Senior Vulnerability Researcher

Title: Senior Vulnerability Researcher Why Join Us? Innovative Projects: KBR’s work is at the forefront of engineering, logistics, operations, science, program management, mission IT and cybersecurity solutions. Collaborative Environment: Be part of a dynamic team that thrives on collaboration and innovation, fostering a supportive and intellectually stimulating workplace. Impactful Work: Your contributions will be pivotal in designing and optimizing defense systems that ensure national security and shape the future of space defense. KBR is seeking a Senior Vulnerability Researcher to lead vulnerability discovery and validation against embedded systems and firmware. This role owns end‑to‑end vulnerability research: building emulation-backed test environments, designing fuzzing and analysis workflows, performing crash triage and root-cause analysis, and developing proof‑of‑concept exploits to validate impact in a controlled lab setting. The Senior Vulnerability Researcher provides technical leadership, mentors engineers into defined proficiencies, and works directly with government customers to deliver reproducible findings and scalable research capability. Key Responsibilities Lead and mentor vulnerability researchers; set technical direction and intentionally develop individual proficiencies Execute vulnerability research on embedded targets using asset‑safe approaches Build and maintain fuzzing pipelines, including target selection, harness development, seed/corpus management, and coverage-driven campaign design Perform crash triage, exploitability assessment, and root-cause analysis Develop proof‑of‑concept exploits to demonstrate vulnerability impact in controlled labs Create controlled test harnesses and orchestration to exercise payload delivery and validate behavior deterministically across runs Reverse engineer firmware/binaries as needed to understand vulnerable code paths, exploitation constraints, and exploit mechanics Engage customers to understand mission outcomes and shape scalable research approaches Produce high-quality technical reports and supporting artifacts suitable for release Minimum Qualifications Security Clearance: Must have an active U.S. government Secret security clearance, which is something only a U.S. citizen can obtain Education: Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field 10+ years of experience, including at least 5 years in vulnerability research, reverse engineering, or exploit development Strong understanding of embedded systems, firmware, operating systems, and low-level software behavior Proficiency in C/C++, Python, and assembly for vulnerability research, harness development, and automation Experience building emulation-backed analysis environments Demonstrated experience with coverage-guided fuzzing, harness development, and crash triage workflows Demonstrated ability to produce proof‑of‑concept exploits for vulnerability validation Demonstrated leadership, mentorship, and customer engagement experience Preferred Qualifications Experience with hybrid fuzzing and advanced analysis techniques Experience scaling fuzzing or dynamic testing programs Experience with hardware security research Publications, reports, or presentations in vulnerability research or embedded security Basic Compensation: $142,000 - $213,000 (For Beavercreek, OH Only) The offered rate will be based on the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, abilities and/or experience and in consideration of internal parity. Additional Compensation: KBR may offer bonuses, commissions, or other forms of compensation to certain job titles or levels, per internal policy or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be in the form of a sign on bonus, relocation benefits, short-term incentives, long-term incentives, or discretionary payments for exceptional performance. Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team’s philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver – Together. KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. KBR — Delivering Solutions, Changing the World. KBR brings together the best and brightest to deliver science, technology and engineering solutions that help governments and companies around the world accomplish their most critical missions and objectives. In everything we do, we are guided by our ONE KBR Values: We Value Our People – We create diverse, inclusive environments in which each person can feel safe, respected and valued, and where everyone has opportunities to grow and reach their full potential. We Deliver – We are uncompromising in our commitment to deliver innovative, high-quality, technology-led solutions for our customers and exceptional, sustainable value for all our stakeholders. We Are People of Integrity – We value honesty, trust, courage, fairness, prudence and tenacity. We believe doing what’s right for the planet, the communities where we work, and our people is good for business. We Empower – We empower our people with a shared purpose, the right tools and the supportive culture they need to be proactive decision-makers, to be adaptive to change, and to succeed. We Are a Team of Teams – We have a will to succeed, but we value the achievements of our team of teams over individual accomplishments. Our collective focus makes us a better, stronger, more effective company. We have also embedded environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles in every business operation and corporate function. Not only are we committed to operating safely, sustainably and equitably, but we are also committed to using our capabilities and expertise to help our customers accomplish their sustainability goals. Worldwide, KBR employs a diverse workforce approximately 29,000 people strong, with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in 40 countries. At KBR, We Deliver. Fraud Alert Fraud has infiltrated the job placement market via the internet, email and direct phone contact. Attempts have included unauthorized use of KBR’s name and logo to solicit potential job seekers or to extend false job offers. Bad actors may mix in fake job advertisements with legitimate postings. These ads can include contact instructions and require job seekers to send sensitive personal information or money to pay for visa applications, processing fees, etc., in exchange for consideration for a high-paying position. KBR will never ask for any sort of advance payment as part of the recruiting/hiring process. 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