Location: Tatu City, Kenya
Department: Global Analytics and Technology
Employment Type: Permanent – Full Time
Workplace Type: Onsite
Reporting To: Head of Cyber Security
Company: Sun King
Introduction
Sun King, a global leader in off-grid solar energy solutions, is inviting applications for the position of Product Security Engineer – Mobile, based in Tatu City, Kenya. This role presents a unique opportunity to join a pioneering organization at the forefront of renewable energy innovation and digital security.
As an industry trailblazer, Sun King has connected millions of households to affordable solar power solutions across Africa and Asia, transforming lives by providing clean, sustainable energy access to those without reliable electricity. The organization’s success lies in its combination of cutting-edge product design, technological excellence, and a strong social mission.
The Product Security Engineer – Mobile will play an instrumental role in protecting Sun King’s mobile ecosystem and ensuring the integrity of its smart devices. This position offers a chance to contribute to a mission-driven organization dedicated to innovation, customer empowerment, and secure technology deployment.
About Sun King
Sun King is recognized as the world’s leading off-grid solar energy company, integrating advanced product design, fintech innovation, and efficient field operations to deliver energy access to over 1.8 billion people lacking dependable grid connections. To date, the company has illuminated more than 20 million homes, adding over 200,000 new households to solar power each month.
Through its pay-as-you-go model, Sun King enables low-income customers to acquire solar products via affordable installment payments, transforming energy consumption across rural and underserved regions. Customers make manageable payments through mobile money systems, ultimately gaining full ownership of their solar systems while enjoying clean, reliable energy.
This approach not only reduces dependency on kerosene and diesel but also contributes to significant financial savings—estimated at over $4 billion cumulatively. Each day, Sun King processes more than 650,000 mobile payments through its digital systems and an expansive network of 28,000 field agents.
With operations spanning 12 countries and a workforce of over 2,800 full-time staff, Sun King’s expertise covers diverse disciplines, including engineering, data science, software development, logistics, and customer engagement. The company continues to expand its clean technology solutions beyond solar lighting to include clean cooking, electric mobility, and entertainment devices, providing a comprehensive suite of sustainable household and business energy solutions.
Sun King upholds a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity. Women make up 44% of its workforce, reflecting the company’s dedication to gender balance and equitable representation.
About the Role
The Product Security Engineer – Mobile will be responsible for identifying and mitigating security vulnerabilities across various vendor smartphones and other connected devices used by Sun King. This role focuses on hardware and software security testing, reverse engineering, and penetration testing to ensure the resilience of Sun King’s mobile devices and embedded systems.
The position requires a deep understanding of cybersecurity principles, mobile device management, and hardware hacking methodologies. The successful candidate will actively collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance Sun King’s product security posture, ensuring that every device meets the highest standards of safety and reliability.
This is a full-time, onsite role located at Tatu City, Kenya, reporting directly to the Head of Cyber Security under the Global Analytics and Technology Department.
Detailed Job Description
The Product Security Engineer – Mobile will carry out an extensive range of technical and analytical responsibilities designed to safeguard Sun King’s mobile hardware and embedded software systems.
