Principal Systems Software Engineer
Oracle
Principal Systems Software Engineer
Oracle
Builds databases, business apps and cloud services
This role combines ethical hacking, vulnerability research, and clean-room reverse-engineering practices to understand how systems work, identify security weaknesses, and help engineering teams remediate them responsibly along with future proofing.
This role works closely with product, infrastructure, security, hardware, and platform teams, as well as external silicon and hardware vendors. You will be deeply hands-on, owning early prototypes through production-ready platform software and technical standards.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience in embedded security, hardware hacking, firmware analysis, reverse engineering, penetration testing, or vulnerability research.
Demonstrated commitment to ethical hacking and authorized research.
Proficiency in C programming and kernel-level debugging.
Several years of hands-on Unix/Linux kernel development experience preferred.
Knowledge of security technologies including TPM, Secure Boot, kernel signing, and encryption frameworks.
Working knowledge of hardware interfaces and protocols, including UART, JTAG, SPI, I²C, USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, or proprietary RF.
Ability to communicate technical findings to both engineering and non-technical stakeholders.
In depth knowledge of ARM, Intel, and AMD platforms and what chipsets do.
Career Level - IC4
Responsibilities:
Perform authorized security assessments of embedded, IoT, and hardware-based products.
Reverse engineer firmware, binaries, bootloaders, protocols, and device interfaces.
Analyze hardware using UART, JTAG/SWD, SPI, I²C, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and related lab tools.
Extract and assess firmware; identify attack surfaces, vulnerabilities, and insecure design patterns.
Conduct protocol, RF, wireless, and physical security testing, where authorized.
Develop proof-of-concept demonstrations in controlled environments and provide practical remediation guidance.
Reconstruct system behavior, document interfaces, and support clean room re implementations for interoperability or security research.
Build scripts and tooling to automate firmware analysis, testing, and repeatable security checks.
Produce clear technical reports with reproduction steps, severity, impact, and mitigation recommendations.
Work with engineering and product security teams to improve secure design, threat modeling, and product hardening.
Collaborate with silicon vendors on reference code, firmware updates, and firmware enablement.
Mentor engineers participate in design reviews, and define standards for maintainable, supportable, production-grade firmware across teams.
Oracle builds databases, business applications, and cloud infrastructure for companies and public-sector organizations. Oracle Database stores and processes business data, while Oracle Cloud Infrastructure provides computing, storage, and networking for applications and AI workloads. Fusion Cloud Applications support finance, human resources, supply chains, and customer service, helping businesses manage everyday operations and reporting. Customers pay for cloud subscriptions and usage, software licenses, support, hardware, and consulting, with deployment options in Oracle's cloud or their own data centers. Oracle was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.
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