Principal Vulnerability Researcher

National Physical Laboratory; England; Remote; GBP 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Physical Laboratory seeks a Principal Vulnerability Researcher to drive advanced security research across embedded and networked systems. You’ll conduct hands‑on vulnerability discovery, reverse engineering, and fuzzing against real‑world devices, while guiding standards and tooling in a collaborative, engineering‑driven environment.

Based in Oxfordshire, this office‑based role may include relocation support.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in security or vulnerability research.
• Strong reverse engineering using static and dynamic analysis; Ghidra preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to efficiently conduct source code analysis on large codebases.
• Practical experience with fuzzing techniques, tooling, optimisation, and crash triage.
• Strong understanding of embedded systems, OS internals, and networking, including familiarity with underlying hardware.
• Expertise in embedded operating systems such as Linux and VxWorks.
• Proficiency in C/C++, Assembly and scripting languages such as Python or Lua.
• Eagerness to investigate and apply the latest AI tools and techniques.
• Practical experience with network or embedded devices.
• Candidates with published security research or CVEs are particularly encouraged.

Responsibilities

• Vulnerability research against real‑world network and embedded devices.
• Reverse engineering firmware and binaries to discover security vulnerabilities.
• Performing source code analysis to identify memory safety issues, logic flaws, and design weaknesses.
• Designing and running fuzzing campaigns against protocols, services and interfaces, on both the target device and via emulation.
• Working with a variety of CPU architectures such as ARM, MIPS, PowerPC and x86‑64.
• Providing technical leadership and setting research standards.
• Investigating how individual vulnerabilities can be chained to maximise system compromise.
• Developing and maintaining tools to improve personal and team productivity.
• Producing clear, high‑quality technical reports describing root cause and impact.

Skills

Security research

Reverse engineering

Source code analysis

Fuzzing

Embedded systems

Linux internals

VxWorks

C/C++

Assembly

Python

Lua

Ghidra

AI tools

Networking devices

CVEs

Tools

Ghidra

Job description

About the Role

Principal Vulnerability Researcher

Office-based | Oxfordshire -

If relocating is required for this role, NPL may be able to provide relocation support, subject to location and eligibility. Please contact your recruiter to discuss the options available to you.

We’re growing our Vulnerability Research Team and are looking for a Principal Vulnerability Researcher to perform security research into a wide-range of carrier-grade telecoms devices, including routers, firewalls, and mobile network nodes.

This is a hands‑on, office‑based role for a researcher with extensive expertise in finding and demonstrating security vulnerabilities in embedded and networked systems.

The Role

• Vulnerability research against real‑world network and embedded devices


• Reverse engineering firmware and binaries to discover security vulnerabilities


• Performing source code analysis to identify memory safety issues, logic flaws, and design weaknesses


• Designing and running fuzzing campaigns against protocols, services and interfaces, on both the target device and via emulation


• Working with a variety of CPU architectures such as ARM, MIPS, PowerPC and x86‑64


• Providing technical leadership and setting research standards


• Investigating how individual vulnerabilities can be chained to maximise system compromise


• Developing and maintaining tools to improve personal and team productivity


• Producing clear, high‑quality technical reports describing root cause and impact

About You

Ideal Background

• Extensive experience in security or vulnerability research


• Strong reverse engineering skills using static and dynamic analysis using disassemblers – Ghidra experience is preferred


• Demonstrated ability to efficiently conduct source code analysis on large codebases


• Practical experience with fuzzing techniques, tooling, optimisation, and crash triage


• Strong understanding of embedded systems, OS internals, and networking, including familiarity with underlying hardware


• Expertise in embedded operating systems such as Linux and VxWorks


• Proficiency in C/C++, Assembly and scripting languages such as Python or Lua


• Eagerness to investigate and apply the latest AI tools and techniques


• Practical experience with network or embedded devices


• Candidates with published security research or CVEs are particularly encouraged

What’s on Offer

• Principal‑level role with real technical influence


• Cutting‑edge research into complex, heterogeneous systems


• Collaborative, engineering‑driven culture, with high standards for quality


• Competitive salary and benefits


• The opportunity to attend major international security conferences and training courses


• Based in Oxfordshire

Eligibility

• As you will be required to work with UK Government departments, all applicants must already hold, or be able to obtain, the necessary UK security clearance. Therefore, the following must apply:


• You must be a British Citizen. If you hold dual nationality, of which one component is British, your application will still be considered.


• You’ll usually need to have been a resident in the UK for seven out of the last ten years before applying for a role with us.

About Us

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is a world‑leading centre of excellence that provides cutting‑edge measurement science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK. Find out more about what it is like working here

At NPL, we believe our success is a result of the diversity and talent of our people. We strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity, as part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we ensure we’re creating an environment where all our colleagues feel supported and welcome. More about this on our Diversity & Inclusion page.

We are committed to the health and well-being of our employees. Flexible working and social activities are embedded in our culture to create a positive work‑life balance, along with a broad range of rewards, benefits and recognition. Our values are at the heart of what we do, and they shape the way we interact, develop our people and celebrate success.

To ensure everyone has an equal chance, we’re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss, please contact us.