Lead Vulnerability Researcher

Two-Six-Technologies; The Prairies at Wright Field (OH); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Retirement benefits

Paid leave

Tuition assistance

Professional development

Job summary

Two Six Technologies is seeking a Lead Vulnerability Researcher to spearhead our vulnerability research initiatives in Dayton, Ohio. You will bridge mission requirements with deep-dive technical execution, shaping methodologies for wireless and embedded systems.

As a leader, you will mentor junior researchers, guide project strategies, and serve as a primary technical contact for government programs, driving innovation and research efficiency within the team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• Extensive experience in vulnerability research, reverse engineering, or CNO development.
• Expert-level proficiency in decompilers (Ghidra, IDA Pro, Binary Ninja).
• Advanced knowledge of x86, ARM, MIPS and OS internals.
• Knowledge of TCP/IP, UDP, or HTTP protocols.
• Proficiency with GDB or WinDBG.
• Proven track record of discovering vulnerabilities or exploits.
• Experience in technical leadership or project lead capacity.
• Active US Secret clearance with ability to obtain TS/SCI.

Responsibilities

• Lead execution of large-scale vulnerability research projects with high-quality results.
• Architect research strategies for complex embedded and wireless systems.
• Mentor junior and staff researchers through code reviews and knowledge sharing.
• Interface with customers to translate mission needs into technical requirements.
• Identify and implement tools or methodologies to improve research efficiency.

Skills

Vulnerability research

Reverse engineering

CNO development

Technical leadership

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering or Computer Science

Tools

Ghidra

IDA Pro

Binary Ninja

GDB

WinDBG

Job description

At Two Six Technologies, we build, deploy, and implement innovative products that solve the world’s most complex challenges today. Through unrivaled collaboration and unwavering trust, we push the boundaries of what’s possible to empower our team and support our customers in building a safer global future.

Overview of Opportunity:

Two Six Technologies is seeking a Lead Vulnerability Researcher to spearhead our vulnerability research initiatives in Dayton, Ohio. In this leadership role, you are more than a technical expert; you are a strategist and mentor who defines research methodologies and solves our most complex wireless and embedded system challenges.

You will bridge the gap between high-level mission requirements and deep-dive technical execution. As a Lead, you will drive innovation within our Wireless Sector, ensuring our team remains at the forefront of the industry while serving as a primary technical point of contact for mission‑critical government programs.

What You Will Do

• Lead the execution of large-scale vulnerability research projects, ensuring high-quality results and innovative approaches.
• Architect research strategies for complex, undocumented, or highly resilient embedded and wireless systems.
• Grow the technical capabilities of the team by mentoring junior and staff researchers through code reviews and knowledge sharing.
• Interface directly with customers to translate mission needs into technical requirements and present complex research findings.
• Identify and implement new tools, automation, or methodologies (IR&D) to improve the team's research efficiency and capabilities.

What You Will Need (Basic Qualifications)

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Extensive experience in vulnerability research, reverse engineering, or CNO development.
• Expert-level proficiency in modern decompilers (Ghidra, IDA Pro, or Binary Ninja).
• Advanced knowledge of assembly languages (x86, ARM, MIPS, etc.) and OS internals.
• Knowledge of common network protocols TCP/IP, UDP, or HTTP
• Proficiency with at least one modern debugger such as GDB or WinDBG
• Proven track record of discovering vulnerabilities in complex systems or developing sophisticated exploits.
• Experience in a technical leadership or project lead capacity.
• Security Clearance: Active US Secret level clearance with the ability to obtain and maintain TS/SCI.

Nice to Have (Preferred)

• Experience assisting in technical writing for RFPs, white papers, or grant proposals to secure new research funding.
• Mastery of defeating modern mitigations (ASLR, DEP, CFG) on non-standard architectures.
• Deep knowledge of cellular standards (4G/5G) or low-bandwidth communications (CAN bus, RS485).
• History of published research, conference presentations (DEF CON, Black Hat), or CVE credits.
• Previous experience in a client‑facing technical lead role for government contracts.

Security Clearance:

• Active US Security clearance at the Secret level and ability to obtain and maintain TS/SCI

Two Six Technologies is committed to providing competitive and comprehensive compensation packages that reflect the value we place on our employees and their contributions. We believe in rewarding skills, experience, and performance. Our offerings include but are not limited to, medical, dental, and vision insurance, life and disability insurance, retirement benefits, paid leave, tuition assistance and professional development.

The projected salary range listed for this position is annualized. This is a general guideline and not a guarantee of salary. Salary is one component of our total compensation package and the specific salary offered is determined by various factors, including, but not limited to education, experience, knowledge, skills, geographic location, as well as contract specific affordability and organizational requirements.

Two Six Technologies is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices based on race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture, hair type and protective hair styles (e.g., braids, twists, locs and twists)), color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions and lactation), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age (40 and over), marital status, disability, genetic information, and protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. For more information review the Two Six Technologies Equal Employment Opportunity and Aff…

If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request reasonable workplace accommodation for any part of our employment process, please send an email to [e-mail] . Information provided will be kept confidential and used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.

Additionally, please be advised that this business uses E-Verify in its hiring practices.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Two Six Technologies’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

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An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.