Offensive Security Engineer

praetorian; United States; Remote; USD 70,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Praetorian is seeking an early-career Offensive Security Engineer focused on hands-on testing, custom tooling, and root-cause analysis. The role blends client-facing engagements with product improvements, ideal for engineers with a builder’s mindset.

You will execute adversarial assessments across environments, develop payloads and tools, and translate findings into platform-level improvements while expanding knowledge in AI-assisted security practice.

Qualifications

• Bachelor-level degree or equivalent in a technical field.
• Proficiency scripting in Go, Python, PowerShell, or Bash.
• Interest in product, cloud, web, or network security.
• CTF results or self-driven practice encouraged.
• Pursuit of OSCP/OSEP/PNPT or BSCP is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Execute adversarial security engagements for external customers with clear technical outcomes.
• Develop custom methodologies, payloads, and tools when needed.
• Translate field vulnerabilities into platform-level improvements.
• Prototype new detection and testing capabilities from engagements.
• Produce clear reports for practitioners and executives.
• Grow expertise across offensive security including AI-assisted tradecraft.

Skills

Go scripting

Python scripting

PowerShell scripting

Bash scripting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related technical field

Job description

Role overview

An offensive security engineering role focused on preventing breaches through hands-on adversarial testing, custom tooling, and root-cause analysis. The position blends client-facing security engagements with internal product improvement, targeting engineers early in their offensive security careers who can pair strong technical fundamentals with a builder's mindset.

Responsibilities

• Execute complex adversarial security engagements for external customers, delivering precise technical outcomes across varied environments.
• Develop custom methodologies, payloads, exploits, and tools when commercial or open-source options fall short.
• Identify recurring vulnerability patterns discovered in the field and translate them into platform-level improvements.
• Propose and prototype new detection or testing capabilities based on findings from active engagements.
• Produce clear, actionable reports that speak to both hands-on practitioners and executive stakeholders.
• Continuously deepen expertise across the offensive security landscape, including emerging AI-assisted tradecraft.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related technical field, with 0–2 years of relevant experience or internships.
• Proficiency writing software or scripts in Go (Golang), Python, PowerShell, or Bash.
• Demonstrated interest or early experience in product security (application, mobile, or LLM systems), cloud security (AWS, Azure, or GCP), web or network penetration testing, red teaming, or IoT/embedded security.
• A track record of competition or self-driven practice, such as CTF results (CCDC, CPTC) or rankings on platforms like Hack The Box, TryHackMe, or PortSwigger.
• Active pursuit of industry certifications such as OSCP, OSEP, PNPT, BSCP, OSWE, or equivalent cloud credentials.

Nice to have

• Published vulnerability research, CVEs, exploit development, or contributions to open-source offensive security projects.
• Familiarity with AI prompt engineering applied to reconnaissance, payload generation, or tool development.
• Public research output through blog posts, conference talks, or community mentoring.

Benefits and work setup

• A high-performance, ownership-driven culture that prioritizes customer outcomes, intellectual honesty, and continuous learning.
• Opportunities to mentor junior engineers and influence the technical direction of the team.
• Exposure to a broad threat surface spanning traditional infrastructure, web applications, cloud-native environments, and AI/ML systems.