vulnerability researcher

NPAworldwide; Saint Petersburg (FL); On-site; USD 156,000 - 234,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

NPAworldwide is seeking a Senior Vulnerability Researcher for on-site work in St. Petersburg, FL (preferred) with locations in Melbourne, FL and San Antonio, TX.

The role requires active TS/SCI eligibility and 6+ years of vulnerability research or exploit development, with a strong focus on reverse engineering, exploitation, and advanced tooling. The successful candidate will lead research across OSes, kernels, firmware, and embedded platforms, develop exploitation techniques, and mentor junior

Qualifications

• 6+ years of hands-on vulnerability research or exploit development.
• Strong background in reverse engineering and exploit development.
• Active U.S. Top Secret clearance with TS/SCI eligibility.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead advanced vulnerability research across operating systems, kernels, firmware, hypervisors, embedded platforms, and complex application stacks.
• Independently identify and evaluate new attack surfaces, driving research from initial hypothesis through validated findings.
• Perform deep reverse engineering and in-memory analysis of compiled binaries across x86, x64, ARM, and PowerPC architectures.
• Develop and validate novel exploitation techniques while evaluating modern security mitigations, including ASLR, DEP/NX, and CFI.
• Analyze undocumented system behavior and enhance internal research tools and automation.
• Collaborate with senior researchers to drive technical innovation and improve overall research quality.
• Communicate technical findings clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Mentor team members and contribute to research methodologies, tooling, and knowledge sharing.

Skills

Vulnerability research

Exploit development

Reverse engineering

C/C++

Python

Assembly

IDA Pro

Ghidra

Fuzzing frameworks

Symbolic execution tools

Communication

Team mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/CE or related

Tools

IDA Pro

Ghidra

Fuzzing frameworks

Symbolic execution tools

Job description

Full-Time | On-Site | St. Petersburg, FL (preferred) Melbourne, FL San Antonio, TX

Job Description

Senior Vulnerability Researcher

Full-Time | On-Site | St. Petersburg, FL (preferred) Melbourne, FL San Antonio, TX

Compensation: $156K to $234KClearance Required: Active US Top Secret (must be eligible for TS/SCI with SAP)Experience: 6+ years in vulnerability research or exploit developmentWork Authorization: U.S. citizenship required. Visa sponsorship is not available.Relocation Assistance: Available

About The Opportunity

Our client is seeking an experienced Senior Vulnerability Researcher to join a highly technical team focused on advanced vulnerability discovery, reverse engineering, and exploit development. This is a hands-on research role for professionals who thrive on solving complex technical challenges and uncovering previously unknown vulnerabilities across a wide range of platforms.

What You'll Do

• Lead advanced vulnerability research across operating systems, kernels, firmware, hypervisors, embedded platforms, and complex application stacks.
• Independently identify and evaluate new attack surfaces, driving research from initial hypothesis through validated findings.
• Perform deep reverse engineering and in-memory analysis of compiled binaries across x86, x64, ARM, and PowerPC architectures.
• Develop and validate novel exploitation techniques while evaluating modern security mitigations, including ASLR, DEP/NX, and CFI.
• Analyze undocumented system behavior and enhance internal research tools and automation.
• Collaborate with senior researchers to drive technical innovation and improve overall research quality.
• Communicate technical findings clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Mentor team members and contribute to research methodologies, tooling, and knowledge sharing.

What We're Looking For

• 6+ years of hands-on vulnerability research or exploit development experience.
• Demonstrated success independently leading complex research projects with minimal direction.
• Strong background in reverse engineering and exploit development rather than defensive security or security operations.
• Experience supporting cyber operations, offensive security, or government research programs is highly valued.
• Contributions to the security community, including CVEs, conference presentations, research publications, malware analysis, deobfuscation work, or CTF achievements, are a plus.
• Expert-level reverse engineering of operating systems, kernels, firmware, and compiled binaries.
• Strong knowledge of assembly language across x86/x64, ARM, and PowerPC architectures.
• Experience developing proof-of-concept exploits, vulnerability research, and mitigation bypass techniques.
• Strong programming skills in C/C++ and Python.
• Experience researching embedded systems, hypervisors, mobile platforms, RTOS, or networking protocols.
• Proficiency with industry-standard research tools such as IDA Pro, Ghidra, fuzzing frameworks, symbolic execution tools, and related technologies.
• Active U.S. Top Secret clearance with the ability to obtain TS/SCI with Special Access Program eligibility.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline preferred.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of hands-on vulnerability research or exploit development experience.
• Demonstrated success independently leading complex research projects with minimal direction.
• Strong background in reverse engineering and exploit development rather than defensive security or security operations.
• Experience supporting cyber operations, offensive security, or government research programs is highly valued.
• Contributions to the security community, including CVEs, conference presentations, research publications, malware analysis, deobfuscation work, or CTF achievements, are a plus.
• Expert-level reverse engineering of operating systems, kernels, firmware, and compiled binaries.
• Strong knowledge of assembly language across x86/x64, ARM, and PowerPC architectures.
• Experience developing proof-of-concept exploits, vulnerability research, and mitigation bypass techniques.
• Strong programming skills in C/C++ and Python.
• Experience researching embedded systems, hypervisors, mobile platforms, RTOS, or networking protocols.
• Proficiency with industry-standard research tools such as IDA Pro, Ghidra, fuzzing frameworks, symbolic execution tools, and related technologies.
• Active U.S. Top Secret clearance with the ability to obtain TS/SCI with Special Access Program eligibility.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline preferred.

Why Is This a Great Opportunity

“Let your geek flag fly” is a core value here technical depth and curiosity are celebrated over titles or hierarchy.

Salary Type

Annual Salary

Salary Min

$ 156000

Salary Max

$ 234000

Currency Type

USD