Trail of Bits · 3 months ago
Machine Learning Security Researcher
United States
Full-time
Remote
Senior Level
$175K/yr - $300K/yrTrail of Bits is a premier security firm founded by expert hackers, focused on advancing security and addressing technology's most challenging risks. They are seeking a Machine Learning Security Researcher to conduct original security research on cutting-edge machine learning systems, identify novel attack vectors, and engage with leading AI organizations to enhance their security posture.
Cyber SecurityNational SecuritySecuritySoftware
Responsibilities
Conduct original security research on cutting-edge machine learning systems, identifying novel attack vectors including adversarial examples, model poisoning, data extraction attacks, and jailbreaks for large language models and other foundation models
Work directly with top-tier AI organizations (frontier labs, leading AI companies) to assess the security posture of their most advanced ML systems, providing expertise that matches their internal research capabilities
Design and build novel security testing frameworks, evaluation methodologies, and open-source tools specifically for AI/ML security research—including adversarial robustness testing, model extraction detection, and automated vulnerability discovery systems
Develop comprehensive threat models for emerging AI/ML deployment patterns, anticipate future attack vectors, and establish security frameworks that can scale with rapidly evolving AI capabilities
Publish findings, present at security and AI/ML conferences, and contribute to the broader AI/ML security research discourse through papers, blog posts, and open-source contributions
Bridge AI/ML research and security engineering, translating complex adversarial AI/ML concepts to diverse stakeholders and working closely with Trail of Bits' broader security research teams
Qualification
Required
PhD-level expertise (completed, near completion, or equivalent research experience) in machine learning, deep learning, or related fields with demonstrated research contributions
Strong understanding of adversarial machine learning, including familiarity with attack paradigms such as evasion attacks, poisoning attacks, model inversion, membership inference, backdoor attacks, or prompt injection/jailbreaking techniques
Extensive hands-on experience with modern ML frameworks (PyTorch, JAX, TensorFlow), transformer architectures, training methodologies, and the full ML development lifecycle from data pipelines to deployment
Strong software engineering skills in Python and at least one systems language (C/C++, Rust, or similar), with experience building research prototypes and tooling
Demonstrated ability to quickly learn new domains, identify security-critical edge cases, and think adversarially about complex systems without needing an explicit application security background
Ability to distill complex AI/ML security research into clear, actionable recommendations for technical and executive audiences, and present findings to sophisticated clients who are themselves AI/ML experts
Preferred
Experience specifically in adversarial ML, robustness, or AI safety research is highly valued
Familiarity with CUDA programming, GPU optimization, or ML systems performance is a plus
Track record of high-quality research demonstrated through publications, preprints, open-source contributions, or other artifacts that the ML community recognizes
Publications at top-tier ML conferences (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR) or security venues (USENIX Security, S&P, CCS) are valued but not required
Benefits
Competitive salary complemented by performance-based bonuses
Fully company-paid insurance packages, including health, dental, vision, disability, and life
A solid 401(k) plan with a 5% match of your base salary
20 days of paid vacation with flexibility for more, adhering to jurisdictional regulations
4 months of parental leave to cherish the arrival of new family members
$10,000 in relocation assistance to support your transition
$1,000 Working-from-Home stipend to create a comfortable and productive home office
Annual $750 Learning & Development stipend for continuous personal and professional growth
Company-sponsored all-team celebrations, including travel and accommodation, to foster community and recognize achievements
Philanthropic contribution matching up to $2,000 annually
Company
Trail of Bits
Since 2012, Trail of Bits has helped secure some of the world’s most targeted organizations and products.
Founded in 2012
51-200 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Trail of Bits has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (1)
2023 (2)
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageLeadership Team
Dan Guido
Co-Founder & CEO
A
Alexander Sotirov
Co-Founder & CTO
Recent News
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