Cyber Researcher, Attack Emulation (Senior / Principal)

Pentera•Colorado Springs, CO

4d•$180,000 - $220,000•Remote

About The Position

Pentera is the global leader in Automated Security Validation, helping organizations worldwide safely emulate real-world attacker behavior and uncover their true security gaps across on-prem, cloud, and hybrid environments. With more than 1,200 customers in over 50 countries and a rapidly growing global team, Pentera is shaping how modern enterprises continuously validate their security posture. We are looking for a Cyber Researcher to join our R&D team and play a key role in shaping how automated security validation evolves. In this role, you will conduct deep, hands-on technical research into attacker techniques and system behaviors across operating systems, identity systems, cloud platforms, and enterprise environments. Your work will be translated into production-grade, automated attack emulations that dynamically adapt and make decisions, closely mirroring how skilled attackers operate in the real world. This is a highly technical role that combines research, development, and applied AI, with direct impact on a real-world security product.

Requirements

5+ years of hands-on experience in security research, penetration testing, or adversarial security engineering
Strong knowledge of Windows internals, operating systems, networking, and enterprise environments
3+ years of experience developing in Python
Proven ability to write efficient, stealth-aware, and production-quality security-related code
Experience with security research tools and frameworks such as Metasploit, Impacket, Nmap, Burp, or similar
Proficiency in reverse engineering and debugging using tools such as IDA, Ghidra, WinDBG, or Radare2
Experience working with cloud platforms such as AWS and Azure
Ability to apply AI or machine learning concepts to decision-making, automation, or behavior modeling within complex systems
Strong collaboration skills, adaptability, and a fast learning mindset

Nice To Haves

Experience modeling attacker decision-making, attack paths, or adversarial behaviors
Familiarity with graph-based analysis, pathfinding, or automated reasoning systems
Hands-on experience with security product development and large-scale platforms
Exposure to AI-driven automation, agent-based systems, or adaptive workflows
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related technical field

Responsibilities

Conduct in-depth research into attacker techniques across Windows, Linux, identity systems, cloud environments, and external attack surfaces
Design and develop advanced attack simulation techniques that challenge modern security controls and defensive architectures
Translate research findings into scalable, production-ready capabilities within Pentera’s automated validation platform
Architect and implement decision-making logic that enables dynamic attack paths and adaptive behavior during automated operations
Develop high-quality code that powers complex attack simulations, using appropriate languages and technologies for each use case
Collaborate closely with R&D, engineering, and product teams to integrate new research into the platform
Mentor team members and contribute to a culture of technical excellence, curiosity, and continuous learning