Cyber Physical Engineer

Attic Research LLC; Dayton (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Attic Research LLC seeks a Cyber Physical Engineer bridging software and hardware reverse engineering, vulnerability research, and custom tool development. You'll move between disassembly, firmware analysis, and tool creation to accelerate security investigations.

The role blends software reverse engineering, vulnerability research, and hands-on hardware work across multiple architectures. A background in hardware, RF, or signal processing is a plus, with opportunities to publish and contribute

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in reverse engineering, vulnerability research, embedded systems, or adjacent cyber-focused work.
• Proficiency with Python and C/C++.
• US citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Software reverse engineering and vulnerability research on complex, non-traditional systems.
• Custom hardware and software tooling to accelerate and automate the analysis workflow.
• Firmware rehosting and analysis inside high-fidelity, QEMU-based emulation environments.
• Operating at the lowest levels of software and hardware, often without a reference to work from.

Skills

Reverse engineering

Vulnerability research

Embedded systems

Python

C/C++

Security clearance eligibility

U.S. citizenship

Tools

QEMU

Ghidra

IDA Pro

GDB

x64dbg

Job description

We are seeking a Cyber Physical Engineer role spanning software and hardware reverse engineering, vulnerability research, and custom tool development.

About Attic Research

Attic Research is a small business developing advanced capabilities in modeling and simulation, system reverse engineering, and cyber vulnerability research.

Description

This role is built for an engineer who moves between software and hardware without waiting for a handoff. You'll reverse engineer complex systems, find what's exploitable, build the tools that make that work possible, and turn what we learn into capabilities that matter. We're looking for someone as comfortable in a disassembler as they are with a logic analyzer.

It isn't a specialist role carved into a narrow slice. You'll move between software reverse engineering, vulnerability research, tool development, and hands-on hardware. Multi-disciplinary range is the baseline here. A background that spans hardware, software, RF, signal processing, or anywhere else on the engineering map is a feature, not a footnote.

What You'll Work On

• Software reverse engineering and vulnerability research on complex, non-traditional systems
• Custom hardware and software tooling to accelerate and automate the analysis workflow
• Firmware rehosting and analysis inside high-fidelity, QEMU-based emulation environments
• Operating at the lowest levels of software and hardware, often without a reference to work from

Required

• Demonstrated experience in reverse engineering, vulnerability research, embedded systems, or adjacent cyber-focused work
• Proficiency with Python and C/C++
• U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance

Preferred

• Working experience with QEMU, Ghidra, IDA Pro, GDB, x64dbg, or comparable analysis tooling
• Experience with CPU emulation, binary instrumentation, or system modeling
• Firmware reverse engineering on multiple instruction set architectures
• Exposure to fault injection, side-channel analysis, or RF and signal processing
• Fluency with hardware: schematic reading, debug interfaces (JTAG, SWD, UART, SPI, I2C), and bench instrumentation
• Open source contributions, CTFs, conference talks, or published research

Why Join Us

We’re a fast-moving startup team, not a large defense contractor. That means your contributions will matter, your ideas will be heard, and you’ll see the results of your work. You’ll have opportunities to work alongside an awesome team, venture into new technical areas, and grow your career.

We want to work with people who are motivated by solving hard problems, aren't afraid to think outside the box, and have a non-stop desire to keep learning. We are proud to offer some of the best benefits in the industry to attract and retain top talent.

• 10% 401k contribution (fully vested on Day 1)
• 100% employer paid healthcare, dental, and vision
• 100% employer paid short-term, long-term disability
• Company paid access to conferences (DEFCON, BlackHat, and more)