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Senior Reverse Engineer / Vulnerability Researcher

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory · Laurel, MD · 2 days ago
On-siteEngineering$105k/yrFull-time

About the role

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is seeking experienced reverse engineers to join our elite team. We are looking for individuals who love discovering how complex embedded systems work and how to break them. Our team specializes in software and hardware reverse engineering, vulnerability research, and offensive cyber capability development.

Responsibilities

  • Reverse engineer mission-relevant systems, discover vulnerabilities, and develop innovative exploits
  • Collaborate with teammates in custom laboratories purpose-built for foreign materiel, telecommunications infrastructure, and other embedded systems
  • Work alongside APL experts in domains such as missile defense, space, and maritime systems to understand the operational significance of your reverse engineering discoveries
  • Partner directly with government sponsors across multiple agencies to build mission-aligned offensive cyber capabilities
  • Explore novel techniques for automating reverse engineering and exploit development
  • Shape the future of our work by proposing new technical approaches and pioneering new research directions
  • Mentor early-career teammates in the art and science of reverse engineering

Requirements

  • Meet our minimum qualifications with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or another field relevant to the duties as described above
  • Have at least 5 years of relevant professional experience
  • Be skilled with software debuggers and static analysis tools such as Ghidra, IDA, and Binary Ninja
  • Be proficient with one or more programming languages
  • Have experience reading and writing assembly
  • Understand Unix/Linux operating systems and embedded systems development toolchains
  • Love solving puzzles and have experience persevering through technical challenges
  • Hold an active TS/SCI clearance and can ultimately obtain a TS/SCI + polygraph clearance

Qualifications

  • You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you...
  • Previously held dynamic technical leadership roles and have demonstrated mentoring experience
  • Have experience applying AI systems to reverse engineering, vulnerability research, or exploit development
  • Have knowledge of advanced vulnerability discovery tools
  • Have experience with hardware debugging interfaces, code security mechanisms and their weaknesses, hardware diagnostic tools, and signal/protocol analysis
  • Possess an active TS/SCI clearance with full scope polygraph

Skills

While not explicitly listed, skills such as curiosity, technical ingenuity, and collaboration are highly valued.

Benefits

APL offers a comprehensive benefits package including retirement plans, paid time off, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, education assistance, and training and development.

Pay

Minimum Rate $105,000 Annually
Maximum Rate $290,000 Annually

Schedule

Not specified

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