Cyber Reverse Engineer/Vulnerability Researcher

Prattwhitney; Columbia (MD); On-site; USD 95,500 - 181,700; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) match

Paid time off and holidays

Job summary

Prattwhitney is seeking a skilled individual to develop exploits and payloads for offensive cyberspace operations in Columbia, MD. The role focuses on analyzing systems, disassembling binary code, and collaborating with teams. Candidates must be U.S. citizens with an active Top Secret clearance and at least 5 years of experience in a relevant field.

This position offers a competitive salary range of $95,500 – $181,700 along with comprehensive benefits including medical insurance and a 401(k) match.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in relevant field or 3+ years with advanced degree.
• Active Top Secret security clearance required.
• Experience with assembly language (x86/64, ARM).

Responsibilities

• Analyze systems and disassemble binary code.
• Develop exploits and payloads based on reverse engineering.
• Collaborate with teams to solve challenging problems.

Skills

C/C++ or Python programming skills

Vulnerability research experience

Reverse engineering tools knowledge (IDA, Ghidra, BinaryNinja)

Understanding of network protocols (TCP/IP, BGP)

Education

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, mathematics, or physics

Advanced degree with 3+ years of experience

Tools

IDA

Ghidra

BinaryNinja

Job description

Date Posted: 2026-06-09 • Location: Columbia, MD • Job Type: Onsite (U.S. citizen required)

Role Overview

BBN is seeking an individual to develop exploits, implants, and payloads for offensive cyberspace operations. The ideal candidate is creative, curious, and persistent in finding system vulnerabilities and highly motivated to contribute to cutting‑edge research and development. This onsite position in Columbia, MD requires an active Top Secret clearance. Relocation assistance is available.

What You Will Do

• Analyze systems to understand how they work and what occurs when they break
• Disassemble and analyze binary code
• Develop exploits, implants, payloads, and communication stacks based on reverse engineering, vulnerability analysis, and software development
• Design unique networking protocols and communication schemes
• Collaborate with cross‑disciplinary teams to solve challenging problems and deliver actionable results
• Operationalize software through extensive testing, documentation, and integration with other systems
• Participate in laboratory and field tests to collect and analyze data, test new capabilities, and perform demonstrations
• Travel overnight for certain projects as required

What You Will Gain

• Strong leadership from a government R&D team
• Collaborative and collegial environment for state‑of‑the‑art research
• Diverse, technically competent research scientists who mentor and guide
• Business development, programmatic, contracting, finance, and HR support
• Access to RTX opportunities for capability transition and deployment

Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, mathematics, or physics with 5+ years of experience, or an advanced degree with 3+ years of experience
• Programming skills in C/C++ or Python
• Experience with assembly language (x86/64, ARM, PPC, MIPS)
• Vulnerability research experience
• Reverse engineering using tools such as IDA, Ghidra, or BinaryNinja
• Understanding of network protocols (TCP/IP, wire‑level protocols, BGP, RF communications)
• Active Top Secret security clearance; U.S. citizenship required for clearance

Preferred

• Capture The Flag (CTF) experience
• OS kernel development experience (Windows, Linux, macOS, Android)
• Network programming skills
• Hardware emulation experience
• Hands‑on experience with system architecture design, prototyping, and technical project leadership
• Active TS/SCI security clearance

Benefits

• Competitive salary range: $95,500 – $181,700
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• Short‑term and long‑term disability, 401(k) match, and flexible spending accounts
• Paid time off, holidays, parental leave, and other paid leave
• Employee assistance program and Employee Scholar Program
• Optional incentive compensation depending on level and business agreement

Equal Opportunity Employer

RTX is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any other applicable state or federal protected class. RTX provides affirmative action in employment for qualified individuals with a disability and protected veterans in compliance with Section503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act.