Detection Engineer/Threat Hunter

Partner Forces; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Partner Forces is seeking a Detection Engineer / Threat Hunter to support a critical federal cybersecurity mission. You will hunt across enterprise networks, endpoints, cloud environments, applications, and identity systems, translating adversary behavior into actionable detections and improvements.

This role requires curiosity, analytical rigor, and the ability to communicate with clients and teammates. A US citizenship and Top-Secret clearance are required as you collaborate with SOC, IR, and

Qualifications

• US Citizen required.
• Top-Secret Clearance required.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in a related field.
• 3–7 years in cybersecurity with threat hunting/detection/IR experience.
• Strong understanding of adversary TTPs.
• Experience with SIEM, security analytics, and telemetry across endpoints, network, cloud, or identity.
• Familiarity with MITRE ATT&CK, Cyber Kill Chain, and threat hunting methodologies.
• Scripting/automation in Python, PowerShell, or similar.
• Strong investigative and analytical skills; clear technical communication.
• Experience in cloud security monitoring or threat intelligence is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Conduct proactive threat hunts across enterprise networks, endpoints, cloud, apps, and identity systems.
• Develop hunting hypotheses using threat intelligence and analytics.
• Design and tune detections across SIEM, EDR/XDR, NDR, and cloud security.
• Develop Sigma rules, YARA signatures, SIEM queries, and detection playbooks.
• Analyze telemetry to identify suspicious activity and potential compromises.
• Use MITRE ATT&CK and other frameworks to improve coverage.
• Translate adversary TTPs into actionable detections.
• Collaborate with SOC, IR, and Threat Intel during investigations.
• Identify visibility gaps and recommend telemetry improvements.
• Support adversary emulation and purple team exercises.
• Develop dashboards and metrics to show monitoring effectiveness.
• Communicate findings clearly to technical and nontechnical stakeholders.

Skills

Threat hunting

Detection engineering

Security operations

Incident response

Communication

Analytical thinking

Scripting

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity/CS/IT or related

Tools

SIEM platforms

EDR/XDR

KQL

Job description

About Partner Forces

Partner Forces is a management consulting firm helping homeland security organizations solve some of their most pressing and complex challenges. We partner with government agencies and industry to strengthen national security and critical infrastructure through expertise in strategy, program management, stakeholder engagement, technology implementation, preparedness, and business transformation.

At Partner Forces, we're more than consultants— we work alongside our clients to solve meaningful problems, deliver actionable solutions, and make a lasting impact. As a growing firm, every employee has the opportunity to contribute not only to our clients' success, but also to the future of Partner Forces. We believe great consultants are developed through collaboration, mentorship, continuous learning, and meaningful opportunities to lead.

Our culture is grounded in six core values: Integrity, Excellence, Positivity, Candor, Determination, and Teamwork. These values shape how we work with our clients, support one another, and grow together. We believe that when our people thrive, our clients do too, which is why we invest in our employees' well‑being, professional development, and long‑term success.

What We Are Looking For

Partner Forces is looking for a Detection Engineer / Threat Hunter to support a critical federal cybersecurity mission. We are looking for someone who is naturally curious, analytical, and energized by solving complex problems. Someone who wants to dig into security data, understand how adversaries operate, and help clients stay ahead of emerging threats. The ideal candidate brings hands on experience in threat hunting, detection engineering, security operations, or incident response and can pair strong technical expertise with the communication and collaboration skills needed to work effectively with clients and teammates.

What You'll Do

• Conduct proactive threat hunts across enterprise networks, endpoints, cloud environments, applications, and identity systems.
• Develop hunting hypotheses using threat intelligence, behavioral analytics, and emerging threat research.
• Design, develop, test, and tune security detections across SIEM, EDR/XDR, NDR, and cloud security platforms.
• Develop Sigma rules, YARA signatures, SIEM queries, analytics rules, and detection playbooks.
• Analyze security telemetry to identify suspicious activity, emerging threats, and potential compromises.
• Use MITRE ATT&CK and other threat frameworks to evaluate and improve detection coverage.
• Operationalize cyber threat intelligence by translating adversary TTPs and indicators into actionable detection opportunities.
• Partner with SOC, Incident Response, and Cyber Threat Intelligence teams during investigations and active incidents.
• Identify visibility and monitoring gaps and recommend improvements to logging, telemetry, and security controls.
• Support adversary emulation and purple team exercises to test and strengthen detection capabilities.
• Develop metrics, dashboards, and recommendations that help clients understand and improve security monitoring effectiveness.
• Clearly communicate technical findings and recommendations to technical and nontechnical stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Must be a US Citizen
• Top-Secret Clearance
• Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 3 to 7 years of cybersecurity experience with direct experience in threat hunting, detection engineering, security operations, incident response, or a related discipline.
• Strong understanding of adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures.
• Experience with SIEM platforms, security analytics tools, and endpoint, network, cloud, or identity based security telemetry.
• Working knowledge of MITRE ATT&CK, Cyber Kill Chain, and threat hunting methodologies.
• Familiarity with scripting and automation using Python, PowerShell, KQL, or similar languages.
• Strong investigative, analytical, and problem solving skills.
• Ability to communicate complex technical information clearly and work collaboratively in a client facing environment.
• Experience with cloud security monitoring, malware analysis, digital forensics, cyber threat intelligence, adversary emulation, or zero trust initiatives is a plus.

Partner Forces is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are committed to fostering a workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application process, please contact us at [e-mail].