• Learns new technology required to support project goals via tutorials, reading research publications and/or attending appropriate conferences. Stays informed of new developments and technologies by reading journals and other pertinent publications and participating in professional meetings and workshops.

• Promotes an environment that fosters inclusive relationships and creates unbiased opportunities for contributions through ideas, words, and actions that uphold principles of the USC Code of Ethics.

• Performs other related duties as assigned or requested.  The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS / EXPERIENCE

• Strong systems programming background, with an emphasis on security, using languages like C, C++, Go, and Rust.

• Strong understanding of networking protocols at all layers of the protocol stack.

• Strong understanding of wireless network communications at multiple layers, from physical to control.

• Ability to analyze the behavior of a niche protocol suites (e.g. 5G, Bluetooth) compare the tradeoffs to the more traditional networking stack.

• Ability to work independently on a large research programming project with minimal oversight.

• Work well in a collaborative setting and possess a strong work ethic.

The annual base salary range for this position is $104,773 - $117,048. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

The University of Southern California values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity in employment.

Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree Minimum Experience: 5 years Minimum Skills: Knowledge of one or more relevant programming languages (e.g., Python, C++, Goolang). Experience with Linux. Experience with Virtual LAN and/or Virtual Extensible LAN. Experience with Melanox Switches. Experience with SDN programming. Experience with Ansible, Bash and Nagios. Experience with Prometheus. Familiarity with and Simple Network Management Protocol. Experience with applicable IT protocols (e.g., Border Gateway Protocol, Secure Shell, Transport Layer Security). Experience with iptables and Network File System.