Principal Vulnerability Analyst

Location: United States

Department: Global Intelligence/Professional Services

About the Role: 

Dragos' Vulnerability Analysis team identifies novel security gaps in the industrial control systems that power plants, water utilities, and manufacturing facilities depend on—and translates those findings into detections and actionable intelligence that defend critical infrastructure. As a Principal Vulnerability Analyst, you'll operate with high autonomy to identify research targets, perform in-depth vulnerability analysis, coordinate with affected vendors, and author vulnerability reports that shape how the industry understands emerging threats. You'll partner across threat intelligence, product engineering, and incident response teams to amplify the real-world impact of your work. Working alongside another vulnerability analyst, you'll serve as a recognized subject matter expert and trusted internal resource—mentoring researchers and penetration testers, driving methodology development, and helping identify gaps in the Dragos Platform's ability to detect new exploits.

Responsibilities: 

• Identify novel vulnerabilities in industrial products and control systems through strategic acquisition and rigorous analysis, assessing operational impact on both IT and ICS environments.
• Coordinate responsible disclosure with affected vendors and author clear, technically rigorous vulnerability reports for internal customers and public publication.
• Develop detection signatures (Suricata, YARA, internal analytics) and partner with product engineering to identify and close gaps in the Dragos Platform's vulnerability detection capabilities.
• Serve as a trusted internal resource to threat intelligence and incident response teams, assessing in-the-wild exploits, analyzing vulnerability trends, and integrating findings into broader threat intelligence.
• Contribute to the strategic vulnerability management roadmap and collaborate with customers and strategic partners on vulnerability research projects that advance collective defense.
• Mentor other researchers and penetration testers while communicating Dragos expertise through public reporting, industry presentations, and engagement with the security community.
• Champion the adoption of automated vulnerability analysis tools and processes to scale research capabilities and optimize team workflows.

Qualifications: 

• 5+ years developing, deploying, or evaluating proof-of-concept code related to vulnerabilities.
• Demonstrable expertise in embedded systems reverse engineering or binary reverse engineering of Windows and/or embedded applications.
• Strong familiarity with binary network protocols and low-level networking concepts.
• 3+ years writing customer-facing technical material and demonstrated ability to translate complex details to inform decision-makers and operators.
• In-depth understanding of vulnerability scoring mechanisms, their benefits and limitations in OT context, and measured ability to assess real-world operational impact.
• Proven ability to function independently to identify devices and software to assess, determine acquisition strategies, and develop analysis roadmaps.
• Demonstrated proficiency developing software tooling or analytical automation using Python, C#, or similar languages to enhance team workflows and scale research.

Nice to Haves:

• Experience reverse engineering malware using static and dynamic analysis tools and techniques, with familiarity of malware code constructs.
• Experience developing YARA, Snort, Suricata or Zeek detections rules.
• Experience working with an operations center and incident response team during live engagements.
• Track record of discovering and responsibly disclosing novel vulnerabilities.
• Familiarity with ICS protocols (Modbus, DNP3, Profibus, etc.) and their security properties.
• External presence or track record of knowledge sharing through publications, conference presentations, or industry engagement. 

Compensation: 

• Salary: $170,000
• Competitive Equity Package  
• Comprehensive Benefits Plan 

 

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