Vulnerability Researcher

About the role

We are searching for a self-motivated Vulnerability Researcher to join our Cyberspace Operations Research Department in Reston, VA of the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State University.

Responsibilities

• Research cutting edge techniques and technologies for system exploitation
• Leverage expertise in reverse engineering, vulnerability research, and software development to address established needs and investigate solutions to emerging requirements
• Apply software engineering best practices to create proof-of-concept tools and configure test environments to perform demonstrations to sponsors and partners
• Affiliate with the Cyberspace Operations Research Department Head in maintaining relationships with sponsors through on-site technical discussions, preparation and presentation of technical materials, and project-related correspondence
• Provide process enhancement for technical functionality evaluation, vulnerability analyses, cyberspace operations engineering, and penetration testing projects
• Apply project management principles and methods to the leadership of tasks or projects
• Provide guidance to lower-level engineers to foster professional growth

Required skills/experience areas

• Documented application of reverse engineering and vulnerability testing tools (e.g. Ghidra/IDA, Kali Linux, Angr/AFL++, QEMU/Unicorn, etc)
• Reverse engineering, vulnerability research, malware analysis, and/or CNO tool development
• Computer networking fundamentals, Windows and *NIX operating systems, X86(64) and ARM or MIPS architectures
• Cyber operations architecture and software engineering practices
• Software programming, programming languages, and development environments (to include at a minimum C, Java, or Python)
• Ability to express technical information clearly and concisely in documents and presentations for senior leaders to successfully comprehend and leverage for decision making
• Active government security clearance at TS/SCI level with eligibility for special accesses

Preferred skills/experience areas

• Cybersecurity exploit development and test environment configuration
• Cybersecurity penetration testing / cybersecurity Red Team testing / white hat hacking
• Military cyberspace operations or computer network operations
• Demonstrated history of successful project initiation efforts
• Agile software development methodology and tools
• Atlassian products (e.g., JIRA, Confluence)

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science
• 14+ years of relevant experience for Research and Development Engineer - Cyber Security (ARL) - Senior Professional
• 5+ years of relevant experience for Research and Development Engineer - Cyber Security (ARL) - Advanced Professional
• 2+ years of relevant experience for Research and Development Engineer - Cyber Security (ARL) - Intermediate Professional

Benefits

• Salary range: $127,080.00 - $277,200.00
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Robust retirement plans
• Substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time
• 75% tuition discount for employees, eligible spouses and children

Pay

The salary range for this position, including all possible grades, is $127,080.00 - $277,200.00. This salary range includes an adjustment based on required geographic work location.

Schedule

Your working location will be fully on-site located in Reston, VA, but options exist for occasional hybrid of on-site/work from home based on project-dependent ability. This position will require periodic travel to remote locations in support of testing as part of a small team of researchers, engineers, and technologists.

Application Instructions

Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday if you are a current Penn State employee or student. For external applicants, click “Apply” and complete the application process. Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location.