Principal Firmware Reverse Engineer – AI-Driven Tooling Lead

Bigbear.ai; Columbia (MD); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

BigBear.ai is seeking a Principal Firmware Reverse Engineer in Columbia, MD to advance AI-assisted tooling for firmware, embedded systems, and application analysis. You will design and implement tooling enhancements, prototype autonomous workflow agents, and extend Ghidra/IDA Pro capabilities while leading junior engineers.

The role requires 12+ years of experience or a technical degree with 4+ years in reverse engineering, plus a TS/SCI w/ Poly clearance and strong low-level software knowledge.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of relevant experience or a Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline plus 4+ years of experience.
• Clearance: TS/SCI w/ Poly
• 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 reverse engineering workflows
• Ability to prototype, evaluate, and refine experimental tooling
• AI/LLM curiosity and readiness to learn on-the-job; familiarity with AI/LLM technologies and interest in advancing your skills to the next level

Responsibilities

• 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 and analysis workflows
• Extend or integrate reverse engineering tools such as Ghidra to enhance team capabilities
• 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
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior engineers on the team

Skills

Reverse engineering

Python scripting

Analytical thinking

Leadership

AI/LLM curiosity

Education

Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline

Tools

Ghidra

IDA Pro

Job description

BigBear.ai is seeking a Principal Firmware Reverse Engineer in Columbia, MD to advance AI-assisted tooling for firmware, embedded systems, and application analysis. You will design and implement tooling enhancements, prototype autonomous workflow agents, and extend Ghidra/IDA Pro capabilities while leading junior engineers.

The role requires 12+ years of experience or a technical degree with 4+ years in reverse engineering, plus a TS/SCI w/ Poly clearance and strong low-level software knowledge.