Sr. Staff Cyber Software Engineer

Northrop Grumman; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 192,800 - 289,200; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance coverage

401(k) matching

Flexible work arrangement

Job summary

Northrop Grumman is seeking a Senior Vulnerability Research Engineer in Cincinnati, Ohio. This position involves researching vulnerabilities and reverse engineering embedded systems. Candidates must have a B.S. in Computer Science and relevant programming experience.

Responsibilities include vulnerability analysis on drivers, developing proof of concepts, and maintaining a Top Secret clearance. Compensation includes a salary range of $192,800 to $289,200, overtime eligibility, and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Computer Science or related field and 14 years of programming experience OR M.S. degree and 12 years OR Ph.D. and 9 years.
• Experience with a disassembler for vulnerability research.
• Proficiency in C or C++ programming is required.

Responsibilities

• Research vulnerabilities and perform reverse engineering on embedded systems.
• Plan and conduct vulnerability analysis on user and kernel mode drivers and interfaces.
• Develop and implement proof of concepts based on research findings.

Skills

Programming experience (C/C++)

Vulnerability research using disassemblers

Fuzzing research techniques

Ability to obtain Top‑Secret clearance

Education

B.S. in Computer Science or related field

M.S. or PhD in relevant field

Tools

IDA Pro

Ghidra

BinaryNinja

radare2

Job description

Relocation assistance may be available.
Clearance required at start: Top Secret.
Travel required: 10% of the time.

Northrop Grumman – Cincinnati (Xetron)

Position: Senior Vulnerability Research Engineer

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

Key Responsibilities

• Research vulnerabilities and perform reverse engineering on embedded systems.
• Plan and conduct vulnerability analysis on user and kernel mode drivers and interfaces.
• Develop, design, and implement proof of concepts based on research findings, and document results.

Basic Qualifications

• B.S. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or related field and 14 years of programming experience OR M.S. degree and 12 years OR Ph.D. and 9 years.
• Experience with a disassembler for vulnerability research (IDA Pro, Ghidra, BinaryNinja, radare2, etc.).
• Proficiency in C or C++ programming.
• Fuzzing research techniques experience (AFL++, taint analysis, PIN, dynamic memory instrumentation, etc.).
• US Citizenship required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top‑Secret clearance at start.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active Top‑Secret clearance.
• Experience finding and developing exploits.
• Experience with assembly languages (x86, x64, ARM, MIPS, etc.).
• Development of disassembler extensions for tools such as IDA Pro or Ghidra.
• Low‑level debugging tools such as gdb, WinDbg, or OllyDbg.
• Vulnerability research on operating systems (Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, etc.).
• Experience with emulation (Renode, QEMU, etc.).
• Reverse engineering embedded systems (IoT, mobile devices).
• Development of software for user mode or kernel mode.
• Certified Reverse Engineering Analyst (CREA).

Benefits and Compensation

Primary Level Salary Range: $192,800.00 - $289,200.00. Salary is determined based on scope of responsibilities, experience, education, skills, and market conditions.

Eligible for overtime, shift differential, discretionary bonus, and long‑term incentives for VP/Director positions. Health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, company‑paid holidays, and paid time off for vacation and personal business.

401(k) matching. Flexible work arrangement available: 9/80 or 4/10 schedule.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For the full EEO and pay transparency statement, visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship required for all positions with a government clearance.