Research Lead - AI Cyber Testing & Evaluation

RAND Corporation; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 146,000 - 261,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sabbatical pay

Health insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Job summary

RAND Corporation seeks a Research Lead – AI Cyber Testing & Evaluation to oversee budgets, guide cross-disciplinary teams, and build evaluation systems for AI models across the attack lifecycle. The role focuses on benchmarks for autonomous operations and red-team style assessments, with findings presented to senior decision makers.

The ideal candidate will have substantial leadership, security engineering, and programming experience, plus the ability to communicate complex results effectively

Qualifications

• PhD with at least 3 years of professional experience.
• Master’s degree with at least 6 years of relevant experience.
• Bachelor’s degree with at least 8 years of relevant experience.
• Master’s or PhD preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage research budgets and personnel.
• Oversee complex technical research and policy analysis projects.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams of policy researchers, engineers, and scientists.
• Develop systems to evaluate AI performance across the full attack lifecycle.
• Create benchmarks for autonomous operations, multi-stage operations, stealth, and defense evasion.
• Conduct red-team operations and offensive cyber capability development.
• Produce detailed technical analyses, evaluation frameworks, and policy briefs.
• Communicate research findings to senior government and industry leaders.

Skills

Security engineering

Team leadership

Policy analysis

Programming (Python/Java/C/C++)

Threat modeling

English communication

MS Office

Education

PhD in a relevant field

Master’s degree with 6+ years

Bachelor’s degree with 8+ years

CNODP/RIOT/FORGE or equivalent

Tools

Red-team operations

Security research tooling

Job description

Position Overview

RAND’s Center on AI, Security, and Technology (CAST) seeks a Research Lead – AI Cyber Testing & Evaluation to manage research budgets, lead multidisciplinary teams, and develop evaluation systems for AI models across the attack lifecycle. The role involves building benchmarks for autonomous operations, conducting government‑commissioned evaluations, and communicating findings to senior decision makers.

Responsibilities

• Manage research budgets and personnel.
• Oversee complex technical research and policy analysis projects.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams of policy researchers, engineers, and scientists.
• Develop systems to evaluate AI performance across the full attack lifecycle.
• Create benchmarks for autonomous operations, multi‑stage operations, stealth, and defense evasion.
• Conduct red‑team operations and offensive cyber capability development.
• Produce detailed technical analyses, evaluation frameworks, and policy briefs.
• Communicate research findings to senior government and industry leaders.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of technical experience in security engineering, software engineering, firmware engineering, hardware engineering, or related fields.
• 6+ years of technical management experience, including leading cross‑functional teams, managing project budgets, and mentoring team members.
• Demonstrated ability to complete complex projects.
• Proficiency in Python, Java, C/C++, or other popular programming languages.
• Experience with red‑team operations or offensive cyber capabilities development.
• Ability to develop rigorous threat models and identify system vulnerabilities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Ability to collaborate effectively in multidisciplinary environments.
• Fluency with MS Office suite.

Education Requirements

• PhD in a relevant field with at least 3 years of professional experience.
• Master’s degree with at least 6 years of relevant experience.
• Bachelor’s degree with at least 8 years of relevant experience.
• Master’s or PhD preferred.
• Preferred: Graduate of the Computer Network Operations Development Program (CNODP), Remote Interactive Operator Training (RIOT), Future Operator Readiness Growth and Enrichment (FORGE), or equivalent.

Security Clearance

Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government clearance is preferred but not required.

Location

Positions available in San Francisco, CA; Washington, DC; Santa Monica, CA; Pittsburgh, PA; and Boston, MA. Hybrid work arrangements are offered; fully remote work may also be considered.

Benefits

• Salary range: $146,200 – $261,400.
• Base pay plus RAND’s sabbatical pay.
• Health, life, and disability insurance.
• Retirement savings plan.
• Paid time‑off and additional leave options.

Equal Opportunity & Accessibility Statement

RAND is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. For accommodation requests, contact Human Resources at (310) 393‑0411 or [e-mail].