Vulnerability Researcher (Hardware Focus)

Location: Gloucester, South Gloucestershire, United Kingdom.

RTX, the world's largest aerospace and defense company, 185,000 great minds are united by purpose and inspired to make a difference solving the world’s most complex problems. With our three market leading businesses, world-class operations and investments in research and development, we offer capabilities and opportunity no one else can. Together, we push the boundaries of known science and find new ways to connect and protect our world. Raytheon brings the strength of more than 100 years of experience and renowned engineering expertise to meet the needs of today’s mission and stay ahead of tomorrow’s threat. We deliver solutions that help our nation and allies defend freedoms and deter aggression, creating a safer, more secure world. Join us and help shape the future of aerospace and defense.

Hybrid role – 3 days a week in the Gloucester office or customer sites. Must already hold SC clearance & be able to gain an eDV clearance.

Key Responsibilities

• Hardware teardowns, characterisations and reverse engineering.
• Extract and recover data from flash memory including NAND, eMMC and SPI.
• Conduct side channel attacks such as timing attacks, voltage glitching and power analysis.
• Conduct vulnerability research against embedded platforms.
• Design and implement hardware/software rapid prototypes to explore novel cyber capabilities and concepts.
• Analyse network protocols and system behaviours to identify potential security weaknesses.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to deliver technical solutions and research outcomes.
• Document findings and methodologies in a clear and structured manner for internal and external stakeholders.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Hardware development and prototyping, including PCB design and microcontroller programming.
• Experience extracting data from flash storage ICs.
• Familiarity with logic analysers and oscilloscopes.
• Advanced soldering and desoldering experience.
• Basic understanding of side channel attack techniques (experience not required).
• Proficiency in at least one programming language such as C, C++, or Python.
• Good working knowledge of Linux-based systems, including command-line tools and system configuration.
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with a methodical and inquisitive approach to technical challenges.

Desirable Experience

• Reverse engineering using tools such as IDA Pro, Ghidra, or Binary Ninja.
• Vulnerability research, including exploit development and mitigation bypass techniques.
• Embedded software development for platforms such as ARM Cortex, AVR, or MIPS.
• Experience with Radio Frequency (RF) systems, Software Defined Radios (SDRs), 2G/4G/5G, including tools like GNU Radio, Osmocom, srsRAN or USRP.
• Network engineering experience either home lab or professional.

Equal Employment

RTX adheres to the principles of equal employment.

All qualified applications will be given careful consideration without regard to ethnicity, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

RTX is an aerospace and defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military and government customers worldwide. It comprises three industry-leading businesses – Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon. Its 195,000 employees enable the company to operate at the edge of known science as they imagine and deliver solutions that push the boundaries in quantum physics, electric propulsion, directed energy, hypersonics, avionics and cybersecurity. The company, formed in 2020 through the combination of Raytheon Company and the United Technologies Corporation aerospace businesses, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.