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Junior Security Software Engineer

Hybrid in Barcelona·Full-time·Added 18 days ago

Openchip

17 open roles

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Overview

Job details

Permanent contract
Full-time hours.
Hybrid
Office and home days — the ad has the split.

Requirements

Have the right to work in Spain
No sponsorship mentioned, and this kind of work is rarely sponsored in Spain.
Work in English
English is required, per the ad.
Be near Barcelona, Spain (Hybrid) for hybrid days
No relocation package mentioned.
University degree
“Bachelor or Master's degree in a relevant field.” — per the ad.

Pay & benefits

What you'll get

• Join an innovative team and experience company growth.

• We believe in investing in our employees and providing them with the opportunities they need to grow and develop their careers.

• Enjoy a hybrid work environment.

• We also offer a flexible schedule.

• We offer a remuneration that values your experience.

• Enjoy a hybrid work environment. and a flexible schedule.

• Competitive compensation packages with opportunities for growth and professional development.

If you feel identified with Openchip, please contact us. We can offer a competitive compensation package in a flexible work schema that will help you to keep a balance between your personal and professional life.

Requirements

What we're looking for

Required qualifications:
• Bachelor or Master's degree in a relevant field.
• Experience in the relevant field (1-3yr).
• Solid knowledge about computer architecture (CPU, cache and memory hierarchy, buses,... ).
• Knowledge about at least two of the following areas:
- Confidential computing technologies (RISC-V CoVE, Intel SGX, Intel TDX, AMD SEV, confidential containers).
- Platform security features (kernel/firmware hardening, CHERI, CFI, pointer tagging, virtualization-based security, IOMMU).
- Cryptograpy usage across networks (certificates, signatures, TLS/SSL, PKI remote attestation).

- Boot integrity technologies (UEFI Secure Boot, measured boot, TPM).
- Cryptography, including experience with cryptography libraries (OpenSSL, libssl, wolfssl, mbedtls, libsodium).
• Good understanding of pre-boot and boot process, and Linux kernel internals.
• Solid knowledge of low-level development languages (C, Rust).
• Experience with standard tools for source control (git), continuous integration, task management (Jira).

• English level minimum B2

Soft skills:
• Team player: communicative and collaborative person who focuses on the outcome of the team above the
individual needs.
• Curious about learning new technologies/stacks.
• Capable of within- and cross-team collaboration at the technical level.
• Can-do attitude, proactive and willing to step up and resolve any obstacle. Self-aware, self-starter, and
self-motivated.

Nice to have

Preferred qualifications
• Experience with assembly language (of any architecture).
• Experience with kernel and/or device driver development.
• Experience with hypervisor technology (KVM, Xen, Qemu).
• Experience with system boot technology (UEFI/EDK2, ACPI, u-boot, devicetree).
• Experience with open source software development. In particular, engagement with OpenSSF or other Open Source security organizations, and/or history of contributions to Open Source projects.
• Understanding of lifecycle management on firmware.
• Knowledge of JTAG debugging (including key generation and management).
• Experience working with hardware cryptography IPs.

The role

Openchip is building new RISC-V chips with security at heart, enabling safer and more privacy-respectful execution of data processing workloads like AI models.
As a Junior Security Software Engineer, you will design and implement security features across Openchip's software stack: from low-level platform firmware to integrations with AI and Cloud runtimes. You will also contribute to hardware/software co-design, providing requirements and identifying potential IPs, as well as engage with the wider security community.

What you'll do

Key responsibilities:
• Make independent technical contributions to help their team deliver its commitments. In particular:
- Develop and maintain security features for novel and existing hardware architectures (RISC-V and others).
- Implement secure boot, confidential computing, cryptography, and other platform security features.
- Define new interfaces and modify existing ones to expose security features to user applications. When possible, identify and leverage existing standard ones.

• Interact with colleagues across projects to unblock issues, or to reach consensus on technical topics. In particular:
- Work with firmware and operating systems teams, incorporating security features into low-level and platform software.
- Work with middleware teams, exposing security features to user applications and/or hardening frameworks.
- Collaborate with colleagues through code reviews, bug triaging, design documents,...
- Contribute to shared team responsibilities (CI failure triaging, documentation, code fixits, rotations...).

About Openchip

Openchip is a Barcelona-based semiconductor startup focused on designing advanced RISC-V processors and system-on-chip (SoC) solutions for high-performance computing, AI, and data center applications. The company is building a team of engineers to develop open, customizable silicon that challenges established players in the industry. With a strong emphasis on hardware architecture, security, and compiler development, Openchip is positioning itself as a key player in the European semiconductor ecosystem.

Openchip is headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, and operates primarily from this location, making it a unique opportunity for international professionals to join a cutting-edge semiconductor company in Southern Europe. The work culture is engineering-driven, with a focus on innovation and open-source technologies. For international hires, the company offers the chance to work on complex technical challenges in a growing sector, while being based in a vibrant city with a high quality of life. The team is likely to be multicultural, given the global nature of the semiconductor talent pool.

Industry: Semiconductors
Employees: 50
Headquarters: Barcelona, Spain
In Spain: Barcelona
Website: openchip.com

Good to know if you are moving

Openchip is headquartered in Barcelona, a major European tech hub with a strong international community and excellent quality of life.
The company is focused on RISC-V architecture, which is an open standard, offering engineers the chance to work on open-source silicon technology.
As a startup, Openchip offers the opportunity to have a significant impact on the design and development of new products from early stages.
The company is likely to offer a competitive compensation package and the opportunity to work in a growing sector in Spain.
Barcelona has a well-connected international airport and a large expat community, making relocation easier for foreign professionals.

In their own words

About the company & team

At Openchip, we are pioneers in the semiconductor industry, driving innovation that transforms industries and shapes the future of computing. As a key member of our leadership team, you will have the opportunity to work on groundbreaking technologies that power some of the most demanding applications in AI, HPC, and cloud computing. We offer:

• Join a collaborative and inclusive culture that values creativity and technical excellence.

• The chance to work on impactful projects that make a real difference in the world.

We are looking for outstanding people willing to join our mission to change this industry and help to build a better world.

At Openchip & Software Technologies S.L., we believe a diverse and inclusive team is the key to groundbreaking ideas. We foster a work environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to reach their full potential - regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

All open roles at Openchip