Remote Embedded Firmware Security Researcher

Red Balloon Security, Inc.; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k

Flexible vacation

Health & dental plans

Equity

Job summary

Red Balloon Security is seeking a full-time security researcher to protect embedded devices. You will reverse engineer firmware, analyze boot chains, and contribute to the OFRAK framework, advancing defensive and offensive research across ARM, MIPS, x86, and RISC-V targets.

This in-office role in Midtown West, NYC offers bonuses and equity, with a full benefits package and flexible vacation policy. Remote work is allowed as part of a hybrid arrangement.

Qualifications

• BA/BS in computer science, computer or electrical engineering or a related major
• Proficiency in hardware and software reverse engineering
• Familiarity with fuzzing, static analysis, and RE
• Experience with low-level software design and implementation
• Understanding of modern software design and engineering practices
• Knowledge of AI tooling and familiarity with frontier models
• Ability to work effectively in a hands-on research and lab environment
• Strong self-initiative and self-motivation
• Experience with RE tools such as Ghidra, IDA, Binary Ninja, OFRAK

Responsibilities

• Research security vulnerabilities to protect embedded devices from firmware, hardware, and platform-level threats
• Design and implement host-based defense software for black-box embedded devices
• Analyze firmware images, boot chains, update mechanisms, device interfaces, and embedded operating systems
• Design and implement automated HW / SW testing infrastructure
• Conduct offensive and defensive research on embedded HW / SW
• Contribute to the OFRAK (Open Firmware Reverse Analysis Konsole) framework
• Perform HW / SW reverse engineering on embedded devices
• Automate vulnerability identification for embedded software
• Use AI tooling, agents, MCP servers, and test harnesses to accelerate security research and vulnerability analysis

Skills

HW reverse engineering

Software reverse engineering

Fuzzing

Static analysis

RE tools

Ghidra

IDA

Binary Ninja

OFRAK

ARM asm

MIPS asm

x86 asm

RISC-V asm

OS design

Education

BA/BS in CS/EE

MA/MS in CS

Tools

Ghidra

IDA

Binary Ninja

OFRAK

Job description

Red Balloon Security is seeking a full-time security researcher to protect embedded devices. You will reverse engineer firmware, analyze boot chains, and contribute to the OFRAK framework, advancing defensive and offensive research across ARM, MIPS, x86, and RISC-V targets.

This in-office role in Midtown West, NYC offers bonuses and equity, with a full benefits package and flexible vacation policy. Remote work is allowed as part of a hybrid arrangement.