Cyber Hunt Specialist

Strategic Data Systems; Dahlgren (VA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Strategic Data Systems seeks a Cyber Hunt Specialist to support DoD and U.S. Navy networks at Dahlgren, VA. The role leads proactive threat hunting and collaborates with DFIR and Threat Intelligence teams to strengthen defense posture.

Applicants should have five years of cyber threat hunting/incident response experience, hands-on DFIR tools, and DoD 8570 IAT II certification with an active T5 clearance. Salary negotiable with benefits.

Qualifications

• Five (5) years of professional experience in cyber threat hunting, incident response, or advanced cyber defense operations.
• Expertise in adversary TTP analysis, threat hunting frameworks, and network/endpoint telemetry.
• Hands-on experience with DFIR and threat hunting tools including SIEMs and EDRs.

Responsibilities

• Execute proactive threat hunting operations across complex environments to identify and mitigate advanced threats.
• Apply structured hunt methodologies such as Cyber Kill Chain, Pyramid of Pain, and Diamond Model to detect activity.
• Provide expert support to DFIR and Threat Intelligence teams, including mitigation of actor campaigns.
• Refine telemetry collection, detection logic, and analytics for better situational awareness.
• Analyze network traffic, endpoint behavior, and logs to identify IOCs and emerging threats.
• Support development of cyber hunt playbooks and SOPs.
• Stay current on threat trends, vulnerabilities, and attack techniques with the cybersecurity community.
• Generate actionable reports and briefings for technical and executive stakeholders.

Skills

Threat hunting

Incident response

Adversary TTP analysis

Scripting (Python, PowerShell)

Education

DoD 8570 IAT II certification

Tools

ELK

Splunk

Wireshark

Mandiant

CrowdStrike

SentinelOne

Job description

Dahlgren Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren, VA

Salary negotiable (Dependent on experience level) - Full Time with Benefits

Flexible Start-Date – Contingent on contract award

The Cyber Hunt Specialist will provide advanced cybersecurity expertise supporting Department of Defense (DoD) and U.S. Navy enterprise networks. The successful candidate will lead proactive cyber hunt activities, identify advanced threats, and collaborate with digital forensics, incident response, and threat intelligence teams to enhance the organization’s defensive posture.

This role requires hands‑on experience in threat hunting methodologies, incident response frameworks, and adversary behavior analysis, along with a deep understanding of emerging cyber tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).

Responsibilities Include

• Execute proactive threat hunting operations across complex software and hardware environments to identify, analyze, and mitigate advanced cyber threats.
• Apply structured hunt methodologies such as the Cyber Kill Chain, Pyramid of Pain, and Diamond Model to detect, classify, and track adversarial activity.
• Provide expert‑level support to Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) and Threat Intelligence teams, including assistance in identifying and mitigating advanced actor campaigns and exploits.
• Refine and develop telemetry collection, detection logic, and analytics to improve situational awareness and network defense capabilities.
• Analyze network traffic, endpoint behavior, and logs to identify indicators of compromise (IOCs) and emerging threats.
• Support the development and implementation of cyber hunt playbooks and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Maintain awareness of current and emerging threat trends, vulnerabilities, and attack techniques through ongoing research and collaboration with the cybersecurity community.
• Generate actionable reports and briefings to communicate findings and recommendations to technical and executive stakeholders.

To Qualify You Will Need

• Five (5) years of professional experience in cyber threat hunting, incident response, or advanced cyber defense operations.
• Demonstrated expertise in adversary TTP analysis, threat hunting frameworks, and network/endpoint telemetry.
• Hands‑on experience with common DFIR and threat hunting tools (e.g., ELK, Splunk, Wireshark, Mandiant, CrowdStrike, or SentinelOne).
• Familiarity with scripting or automation for cyber hunt activities (e.g., Python, PowerShell).
• In‑depth knowledge of network protocols (TCP/IP), Windows/Linux environments, and security monitoring tools.
• Must possess a DoD 8570 IAT II certification.
• Must have an active T5 clearance.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.