Senior Penetration Tester (RF & Wireless Security)

Senior Penetration Tester (RF & Wireless Security)

Abu Dhabi | On-site | Tax-free package, relocation supported

Role: Senior Penetration Tester, RF & Wireless Security

Level: Senior (hands-on individual contributor)

Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE (on-site). Full relocation support.

Sector: Advanced-technology research institute (confidential search; client disclosed to suitable candidates at the appropriate stage)

The role

A well-funded advanced-technology institute in Abu Dhabi is hiring a senior, hands-on penetration tester with a wireless and RF specialism. You will break real wireless systems and embedded devices, prove the impact and hand back clear findings and tooling. This is offensive delivery work, not antenna or RF-hardware design and not a papers-first research seat. If you would rather be reversing a protocol from IQ and building the exploit than writing a standards document, this is for you.

What you will do

• Plan and run offensive security assessments and red-team engagements against wireless and RF targets: BLE, Bluetooth Classic, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave, LoRa, sub-GHz and proprietary RF, RFID/NFC, GNSS, and cellular (4G/5G) where relevant.
• Use SDR to capture and analyse IQ, reverse-engineer protocols from the radio up, and build replay, spoofing, jamming, downgrade and fuzzing attacks (GNU Radio, HackRF, USRP, LimeSDR, bladeRF).
• Support assessments with embedded and firmware work: extraction, reverse engineering, and debug interfaces (JTAG, SWD, UART, SPI) using Ghidra, IDA or radare2.
• Build and maintain custom tooling and test harnesses, and automate repeatable attacks.
• Write clear, well-structured technical reports with practical remediation, and brief both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Work hands-on alongside hardware, embedded and security teams.

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What you need

• 5+ years hands-on offensive security or penetration testing, with a genuine wireless/RF focus.
• Demonstrated SDR experience (GNU Radio, HackRF, USRP or similar) and protocol reverse engineering from IQ.
• Practical attacks across several of BLE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, LoRa, sub-GHz, RFID or cellular: replay, spoofing, jamming, downgrade, fuzzing.
• Strong Python and C for tooling and hardware interfacing, comfortable in Linux.
• Embedded and firmware familiarity: debug interfaces, extraction, and reverse engineering in support of wireless testing.
• A track record of owning assessments end to end and writing the report yourself.

Strong advantages

• Public tools, CVEs, or conference talks (DEF CON, hardwear.io, Troopers, WOOT, HITB) in wireless or RF security.
• Domain crossover: automotive keyless-entry/RKE, IoT and smart-home, RFID/NFC and access control, or cellular/baseband security.
• OSCP, OSWE, CREST, or hardware red-team equivalents.

Not this role (so we do not waste your time)

• RF hardware or antenna design (CST, HFSS, beamforming, phased array, MIL-STD qualification).
• Pure academic research with no hands-on delivery record.
• Defensive-only or audit-only security.

Why take it

• Tax-free salary (senior band) with full relocation to Abu Dhabi (flights, initial accommodation, visa and Emirates ID).
• A serious offensive-security mandate with a real RF and hardware lab and the kit to match.
• High-impact, hands-on work breaking real systems, backed by a well-resourced institute.

Quick screen (before we talk)

1. Years of hands-on SDR (GNU Radio / HackRF / USRP or similar)?
2. Have you delivered a wireless/RF security assessment end to end for a client or employer? (Y/N, one example.)
3. One wireless protocol attack you researched or exploited hands-on. Plus: open to relocating to Abu Dhabi, English working proficiency, notice period.

Confidential search. The hiring organisation is shared with suitable candidates at the appropriate stage.