Senior Principal Cybersecurity Researcher

Trusted Concepts, Inc.; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 207,598 - 311,397; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Life and disability insurance

Retirement benefits

Paid leave

Tuition assistance

Professional development

Job summary

Trusted Concepts, Inc. is seeking a Senior Principal Cybersecurity Researcher to lead innovative cybersecurity research and vulnerability efforts. This role involves tackling complex problems, providing technical leadership, and authoring influential technical documents. The ideal candidate will have expertise in low-level programming, vulnerability research, and a strong background in mentoring. A Master's or PhD is preferred, along with an active Top Secret clearance. Competitive salary range is offered along with robust benefits.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated expertise in advanced cybersecurity research concepts.
• Proven experience in vulnerability research including attack surface triage.
• Experience leading complex technical projects for National Security customers.

Responsibilities

• Direct the planning and execution of high-visibility programs in reverse engineering.
• Author technical reports and proposals for stakeholders.
• Contribute to strategy development and ensure customer satisfaction.

Skills

Low-level programming (C/C++, Assembly)

Vulnerability research

Technical mentorship

Communication and stakeholder management

Education

Master’s or PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Industry-standard disassemblers and decompilers

Binary re-hosting frameworks

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 actively seeking a Senior Principal Cybersecurity Researcher to join our Trusted Electronics & Effects team. The team comprises intellectual individuals passionate about reverse engineering, vulnerability research, and low‑level programming. The team is growing and looking for someone with an advanced technical background who has an understanding of how to solve complex challenges and inspire creativity to address a wide range of difficult problems. If you have a passion for uncovering deep‑seeded software flaws and developing innovative mitigation strategies, our team wants to talk to you!

What You Will Do

• Direct the planning and execution of high‑visibility, mission‑critical programs, providing expert technical leadership and innovation in reverse engineering (RE) and vulnerability research (VR).
• Tackle complex problems with no known solutions, demonstrating a high degree of creativity while mentoring a team of technical experts to foster growth and knowledge‑sharing.
• Author authoritative technical reports, white papers, and proposals that clearly convey research findings and cybersecurity solutions to both technical and business stakeholders.
• Exert a leadership presence across the company, contributing to strategy development and ensuring customer satisfaction by delivering cutting‑edge solutions aligned with national security requirements.

What You Will Need (Basic Qualifications)

• Demonstrated expertise in advanced cybersecurity research concepts typically acquired in a similar technical role.
• Expert‑level proficiency in two or more of the following: low‑level programming (C/C++, Assembly) and the use of industry‑standard disassemblers and decompilers, binary re‑hosting frameworks to enable dynamic analysis, and building custom greybox/blackbox fuzzing harnesses.
• Proven experience in vulnerability research (VR), including attack surface triage, identifying vulnerabilities, and developing proof‑of‑concept exploits to demonstrate security impact.
• Extensive experience in technical mentorship and training, with a history of providing thorough solutions to complex problems and guiding less experienced team members.
• Experience leading complex technical projects in reverse engineering/vulnerability research (RE/VR) or R&D for National Security customers.
• Experience delivering high‑quality technical documentation—such as vulnerability research and findings, industry white papers, and competitive proposals—that distills complex cybersecurity concepts for diverse audiences.
• Experience in a client‑facing technical role, demonstrating strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Active Top Secret clearance and willingness to obtain and maintain an SCI clearance.

Nice To Have (Preferred)

• Master’s or PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Familiarity with embedded systems binary reverse engineering (e.g., ARM/MIPS/PPC arch, RTOS, Linux, Baremetal) or cryptographic design principles.
• Experience in trusted computing design and implementation principles.
• Experience with digital signals (e.g., UART, JTAG, SPI, I2C) or network protocol analysis.
• Experience with accelerated RE/VR tools that speed up discovery, analysis, and validation.
• Recognized standing within the external technical community, including experience in publishing articles or speaking at external engagements.

Security Clearance

• Active Top Secret clearance and willingness to obtain and maintain an SCI clearance.

Compensation

Two Six Technologies offers a competitive compensation package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, life and disability insurance, retirement benefits, paid leave, tuition assistance, and professional development. The projected salary range for this position is $207,598 - $311,397 USD annually.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Two Six Technologies is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

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].