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Vulnerability Research Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Battelle

Junior Vulnerability Researcher

Columbus, OH · On-site

We conduct research and development, manage national laboratories, design and manufacture products ... Do you enjoy conducting vulnerability research from scratch? Do you have arguments over Ghidra vs.

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How much do vulnerability research jobs pay per year?

As of May 30, 2026, the average yearly pay for vulnerability research in the United States is $106,012.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $104,000.00 and $104,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Vulnerability Research job?

A Vulnerability Research job involves identifying, analyzing, and reporting security weaknesses in software, hardware, or networks. Researchers use reverse engineering, fuzz testing, and other techniques to discover exploitable flaws before malicious actors can exploit them. Their findings help improve security by enabling developers and organizations to patch vulnerabilities and strengthen defenses. This role requires a deep understanding of cybersecurity, programming, and exploit development.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Vulnerability Research position, and why are they important?

To thrive in Vulnerability Research, you need a strong background in cybersecurity principles, programming, reverse engineering, and deep knowledge of common operating systems and network protocols, often supported by a relevant degree in computer science or similar fields. Familiarity with tools such as IDA Pro, Ghidra, Wireshark, Metasploit, and certifications like OSCP or CEH is highly valuable. Analytical thinking, persistence, attention to detail, and effective written communication are critical soft skills in this field. These capabilities ensure you can effectively discover, analyze, and document security vulnerabilities, contributing to safer software and systems.

What are some common challenges faced in a Vulnerability Research role?

One of the main challenges in Vulnerability Research is keeping up with constantly evolving threat landscapes and security technologies, which requires continuous learning and adaptability. Researchers often encounter complex and undocumented systems, making analysis and exploitation both technically demanding and time-consuming. You may collaborate closely with other cybersecurity professionals, developers, and incident response teams to verify findings, replicate vulnerabilities, and share remediation strategies. Successfully navigating these challenges is rewarding and allows you to make a tangible impact on organizational security.
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Vulnerability Research jobs near you
Infographic showing various Vulnerability Research job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 86% Full Time, 11% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $106,012 per year, or $51 per hour.
Senior Vulnerability Researcher (Cyber264)

Senior Vulnerability Researcher (Cyber264)

Research Innovations

San Antonio, TX

Full-time

Posted 12 days ago

Job description

Position Title: Senior Security Researcher
Location: St. Petersburg, FL \u007C Melbourne, FL \u007C San Antonio, TX
Clearance Requirement: Top Secret/SCI
Employment type: Full Time
Research Innovations Inc. (RII) is redefining defense technology. We combine mission-driven impact with cutting-edge research and a culture that values autonomy, creativity, and technical excellence.
 
We are seeking security researchers to independently explore and exploit complex systems, from kernels to embedded platforms, to solve the unsolvable. This role combines deep technical problem-solving with real-world impact on defense and homeland security systems. Get s#it done.
 
This position requires an Active US Top Secret security clearance, and the ability to upgrade to TS/SCI Special Access Program access
WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING

  • Leading advanced vulnerability research efforts across operating systems, kernels, firmware, hypervisors, embedded platforms, and complex application stacks.

  • Independently scoping ambiguous or underexplored attack surfaces and driving research from initial hypothesis through validated findings.

  • Performing deep reverse engineering and in-memory analysis of compiled binaries across multiple architectures (x86/x64, ARM, PowerPC, etc.).

  • Designing and executing novel exploitation techniques and mitigation evaluations, including identifying real-world weaknesses in modern defense mechanisms.

  • Analyzing undocumented or partially documented system behavior and extending internal interfaces or tooling to support research goals.

  • Collaborating with other senior researchers to shape technical direction, review complex work, and raise the overall quality of research output.

  • Translating low-level technical findings into clear, actionable insights for internal stakeholders and, when appropriate, customers.

  • Contributing to research culture through mentorship, knowledge sharing, and improvements to tools, methodologies, and workflows.

WHAT YOU HAVE DONE

  • Conducted high-impact vulnerability research on real-world systems with minimal guidance, producing findings that influenced security decisions or mitigations.

  • Demonstrated deep understanding of operating system internals (Windows, Linux, macOS), kernel subsystems, and low-level execution models.

  • Reverse engineered complex binaries, firmware, or kernel components and reasoned about their behavior in memory.

  • Developed proof-of-concept exploits or mitigation bypasses that go beyond simple crashes and demonstrate meaningful impact.

  • Shown strong intuition for exploit mitigations such as ASLR, DEP/NX, stack canaries, CFI, and where their assumptions break down.

  • Written research tooling, scripts, or frameworks (e.g., Python, C/C++) to support analysis, exploitation, or automation.

  • Collaborated closely with other researchers, provided technical feedback, and influenced how work is approached or evaluated.

  • Communicated complex technical concepts clearly in writing and discussion, including with other experts.

EVEN BETTER

  • Experience with hypervisors, virtualization stacks, firmware boot chains, or trusted execution environments.

  • Background in embedded systems, RTOS environments, or mobile platforms (iOS/Android).

  • Familiarity with networking or wireless stacks (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular) and their security models.

  • Contributions to the vulnerability research community (publications, talks, open source).

  • Experience with symbolic execution, constraint solving, fuzzing frameworks, or advanced program analysis techniques.

  • Malware analysis experience, including deobfuscation, behavioral analysis, or adversarial tooling.

  • Interest in shaping long-term research direction, mentoring other researchers, or acting as a technical authority without moving into management.

REFERRALS
Know someone who would make a great Senior Vulnerability Researcher? Refer them at www.researchinnovations.com/external-referrals!
At RII, we believe that diversity in our workforce is critical to our success. We strive to hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes us stronger. We work to help your intellectual passions and creativity thrive. It’s one of our core values: Let your geek flag fly.
 
We also offer all employees comprehensive benefits including: flexible work schedules, health insurance coverage, paid time off, 401k with a company match, paid parental leave, access to wellness programs and much more. You get this all from day one, and all paid for by RII. It’s all part of another of our core values: Stay human. It’s why our comfortable and colorful offices such as our headquarters, include a community game room, pantry, massage chair, and an escape room, among other amenities. It’s why we have community ambassadors and regular community events.
 
Research Innovations, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, genetics, disability status, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal or local law.
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We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.