Software Engineer (SkillBridge Intern) - 23875

Job Description

This is an UNPAID internship through the DoD SkillBridge Program for transitioning active-duty US military personnel. DoD SkillBridge Internships are available to help transitioning active-duty military personnel gain real-world experience in the work force sometime during their final 180 days of active-duty service. The intern will actively train on meaningful projects and work closely with a mentor and with senior company leadership. HII Mission Technologies Internship programs are focused on placing transitioning military into internships that require KSAs, Education & Military Training similar to their current or previous military jobs; positions that could easily transition over to a full-time regular and permanent job with HII. 

Objective

The Skillbridge intern will train as a Software Engineer within HII-Mission Technologies, reporting to a designated HII Supervisor, with the goal of learning Software Engineering basics and principles, and who can effectively contribute to HII MT's reverse engineering team, with practical experience in hardware/software analysis and development within a cleared environment.  The intern will be assigned special projects as needed.

Desired End State (3-4 month target)

At the end of three months, the intern will gain:

• Technical Proficiency
  • Master fundamental reverse engineering techniques using industry tool
  • Develop competency in FPGA design software and hardware description languages
  • Gain hands-on experience with object-oriented programming in C++ and Python
• Project Integration
  • Contribute to live projects involving microelectronics trust and assurance
  • Learn to document and integrate discoveries into existing codebase
  • Develop test suites to validate code functionality
• Professional Development
  • Understand DoD/cleared facility work environment protocols
  • Learn collaborative development practices through code review process
  • Gain experience with version control systems and development workflows

• Mission Technologies will benefit from the military background of the SkillBridge intern and considers the SkillBridge internship an overall positive experience.

Assumptions/Restrictions

• If candidate is selected and approved, SkillBridge Intern can travel in conjunction with this internship; HII Mission Technologies will fund all travel costs.
• SkillBridge Intern will possess at minimum an Active Secret Security Clearance.
• SkillBridge Intern will be available during core hours for critical meetings and training.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Training Location: Roanoke, VA (in-person)

Training Plan

PHASE 1: FUNDAMENTALS AND TOOLS INTRODUCTION (Weeks 1-4)

Week 1: Orientation and Basic Tools

• Security protocols, facility procedures, and DoD workplace expectations
• Setup of development environment and introduction to version control (git)
• Basic logic gate review and Boolean mathematics refresher

Week 2: Programming Foundations

• C++ fundamentals and modern C++ features (C++17 and STL)
• Python programming essentials for hardware engineering
• Introduction to hardware description languages (Verilog/VHDL basics)

Week 3: Hardware Tools

• FPGA development environment setup (Quartus/Vivado)
• Basic FPGA design workflows and simulation
• Introduction to EDA tools and synthesis concepts

Week 4: Reverse Engineering Basics

• Introduction to reverse engineering methodology
• Hands-on training with IDA Pro and Ghidra
• Basic hardware analysis techniques

PHASE 2: SUPERVISED PROJECT WORK (Weeks 5-8)

Week 5: Initial Project Integration

• Team workflow introduction and code review process
• Small-scale reverse engineering assignments
• Documentation practices and codebase familiarization

Week 6: Component Analysis

• Guided hardware component reverse engineering
• Implementation of findings into source code
• Test suite development fundamentals

Week 7: Tool Development

• Contributing to internal software tools
• Debugging and optimization techniques
• Integration with existing systems

Week 8: Advanced Analysis

• Complex system analysis techniques
• Microcontroller and embedded systems exploration
• Formal verification tool introduction

PHASE 3: INDEPENDENT PROJECT CONTRIBUTION (Weeks 9-12)

Week 9: Project Assignment

• Independent reverse engineering project assignment
• Planning and documentation of approach
• Initial analysis and tool selection

Week 10: Implementation

• Code development for assigned project
• Test suite creation
• Regular code reviews and feedback integration

Week 11: Integration and Testing

• System integration of developed components
• Comprehensive testing and validation
• Documentation completion

Week 12: Final Phase

• Project presentation and knowledge transfer
• Final code review and optimization
• Program completion and transition planning

Success Metrics:

• Completion of assigned reverse engineering projects
• Demonstrated proficiency in tool usage
• Quality of code contributions and documentation
• Effective team collaboration and communication
• Understanding of security protocols and procedures

Additional Goals:

• Event Support 
• Product Sprint Planning

Minimum Qualifications

Active-Duty Military ONLY within final 180 days of active-duty service. Applications accepted within final 12 months of active-duty military service. Education and Experience dependent on Program of Instruction.

• Must have Bachelor’s Degree in a relavant field
• Must have the ability to obtain a US DoD issued security clearance.

#LI-RM1

Preferred Requirements

• SECRET security clearance preferred 

Physical Requirements

Physical Requirements will vary and is dependent on the Program of Instruction.