Offensive Cyber Research Engineer

Conduct advanced research into emerging adversary techniques, zero-day exploitation strategies, and novel attack vectors

Develop proof-of-concept tools and techniques that push the boundaries of offensive cyber capabilities

Stay current with threat actor innovations and translate emerging TTPs into defensive and offensive capabilities

Publish internal research findings and contribute to the broader cyber security research community

Identify capability gaps and lead initiatives to develop new offensive tools and methodologies

Mentor and provide technical guidance to offensive cyber engineers and researchers, conducting thorough code reviews and knowledge transfer

Lead technical discussions and facilitate strategic planning sessions for offensive capability development

Organize research efforts and coordinate cross-functional collaboration with data engineering, backend, and intelligence analysis teams

Establish and maintain engineering best practices, secure coding standards, and operational security procedures

Guide junior engineers in understanding complex adversary behaviors and translating them into technical implementations

Design and implement advanced attack paths that emulate sophisticated adversary campaigns across multiple domains

Create reusable, production-grade components for complex attack techniques including credential harvesting, lateral movement, and defense evasion

Develop custom tooling and automation frameworks that operate at machine speed for large-scale adversary emulation

Lead the design of ETL pipelines for processing threat intelligence, security logs, and operational data at scale

Architect standardized schemas for cyber operations datasets that support graph-based analysis and AI/ML workflows

Implement advanced data enrichment pipelines that integrate diverse threat intelligence sources

Design efficient storage and retrieval systems for large-scale security-relevant data

Work closely with government customers and operational teams to understand mission requirements and capability gaps

Translate operational feedback into technical requirements and development priorities

Lead technical demonstrations showcasing offensive cyber capabilities to stakeholders

Provide subject matter expertise for customer engagements and strategic planning sessions

6-8 years of threat research, offensive cyber operations, and software development experience

Expert-level operational cyber security experience in one or more of the following domains:

Digital Network Exploitation Analysis (DNEA) within U.S. Government military or intelligence organizations

Exploitation Analyst (EA) operations conducting advanced network exploitation and intelligence analysis

Advanced Penetration Testing/Red Teaming leading sophisticated offensive security assessments

Senior-level Threat Hunting and threat intelligence analysis in high-stakes environments

Demonstrated technical leadership experience mentoring offensive cyber engineers and leading research initiatives

Deep expertise in the MITRE ATT&CK framework with proven track record developing and implementing advanced adversary TTPs across multiple tactics

Expert-level experience operating and extending industry-standard threat emulation platforms (Cobalt Strike, Metasploit, custom C2 frameworks) with proven ability to develop sophisticated custom payloads, modules, and evasion techniques

Extensive experience integrating and analyzing diverse threat intelligence sources including commercial feeds, OSINT, and government intelligence

Advanced proficiency in implementing sophisticated persistence mechanisms, advanced defense evasion techniques, counter-forensics, and anti-analysis methods

Expert containerization and orchestration experience using Docker and Kubernetes for secure, scalable offensive tool deployment

Advanced programming and software architecture skills in Python and Golang, with demonstrated ability to build maintainable, production-grade security tools and automation frameworks

Expert-level experience writing complex graph queries and developing graph-based analytical tools using Neo4j or similar graph databases

Comprehensive knowledge of cybersecurity across network security, application security, secure coding, cryptography, and security architecture

Extensive practical experience in offensive cyber operations including advanced payload development, post-exploitation frameworks, command and control infrastructure, and multi-stage attack chains

Expert knowledge of red team methodologies including campaign planning, operational security (OPSEC), adversary simulation, and realistic threat emulation based on intelligence-driven scenarios

Proven ability to lead technical projects and mentor engineering teams

Strong communication skills with ability to explain complex offensive techniques to diverse audiences including executives and government officials

Experience conducting thorough code reviews and establishing development standards for security tools

Track record of driving technical decision-making and influencing strategic direction

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Cybersecurity, or related field; Master's degree preferred, or equivalent practical experience

Must be eligible to obtain a U.S. Government security clearance

Previous technical leadership experience in government cyber operations units or intelligence organizations conducting DNEA or EA operations

Experience leading offensive cyber capability development programs or research initiatives

Track record of developing novel offensive techniques or tools adopted by operational units

Advanced certifications such as OSCP, OSCE, OSEE, GXPN, or government-recognized advanced offensive security credentials

Experience with AI/ML integration in offensive cyber operations and automated threat emulation

Extensive background in malware analysis, reverse engineering, exploit development, or vulnerability research

Experience with multi-domain intelligence analysis correlating cyber, SIGINT, ELINT, and other intelligence sources

Publications or conference presentations on offensive cyber research or techniques

Contributions to open-source offensive security tools or frameworks

Experience with Agile development methodologies and leading agile teams

Advanced system architecture and design experience for large-scale security systems

Performance optimization and scalability experience for high-throughput data processing

Experience with cloud security (AWS, Azure, GCP) and cloud-native attack techniques

Deep knowledge of wireless security, IoT protocols, and electromagnetic spectrum operations

Expertise with forensics tools, incident response procedures, and defensive cyber operations

Understanding of government acquisition processes and requirements development

Benefits What's on the table:

Health. Medical, dental, and vision plan options. Life / AD&D, disability coverage options.

Family. Paid parental leave for eligible full-time employees. 12 weeks for birthing parents, 4 for non-birthing parents, 6 weeks for adoptive, foster, or intended parents through surrogacy.

Vacation. Paid holidays and flexible PTO. Take what you need.

Retirement. 401(k) with pre-tax and Roth options. HSA/FSA options, dependent care FSA.

Benefits vary by location, role, and eligibility. Full plan details provided during the interview and offer process.

If this role sounds like you, apply and share with us your interest

Due to U.S. government contract and security requirements, this role is limited to U.S. citizens. Some positions may also require eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance. Any active clearance requirement will be listed in the role description.

Twenty is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected status, consistent with applicable law.

If you need a reasonable accommodation during the hiring process, let us know and we will work with you.