Vulnerability Researcher, New York APPLIED AI VR RE FUZZING EXPLOIT DEV New York, NY / On Site →

Zealot Labs; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Zealot Labs in New York, NY is seeking a Vulnerability Researcher to design and build agentic systems that autonomously perform vulnerability research across firmware, network stacks, mobile OSes, and IoT. You will wire emulation, instrumentation, fuzzing, and exploit primitives into scalable tool interfaces.

The role requires 2–3+ years in systems programming (C/C++, Rust) and ML infrastructure, with strong RE/debugging skills and familiarity with modern mitigations.

Qualifications

• 2–3+ years across systems programming (C/C++, Rust) and ML infrastructure.
• Familiarity with binary analysis, memory corruption classes, and mitigations (ASLR, CFI, PAC, MTE).
• Hands-on work with agent harnesses, orchestration, tool-use, eval loops in production or benchmark scale.

Responsibilities

• Design and build agentic systems that autonomously perform vulnerability research against targets: firmware, network stacks, mobile OSes, and IoT.
• Wire emulation, instrumentation, fuzzing, and exploit primitives into tool interfaces for agents.
• Build evaluation and benchmarking infrastructure to measure effectiveness.

Skills

C/C++

Rust

ML infra

binaries analysis

RE / debugger

Tools

GDB

IDA/Ghidra

QEMU/Unicorn/Qiling

Job description

Zealot is deploying AI systems at the center of western cyber operations , backed by tier-1 US VCs and industry leaders. Our team includes alumni of Anthropic, xAI, and Anduril. Soon live with close U.S. allies abroad.

APPLIED AI VR RE FUZZING EXPLOIT DEV

Compensation Competitive base + skin in the game equity

Location New York, NY On Site

Stage Early-stage startup backed by tier 1 investors. Small, growing team with exceptionally high ownership.

• + Help design and build our agentic systems that autonomously perform vulnerability research against real targets: firmware, network stacks, mobile OSes, and IoT.
• + Wire emulation (QEMU, Unicorn, Qiling), instrumentation (Frida, DynamoRIO), fuzzing, and exploit primitives into tool interfaces for agents.
• + Build the evaluation and benchmarking infrastructure that tells us whether any of it is actually working.
• + 2–3+ years across systems programming (C/C++, Rust) and ML infrastructure.
• + Comfort with binary analysis, memory corruption classes, and modern mitigations (ASLR, CFI, PAC, MTE).
• + Hands-on work with agent harnesses — orchestration, tool-use, eval loops — in production or at benchmark scale.
• + Fluency with at least one emulation stack (QEMU, Unicorn, Qiling, PANDA, FirmAE).
• + Strong RE / debugger chops (GDB, IDA or Ghidra) and the patience to use them.

Nice to Have

• + Pwn-heavy CTF experience (DEF CON finals, PPP, DiceGang, Shellphish, Theori, Team Atlanta).
• + Public CVEs, conference talks, or AIxCC / CGC participation.
• + Kernel or baseband RE.
• + That requirements list is what the fully-formed version of this role looks like. It's not a filter. If you're sharp, hungry, and funny, apply anyway, even if half the bullets read like a foreign language today.
• + Tech can be learned. Spirit cannot. We've watched the right people pick up binary exploitation from scratch and outship ten-year veterans inside a year.
• + Tell us what you've taught yourself recently and what you'd tear into first here.

Apply for Vulnerability Researcher, New York