Principal Consultant, DFIR

LevelBlue, LLC.; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with employer matching

Paid time off and holidays

Flexible spending accounts

Employee assistance programs

Training and development opportunities

Adoption assistance

Job summary

LevelBlue, LLC. is seeking a highly skilled Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) Specialist to join our Global LevelBlue DFIR team. You will investigate cybersecurity incidents, perform forensic analyses, and drive responses from forensics to reporting.

The role demands deep technical depth, strong analysis, and ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment. Responsibilities include leading responses, root-cause analysis, evidence handling, and inter-team coordination with

Qualifications

• Proven experience in DFIR.
• Familiar with digital forensic tools and techniques, including X-Ways or equivalents.
• Experience with incident response frameworks (NIST/SANS).
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Solid understanding of networks, OS, and security tech.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate incident responses: containment, eradication, recovery.
• Investigate security breaches to determine root cause and impact.
• Conduct DFIR investigations across servers, workstations, networks, and cloud logs.
• Collect, preserve, and analyse digital evidence per legal/regulatory standards.
• Prepare detailed incident reports with a clear narrative for non-technical audiences.
• Maintain thorough documentation of all IR and forensic activities.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external clients/vendors.

Skills

DFIR

Forensic tools

IR frameworks

Analytical skills

Networking knowledge

Communication

Independent work

On-call flexibility

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Digital Forensics/CS

Tools

X-Ways

Job description

LevelBlue reduces risk and builds lasting resilience so organizations can innovate and advance their mission with confidence. As the world’s most analyst-recognized and largest pure-play managed security services provider, LevelBlue elevates client outcomes that matter: stronger defense, faster response, and sustained business continuity. LevelBlue combines AI-powered security operations, advanced threat intelligence, and elite human expertise to provide the most comprehensive portfolio of strategic advisory, managed security, offensive security, and incident response services.

Position Summary:

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) Specialist to join our Global LevelBlue DFIR team. The ideal candidate will be responsible for investigating and responding to cybersecurity incidents, conducting digital forensic and incident response investigations, and being able to work independently against engagement milestones from forensics to log analysis to report writing. This role requires deep technical expertise, strong analytical skills, and the ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Be able to lead and coordinate responses to cybersecurity incidents, including identification, containment, eradication, and recovery.
• Analyse and investigate security breaches to determine the root cause and impact.
• Conduct digital forensic science-based incident response investigations on a variety of digital devices, including servers and end user workstations, network systems, SaaS platforms that contain artifacts, logging, and data of investigative relevance.
• Collect, preserve, and analyse digital evidence in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Reporting and Documentation:
• Be able to prepare detailed incident reports, including findings and properly authoring a story that does not just restate factual dates/times, but articulates a story of the incident for a non-technical audience.
• Maintain accurate and thorough documentation of all incident response activities and forensic investigations.
• Collaboration and Communication:
• Internally, work closely with cross-functional teams inclusive of DFIR, Advisory, Testing, Threat Intelligence, MDR/MSS, etc., LevelBlue services.
• Externally, work closely with Client teams including IT, legal, compliance, and external vendors, to support expert delivery during engagements.
• Communicate effectively with stakeholders to provide updates and ensure alignment with incident response processes.

Qualifications:

• Proven experience in DFIR.
• Strong knowledge of digital forensics tools and techniques, including X-Ways, or similar forensic tooling.
• Experience with incident response frameworks and methodologies, such as NIST, SANS, or similar.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong understanding of network protocols, operating systems, and security technologies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Flexibility to support occasional travel and work outside standard business hours, including evenings and weekends, as required annually measured against a utilization target. The role also includes participation in an on-call schedule to support operational continuity and timely response to critical incidents.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Digital Forensics, Computer Science-focused or closely related field of study and expertise.
• DFIR industry accepted certifications.
• Knowledge of scripting languages (e.g., Python, PowerShell) for automation and analysis.
• Knowledge of database formats for investigative and knowledge purposes.
• Knowledge of Azure, AWS, Oracle, and/or GWP as many modern threats traverse enterprise cloud platforms and knowledge of these platforms is a necessity for modern incident response engagements.

Why Join LevelBlue?

At LevelBlue, you're not just an employee - you're part of a team making a real difference in the world of cybersecurity. We foster a culture of innovation and creativity where your contributions are valued, and you'll have the support and resources to grow and thrive.

Benefits and Perks:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) with employer matching.
• Generous paid time off and holidays.
• Flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts.
• Employee assistance programs.
• Training and development opportunities.
• Adoption assistance program.

This role is open to candidates legally authorized to work in the United States. At LevelBlue, we support flexible work and bring people together in person for key moments based on role, team, and business needs.

LevelBlue is committed to a culture of respect, inclusion, and equal opportunity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age, or any other status protected under applicable law.