Vulnerability Researcher

Title:

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 Vulnerability Researcher to support vulnerability discovery and validation efforts against embedded systems and firmware. In this role, you will focus on hands‑on vulnerability research, including building emulation‑backed test environments, developing fuzzing workflows, performing crash triage and root‑cause analysis, and assisting with proof‑of‑concept exploit development in a controlled lab setting.

The Vulnerability Researcher works closely with reverse engineers and senior vulnerability researchers to deliver reproducible findings and high‑quality technical documentation for government customers while continuing to deepen technical proficiency across mission‑relevant domains.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct vulnerability research on embedded targets using asset‑safe approaches such as emulation, virtualization, and controlled experimentation
• Develop and execute fuzzing campaigns, including target setup, fuzz harness development, seed/corpus management, and coverage‑driven testing
• Perform crash triage and root‑cause analysis to identify and characterize security vulnerabilities
• Assist in the development of proof‑of‑concept exploits to validate vulnerability impact in controlled laboratory environments
• Create and maintain test harnesses and supporting infrastructure to exercise payload delivery and validate behavior repeatably
• Reverse engineer firmware and binaries as needed to understand vulnerable code paths and exploitation constraints
• Collaborate with vulnerability researchers, reverse engineers, and developers support mission objectives
• Document findings and produce technical reports and artifacts suitable for release
• Research and apply new vulnerability research tools and techniques under senior technical guidance

Minimum Qualifications

• Security Clearance: Must have an active U.S. government Secret security clearance, which is something only a U.S. citizen can obtain
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
• 4–9 years of experience 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 with embedded emulation environments
• Experience with coverage‑guided fuzzing, fuzz harness development, and crash triage workflows

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing proof‑of‑concept exploits for vulnerability validation
• Exposure to analysis techniques such as symbolic execution, concolic execution, or taint analysis
• Experience with hardware‑focused vulnerability research or embedded security testing
• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical findings clearly in written reports

Basic Compensation: $99,200 - $130,000 (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.

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.