Vulnerability Researcher: Exploit Research & Security Tools

Penn State University; Reston (VA); Hybrid; USD 127,000 - 277,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition discount 75%

Comprehensive benefits

Career development

Job summary

Penn State University’s Applied Research Laboratory in Reston, VA seeks a Vulnerability Researcher to advance cyber security research in adversarial tactics and procedures, supporting sponsors with evaluation and hardening expertise.

Responsibilities include leading vulnerability analyses, developing proof-of-concept tools, and guiding junior engineers. On-site with potential hybrid arrangements and occasional travel for testing and demonstrations.

Qualifications

• Documented experience in reverse engineering and vulnerability testing tools.
• Experience in malware analysis and cyber operations tool development.
• Strong understanding of computer networking, Windows and UNIX-like OS, and multiple architectures.

Responsibilities

• Research cutting edge techniques for system exploitation.
• Leverage expertise to address requirements and demonstrate solutions to sponsors.
• Create proof-of-concept tools and configure test environments for demonstrations.

Skills

Reverse engineering

Vulnerability research

Malware analysis

CNO tool development

Networking fundamentals

Windows & Linux

Technical documentation

Clear communication

Project management

TS/SCI clearance

Education

Bachelor’s degree

6+ years experience

Tools

Ghidra/IDA

Kali Linux

Angr/AFL++

QEMU/Unicorn

Job description

Penn State University’s Applied Research Laboratory in Reston, VA seeks a Vulnerability Researcher to advance cyber security research in adversarial tactics and procedures, supporting sponsors with evaluation and hardening expertise.

Responsibilities include leading vulnerability analyses, developing proof-of-concept tools, and guiding junior engineers. On-site with potential hybrid arrangements and occasional travel for testing and demonstrations.