Principal Vulnerability Researcher

Join the Trusted Electronics & Effects team of Two Six Technologies in Arlington, Virginia, where you’ll immerse yourself in cutting-edge vulnerability research on a wide range of unique embedded systems. Working alongside top-tier CNO developers and hardware engineers, you’ll discover vulnerabilities and create proof-of-concept exploits. Our fast-growing roster of government customers relies on us to deliver advanced security solutions.

Responsibilities

• Perform vulnerability research on complex embedded systems
• Take on complex technical problems for which there is often no known answer
• Develop tools and techniques to assist/automate tasks that traditionally require significant manual reverse engineering effort
• Follow-on development to productize results/PoCs or handoff to developers for productization
• Provide technical leadership and direction on novel research projects, and interface directly with clients/key stakeholders to present findings and determine program direction
• Mentor and develop junior team members through knowledge-sharing, code reviews, and hands-on guidance, fostering their growth

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline. Equivalent practical experience in security research, reverse engineering, vulnerability research, or exploit development may substitute for a degree
• Extensive experience developing, debugging, and scripting in C/C++ and Python within Linux command-line environments, with a strong emphasis on low-level programming, memory management, and system interaction for reverse engineering and vulnerability research
• Experience with reverse engineering and vulnerability research, using tools such as IDA Pro, Binary Ninja, or Ghidra
• Expertise in one or more of the following:
  • Firmware analysis (ARM, MIPS, PowerPC, RTOS)
  • Firmware rehosting using emulation tools such as QEMU
  • Fuzzing and exploit development
  • Binary obfuscation and anti-analysis techniques
  • Wireless protocols and radio signal analysis
  • File system forensics and fault injection frameworks
• Experience leading a team of engineers and researchers
• Active Top Secret clearance with eligibility/willingness to obtain a Top Secret/SCI clearance. Preference for active TS/SCI with Poly

Skills

• Experience in a client-facing technical role
• Reverse engineering binary payloads from multiple architectures (ARM, MIPS, TI, x86, x64)
• Reverse engineering data payloads at rest (custom file formats) and in flight (live data captures)
• Invasive and non-invasive hardware analysis, including PCB/component identification and hardware manipulation
• Hands-on experience debugging embedded systems using JTAG, UART, oscilloscopes, and logic analyzers

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life and disability insurance
• Retirement benefits
• Paid leave
• Tuition assistance and professional development

Pay

Salary Range: $180,779 - $289,014 USD