Embedded Systems Software Engineer - #1695781

Software Engineer (Embedded Systems for Mobile Devices)

Location: Edinburgh, Scotland

Job Type: Full-time

Reports To: Engineering Team Lead

About our client: Our client is a mobile security development company, based in Edinburgh.

About the Role: We are seeking a motivated and technically skilled Software Engineer to join our client's team working on embedded system programming for mobile devices, with a focus on mobile application security. This role offers the opportunity to combine your passion for system-level programming with security analysis to help enhance and extend the SDK component of a mobile app and API security solution. As part of a collaborative team, you will investigate how mobile apps interact with the underlying operating systems, assess security mechanisms, and contribute to the development of techniques, detections and defences to secure apps against evolving threats. You will play a crucial role in translating system-level insights into practical solutions that strengthen the security posture of their clients' applications.

Key Responsibilities:

Application Security Solution Development:

• Leverage system insights to enhance and extend existing detections and defences for the mobile app and API security solution.


• Develop and implement SDK enhancements to broaden the appeal and applicability of the solution.


• Collaborate with the server team to ensure seamless integration and partitioning of functionality between the SDK and the associated cloud services.

Mobile Device Research & Analysis:

• Investigate and understand the interface between mobile apps and the host system across platforms such as Android, iOS, and HarmonyOS Next.


• Generate internal and external reports and blogs from investigations to feed into marketing or further development projects.


• Keep up to date with industry news: device and OS capabilities, vulnerabilities, builtin services, and new and evolving hacker tools with a view to their applicability to the solution.

Reverse Engineering & Security Testing:

• Use reverse engineering techniques, pen-test tools such as instrumentation frameworks and rooting or jailbreaking methods during white hat exercises to understand the threat environment in which we work.


• Research and test methods for bypassing common app protection mechanisms, including encryption, obfuscation, and anti-debugging.

Cross-Team Collaboration:

• Work closely with colleagues to translate investigation outcomes into actionable security enhancements.


• Participate in design and code reviews, providing feedback and recommendations for improving solution quality.


• Collaborate in-office with team members to foster an environment of shared learning and rapid iteration.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

Education:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, or a related field.

Programming Languages:

• Proficiency in C/C++ for system-level programming and embedded development.


• Experience or familiarity with Java, Kotlin, Swift, and Objective-C for mobile development.


• Knowledge of TypeScript for HarmonyOS Next development is a plus.

Mobile OS Knowledge:

• Solid understanding of mobile operating systems, including Android, HarmonyOS Next, iOS and watchOS.


• Familiarity with Linux kernel internals and system-level security features.

Security & Debugging Tools:

• Experience with or interest in security analysis and reverse engineering tools, such as:


• Instrumentation Frameworks (e.g., Frida, Xposed)


• Mobile Dev Environments and Debuggers (e.g. Android Studio, Xcode)


• Rooting & Jailbreaking Tools (e.g., Magisk, Checkra1n)


• 
  Cloud Integration:


• An understanding of cloud-based systems and how mobile apps interact with cloud services

Desirable Skills & Experience:

• Experience in developing or integrating mobile application security solutions.


• Knowledge of mobile security frameworks and standards (e.g., OWASP Mobile Top 10).


• Familiarity with Continuous Integration (CI) pipelines and version control systems (e.g., Git).


• Hands-on experience in debugging and performance profiling of mobile applications and system components.