Firmware Reverse Engineer 3 - (Reverse Engineering, Firmware, Ghidra)

Akina, Inc.; Maryland; On-site; USD 232,000 - 283,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO 24 days

11 federal holidays

401k company contribution 10%

Healthcare fully covered

Education assistance

Job summary

Akina, Inc. in Annapolis Junction, MD, seeks a Principal Firmware Reverse Engineer 3 to advance Ghidra/IDA Pro based tooling and automation for firmware, embedded systems, and software reverse engineering.

The role involves AI-assisted binary analysis, scripting in Python, and collaboration with customers to improve workflows, with TS/SCI clearance required; 24 days PTO, healthcare, 401k match, and education support.

Qualifications

• BS in a technical discipline or equivalent professional experience.

Responsibilities

• Design tooling to support reverse engineering workflows for firmware and embedded systems.

Skills

Ghidra

IDA Pro

Python scripting

Reverse engineering

Automation tooling

AI/LLM concepts

Education

B.S. in a technical discipline or equivalent experience

Tools

Ghidra

IDA Pro

Python

Job description

• Annapolis Junction, Maryland

Principal Firmware Reverse Engineer 3 - (Ghidra, IDA Pro, Python)

Clearance: TS/SCI - Polygraph required
Position ID: 20-25-005-SWE3
Location: Annapolis Junction, Maryland

Description:

This Software Engineer will focus on improving the tools and workflows used by reverse engineers. The role involves enabling automation and AI-assisted capabilities for reverse engineering tasks, with a focus on binary analysis, disassembly, and workflow optimization for complex software and device platforms.

• Design and implement tooling enhancements to support reverse engineering workflows for firmware, embedded systems, and application software.
• Experiment with autonomous or semi-autonomous agents to assist with development workflows.
• Extend or integrate reverse engineering tools such as Ghidra.
• Develop automation for common reverse engineering tasks, including analysis and documentation.
• Apply AI-assisted techniques to binary analysis, annotation, and pattern identification.
• Collaborate with customers and teammates to gather feedback and iterate on solutions.
• Measure and document the effectiveness of tooling improvements.

Position Required Skills:

• Hands-on experience with reverse engineering tools such as Ghidra or IDA Pro.
• Strong understanding of low-level software concepts (assembly, binaries, memory, calling conventions).
• Experience developing software tools, scripts, or plugins to support analysis workflows.
• Proficiency in at least one scripting or programming language commonly used in RE workflows.
• Ability to prototype, evaluate, and refine experimental tooling.
• AI/LLM curious and ready to learn on-the-job; familiar with AI/LLM and interested in taking their skills to the next level.

Nice to Haves

• Experience reverse engineering Linux-based network devices or embedded systems.
• Experience reverse engineering network traffic and web applications.
• Familiarity with firmware analysis, bootloaders, and networking protocols.
• Experience applying automation or AI techniques to reverse engineering tasks.
• Knowledge of Python or similar scripting languages used in RE tooling.
• Knowledge of agentic AI frameworks or orchestration systems.

SWE3 Qualifications:

YOE Requirement: 12 yrs., B.S. in a technical discipline or 4 additional yrs. in place of B.S.

Salary Range:

$232k-$283k (Annually)

The range displayed above is a likely salary range for this position. This is not, however, a guarantee of compensation or salary. Rather, salary will be set based on experience, geographic location and possible contractual requirements and could fall outside of this range.

Akina is a Woman Owned, Service Disabled, Veteran Owned, Small Business, looking for talented and ambitious individuals to join our team.

• 24 days PTO accrued annually and 11 federal holidays.
• Our 401k is 100% vested on your start date and the company makes a direct contribution worth 10% of your salary.
• Akina covers 100% of healthcare costs for employees and 50% toward dependents.
• We offer educational assistance towards college classes and will cover costs associated with job related training and certifications.

Akina is committed to excellence and creating innovative and flexible solutions for our clients. We are a small company with an open ear to our employees' needs in order to attract and retain quality talent that enables our customer's mission.

We are an equal employment opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.