Key Responsibilities:
- Conduct Offensive Security Assessments
The role involves performing offensive security evaluations of Sun King’s mobile hardware, firmware, and embedded operating systems. The engineer will assess potential vulnerabilities in mobile devices and payment stacks, simulating real-world attacks to test system robustness and uncover exploitable flaws. - Reverse Engineering of Firmware
The position requires proficiency in reverse engineering firmware to identify weaknesses in the code structure. This includes conducting static and dynamic analysis of embedded applications and operating systems to detect security gaps or coding vulnerabilities that could compromise device performance or data security. - Vulnerability Identification and Exploitation
The engineer will investigate and exploit vulnerabilities within embedded systems, bootloaders, and mobile device management systems. This also includes analysis of Android kernel, secure boot processes, and cryptographic mechanisms to ensure the secure configuration and operation of mobile devices. - Proof-of-Concept Development
The role entails building and executing Proof-of-Concept (PoC) attacks that demonstrate the practical exploitability of identified vulnerabilities. These demonstrations will provide tangible insights into potential business impacts and inform necessary security countermeasures. - Collaboration with Cross-functional Teams
The engineer will collaborate closely with the product development, hardware, and software engineering teams to define and implement secure design and development practices. Through continuous engagement, the role supports the enhancement of product resilience and ensures security is integrated into every phase of product development. - Participation in Threat Modelling and Architectural Reviews
The role includes involvement in threat modelling sessions and security architecture reviews for new and existing products. By identifying potential risks at the design stage, the engineer contributes to proactive risk management and helps establish a culture of security awareness across teams. - Research and Continuous Learning
Staying informed about emerging vulnerabilities, security tools, and offensive research is crucial. The engineer is expected to monitor trends and developments in the cybersecurity field, particularly those relevant to smartphone ecosystems, IoT devices, and fintech applications.
Technical Scope and Expertise
The Product Security Engineer’s scope covers multiple facets of cybersecurity, including hardware penetration testing, mobile system evaluation, and firmware forensics. Specific areas of expertise that will enhance performance in this role include:
- Comprehensive understanding of Android security, IoT architectures, and mobile device management systems.
- Practical experience with hardware hacking methodologies such as JTAG/SWD/UART debugging, side-channel analysis, and fault injection.
- Use of reverse engineering tools like Ghidra, IDA Pro, and Binary Ninja for deep firmware analysis.
- Familiarity with hardware interfacing and debugging tools such as JTAGulator, OpenOCD, and Bus Pirate.
- Exposure to secure boot technologies, Trusted Platform Module (TPM), Trusted Execution Environments (TEE), and flash encryption techniques.
- Proficiency in scripting and programming languages including Python, C/C++, and Bash, essential for automating security analysis and exploit development.
- Capability to work with firmware analysis frameworks such as binwalk, Firmadyne, and QEMU.
- Understanding of common vulnerabilities such as memory corruption, insecure update mechanisms, and design flaws that can compromise system integrity.
- Experience with payment or fintech device security, particularly in the context of secure provisioning and data protection.
Organizational Impact
The work of the Product Security Engineer – Mobile directly contributes to Sun King’s commitment to building secure, trustworthy, and reliable energy technologies. By safeguarding Sun King’s devices from potential threats, the engineer ensures that customers’ data and financial transactions remain secure, supporting the company’s broader mission of technological and social impact.
This role not only enhances Sun King’s operational security but also reinforces customer confidence in the reliability of its smart devices. The position is therefore pivotal to maintaining the company’s reputation as an innovative and responsible leader in clean energy technology.
Workplace Culture and Values
Sun King promotes a collaborative and inclusive workplace that values diversity, continuous learning, and personal development. The organization fosters a culture of innovation, where employees are encouraged to explore creative solutions to complex challenges.
Through its Greenlight Academy, Sun King provides structured learning opportunities designed to help employees strengthen their technical and leadership capabilities. The company values open communication and cross-departmental cooperation, ensuring every employee can contribute meaningfully to its growth and mission.
Sun King’s inclusive approach is reflected in its policies and practices. The company’s employment decisions are based solely on experience, skills, and performance, with a firm commitment to fairness and equality.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Sun King is an equal opportunity employer. The organization recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes individuals based on merit, without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, religion, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, HIV/AIDS status, disability, or any other legally protected status.
Sun King believes that workplace diversity enriches innovation and strengthens competitiveness, and it continues to build an environment where all employees feel valued and respected.
Summary
The Product Security Engineer – Mobile position offers an exceptional opportunity for a dedicated cybersecurity professional to engage with cutting-edge technology in a mission-driven organization. The successful candidate will play a key role in fortifying Sun King’s mobile platforms, ensuring that millions of customers across Africa and Asia continue to enjoy secure, affordable, and sustainable energy access.
This is an opportunity to apply advanced technical expertise in a role that blends innovation, impact, and purpose.
