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Salaried Exploit Development Jobs in Alabama (NOW HIRING)

Salaried Exploit Development information

What are some typical challenges encountered by professionals in salaried exploit development roles?

Professionals in salaried exploit development roles often face challenges such as staying current with rapidly evolving security technologies and patch cycles. They must continuously research new vulnerabilities and develop creative solutions to bypass updated security mechanisms, which can be highly demanding. Collaborating closely with security analysts and other developers is essential to ensure responsible disclosure and risk management. Additionally, balancing project deadlines with the need for meticulous testing and documentation can be a significant challenge in this field.

What is the difference between Salaried Exploit Development vs Penetration Tester?

AspectSalaried Exploit DevelopmentPenetration Tester
CredentialsSecurity certifications, programming skillsSecurity certifications, testing experience
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, security firms, internal teamsClient sites, corporate environments, consulting firms
Industry UsageCybersecurity, offensive securityCybersecurity, vulnerability assessment

Salaried Exploit Developers focus on creating and testing exploits for security research or defensive purposes, often working in labs or R&D settings. Penetration Testers simulate attacks to identify vulnerabilities in client systems. While both roles require security knowledge and technical skills, Exploit Developers primarily develop exploits, whereas Penetration Testers perform assessments and reporting. Understanding these differences helps clarify career paths and employer expectations in cybersecurity.

What is a salaried exploit developer?

A Salaried Exploit Developer is a cybersecurity professional who is employed by an organization to research, identify, and develop software exploits—ways to take advantage of vulnerabilities in computer systems or applications. Unlike freelance or independent security researchers, salaried exploit developers work as part of a security team, often within penetration testing firms, defense contractors, or tech companies. Their work can involve both offensive (discovering vulnerabilities to test defenses) and defensive (helping to patch or mitigate vulnerabilities) tasks. These roles require strong programming skills, a deep understanding of operating systems, and knowledge of security protocols. Salaried Exploit Developers may also be involved in responsible disclosure of vulnerabilities to affected vendors.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a salaried exploit developer?

To thrive as a Salaried Exploit Developer, you need deep expertise in computer science, reverse engineering, vulnerability analysis, and low-level programming, often backed by a degree in computer science or related field. Familiarity with tools like IDA Pro, Ghidra, debuggers, and operating system internals is crucial, and certifications such as OSCP or OSCE can be advantageous. Creativity, persistence, and strong problem-solving abilities are standout soft skills in this role. These qualifications are essential for identifying, developing, and responsibly handling software exploits in a secure and ethical manner.
What are the most commonly searched types of Exploit Development jobs in Alabama? The most popular types of Exploit Development jobs in Alabama are:
What are popular job titles related to Salaried Exploit Development jobs in Alabama? For Salaried Exploit Development jobs in Alabama, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Infographic showing various Salaried Exploit Development job openings in Alabama as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 81% Full Time, 15% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution.

Senior Specialist, Security Research Engineer

Harris Geospatial Solutions

Needham, AL • On-site

$111.50 - $207.50/hr

Other

Medical, Retirement, PTO

Posted 3 days ago

New


Job description

Job Title: Senior Specialist, Security Software Research Engineer

Job Code: 36915

Job Location: Remote

Job Schedule: 9/80: Employees work 9 out of every 14 days – totaling 80 hours worked and have every other Friday off.

Job Description

L3Harris has an immediate opening for a Senior Security Software Research Engineer with our security group, Trenchant. Our teams are comprised of elite security researchers and former intelligence professionals with a fixation on realizing mission outcomes. We are pursuing top‑tier senior security researching talent with experience across a host of technologies and paradigms. Our business unit offers an exceptional value‑proposition for individuals looking to make an impact.

Trenchant’s expertise is the by-product of the L3Harris acquisition of two highly‑regarded information security businesses – Azimuth Security and Linchpin Labs. United under Trenchant, we are a key component of L3Harris’ Intelligence and Cyber International Division. We are a trusted, discrete partner furnishing security products, consultancy, training and integration services to allied security, defense, and law enforcement agencies.

Essential Functions
  • Finding vulnerabilities in ubiquitous Internet‑deployed software and/or popular devices’ software or firmware.
  • Constructing exploits for vulnerabilities discovered by yourself or your team.
  • Guiding the team’s technical outcomes to measurable deliverables for the organization.
  • Training, management and provision of guidance to all levels of team members.
  • Regular interaction with managers and customer‑facing staff members to field queries and questions about technical work.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain security clearance.
  • Take an active role in cross‑team projects when required.
Qualifications
  • Bachelor’s Degree with a minimum 6 years prior relevant experience. Graduate Degree with a minimum of 4 years of prior related experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum of 10 years of prior related experience.
Preferred Additional Skills
  • 5+ years of vulnerability research, reverse engineering, and bug‑hunting.
  • Experience with static and dynamic binary analysis.
  • Experience with iOS, Android, Windows, Linux, or embedded systems kernel, user land, and internals or browser internals.
  • Experience with common tools in security research (e.g. IdaPro, Ghidra, Radare, Binary Ninja, AFL, SysInternals, GDB, WinDBG, etc).
  • Experience with common programming languages (e.g. C/C++, Python, Swift, etc).
  • Experience with common architectures (e.g. x86/64, ARM, AARCH64, MIPS, PowerPC, TILEGX, etc).
  • Experience with modern security system features, exploit mitigations, and evasion techniques (e.g. defeating ASLR, DEP, Control Flow Guard, ROP, Security Product/AV Evasion, etc).
  • Experience with a wide‑range of modern exploitation concepts and techniques.
  • Experience with Computer Network Operations / Computer Network Exploitation.
  • Experience with symbolic execution and emulation software (e.g. QEMU, Corellium, VHDL, etc).
  • Cryptographic experience (e.g. side‑channel attacks, implementing AES, etc).
  • Experience teaching and mentoring junior vulnerability researchers.
  • Bespoke fuzzer development experience.

In compliance with pay transparency requirements, the salary range for this role in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Washington, and the Greater D.C., Denver, or NYC areas is $111,500 – $207,500. The salary range for this role in Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, and Vermont is $97,000 – $180,000. This is not a guarantee of compensation or salary, as final offer amount may vary based on factors including but not limited to experience and geographic location. L3Harris also offers a variety of benefits, including health and disability insurance, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, EAP, education assistance, parental leave, paid time off, and company‑paid holidays. The specific programs and options available to an employee may vary depending on date of hire, schedule type, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.

L3Harris Technologies is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. L3Harris is committed to treating all employees and applicants for employment with respect and dignity and maintaining a workplace that is free from unlawful discrimination. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or other related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, characteristic or membership in any other group protected by federal, state or local laws. L3Harris maintains a drug‑free workplace and performs pre‑employment substance abuse testing and background checks, where permitted by law.

Please be aware many of our positions require the ability to obtain a security clearance. Security clearances may only be granted to U.S. citizens. In addition, applicants who accept a conditional offer of employment may be subject to government security investigation(s) and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.

By submitting your resume for this position, you understand and agree that L3Harris Technologies may share your resume, as well as any other related personal information or documentation you provide, with its subsidiaries and affiliated companies for the purpose of considering you for other available positions.

L3Harris Technologies is an E‑Verify Employer. Please click here for the E‑Verify Poster in English or Spanish. For information regarding your Right To Work, please click here for English or Spanish.

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