Senior Vulnerability Researcher (Cyber267)
Research Innovations2 months ago
St. Petersburg, FL, USA or San Antonio, TX, USASenior
Responsibilities
- Lead advanced vulnerability research across operating systems, kernels, firmware, hypervisors, embedded platforms, and complex application stacks.
- Scope ambiguous attack surfaces and drive research from initial hypotheses through validated findings.
- Perform reverse engineering and in-memory analysis of compiled binaries across x86/x64, ARM, PowerPC, and other architectures.
- Design and execute novel exploitation techniques and mitigation evaluations.
- Analyze undocumented system behavior and extend internal interfaces or tooling to support research goals.
- Collaborate with senior researchers to shape technical direction and review complex work.
- Translate low-level findings into clear, actionable insights for internal stakeholders and customers when appropriate.
- Mentor researchers and improve research tools, methodologies, and workflows.
Requirements
- Conducted high-impact vulnerability research on real-world systems with minimal guidance and produced findings that influenced security decisions or mitigations.
- Demonstrated deep knowledge of Windows, Linux, macOS, operating-system internals, kernel subsystems, and low-level execution models.
- Reverse engineered complex binaries, firmware, or kernel components and analyzed their behavior in memory.
- Developed proof-of-concept exploits or mitigation bypasses demonstrating meaningful impact beyond simple crashes.
- Understood exploit mitigations including ASLR, DEP/NX, stack canaries, and CFI, including where their assumptions break down.
- Written research tooling, scripts, or frameworks using Python, C, or C++.
- Collaborated with researchers, provided technical feedback, and communicated complex technical concepts clearly.
- Preferred qualifications include experience with hypervisors, virtualization stacks, firmware boot chains, trusted execution environments, embedded systems, RTOS environments, iOS, Android, networking or wireless stacks, symbolic execution, constraint solving, fuzzing, advanced program analysis, malware analysis, deobfuscation, behavioral analysis, or adversarial tooling.
- Must hold an active US Top Secret security clearance and be able to upgrade to TS/SCI Special Access Program access.
Benefits
- Full-time role located in St. Petersburg, FL; Melbourne, FL; or San Antonio, TX.
- Flexible work schedules, health insurance, paid time off, 401(k) with company match, paid parental leave, and wellness programs are provided from day one.
- Company offices include amenities such as a community game room, pantry, massage chair, escape room, and regular community events.
About Research Innovations
Research Innovations Inc. develops mission software and R&D solutions for U.S. defense, intelligence, and cyber agencies, with select international clients, including Joint All-Domain Command and Control, data integration, situational awareness, and cyber operations tooling. The privately held company, founded in 2009 and headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, delivers products and services primarily through government contracts and programs.