Senior ExtraHop Network Security Architect

Medium; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 180,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance

401(k)

Paid company holidays

Paid time off

Paid parental and caregiver leave

Job summary

AHEAD is seeking a Senior Technical Consultant to implement ExtraHop Reveal(x) 360 platforms for enterprise clients. You will lead sensor deployment across data centers, cloud environments, and on‑prem networks, tune detections, and build dashboards translating wire data into actionable insights.

You will mentor junior consultants, design integrations with SIEM/SOAR, and optimize deployments for maximum visibility and security effectiveness.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of hands-on experience with ExtraHop Reveal(x) or Reveal(x) 360 in production environments or similar NDR solutions
• Experience deploying and administering ExtraHop Reveal(x) Enterprise or Reveal(x) 360
• Demonstrated experience deploying and tuning ExtraHop sensors, record stores, and packet stores, including sizing, retention configuration, and performance troubleshooting
• Strong grasp of wire data analysis: L2-L7 protocol behavior (TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP, etc), TLS/SSL decryption
• Experience building custom detections, bundles, and dashboards beyond default configurations
• Proficient in JavaScript and Python scripting for automation, customization, and workflow optimization
• Working knowledge of at least one major SIEM (Splunk, XSIAM, Crowdstrike or equivalent) and experience integrating ExtraHop as a data source
• Experience with cloud traffic mirroring (AWS VPC Traffic Mirroring, Azure vTAP, or GCP Packet Mirroring) is a strong plus
• Solid understanding of network security, cloud environments, identity, Linux, Mac and Windows
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting capabilities
• Effective communication skills with the ability to engage with clients and team members
• ExtraHop certification (ECS or equivalent) preferred or relevant industry certifications (CISSP, CYSA, CEH, Security+, Pentest+, OSCP) are a plus

Responsibilities

• Design and deploy ExtraHop sensor architectures across physical, virtual, and cloud environments, including sensor placement strategy for TAPs, SPAN ports, and VPC traffic mirroring in AWS and Azure
• Configure and design packet stores for retention, query performance, and compliance requirements, including sizing decisions for high-throughput environments
• Create custom detections and bundles tailored to client environments, moving beyond out-of-box detections to address specific threats and false‑positive patterns
• Develop custom dashboards in Reveal(x) using metrics, devices, and applications views, translating wire data into views that map to client SOC workflows and executive reporting needs
• Build and maintain REST API integrations between ExtraHop and SIEM, SOAR, ticketing, and CMDB platforms, including custom triggers and open data stream configurations
• Conduct network visibility assessments for prospective and existing clients, identifying blind spots in east‑west traffic, encrypted traffic decryption coverage, and segmentation gaps
• Collaborate with clients to optimize and fine‑tune their deployment and provide guidance to assist with the optimization of the platform
• Act as a technical resource for troubleshooting and resolving complex ExtraHop related issues during and post‑implementation
• Contribute to project documentation, ensuring clarity and completeness of Solution Designs and As‑Built configurations
• Mentor junior AHEAD consultants, sharing your ExtraHop knowledge and fostering their technical development

Skills

ExtraHop experience

ExtraHop deployment

Sensor tuning

Wire data analysis

Custom detections

JavaScript

Python

SIEM integration

Cloud traffic mirroring

Network security basics

Troubleshooting

Communication

Certifications

Job description

AHEAD builds platforms for digital business. By weaving together advances in cloud infrastructure, automation and analytics, and software delivery, we help enterprises deliver on the promise of digital transformation.

AtAHEAD, we prioritize creating a culture of belonging,where all perspectives and voices are represented, valued, respected, and heard. We create spaces to empower everyone to speak up, make change, and drive the culture at AHEAD.

We are an equal opportunity employer,anddo not discriminatebased onan individual's race, national origin, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, maritalstatus,or any other protected characteristic under applicable law, whether actual or perceived.

We embraceall candidatesthatwillcontribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas andperspectives atAHEAD.

The Senior Technical Consultant is a cybersecurity professional with knowledge around the Extrahop Reveal(x) 360 Platform to support Enterprise Clients. Responsible for the technical execution of Extrahop deployments with complex configurations and mentoring junior team members. As a Senior Technical Consultant, you will be a key player in implementing deployments from sensor placement through detection tuning, build the dashboards and integrations that turn wire data into decisions, and serve as the technical advisor too.

Responsibilities:

1. Design and deploy ExtraHop sensor architectures across physical, virtual, and cloud environments, including sensor placement strategy for TAPs, SPAN ports, and VPC traffic mirroring in AWS and Azure
2. Configure and design packetstores for retention, query performance, and compliance requirements, including sizing decisions for high-throughput environments
3. Create custom detections and bundles tailored to client environments, moving beyond out-of-box detections to address specific threats and false-positive patterns
4. Develop custom dashboards in Reveal(x) using metrics, devices, and applications views, translating wire data into views that map to client SOC workflows and executive reporting needs
5. Build and maintain REST API integrations between ExtraHop and SIEM, SOAR, ticketing, and CMDB platforms, including custom triggers and open data stream configurations
6. Conduct network visibility assessments for prospective and existing clients, identifying blind spots in east-west traffic, encrypted traffic decryption coverage, and segmentation gaps
7. Collaborate with clients to optimize and fine tune their deployment and provide guidance to assist with the optimization of the platform.
8. Act as a technical resource for troubleshooting and resolving complex Extrahop related issues during and post-implementation.
9. Contribute to project documentation, ensuring clarity and completeness of Solution Designs and As-Built configurations.
10. Mentor junior AHEAD consultants, sharing your Extrahop knowledge and fostering their technical development.

Qualifications:

1. 6+ years of hands-on experience with ExtraHop Reveal(x) or Reveal(x) 360 in production environments or similar NDR solutions.
2. Experience deploying and administering ExtraHop Reveal(x) Enterprise or Reveal(x) 360
3. Demonstrated experience deploying and tuning ExtraHop sensors, recordstores, and packetstores, including sizing, retention configuration, and performance troubleshooting
4. Strong grasp of wire data analysis: L2-L7 protocol behavior (TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP, etc), TLS/SSL decryption
5. Experience building custom detections, bundles, and dashboards beyond default configurations
6. Proficient in JavaScript and Python scripting for automation, customization, and workflow optimization
7. Working knowledge of at least one major SIEM (Splunk, XSIAM, Crowdstrike or equivalent) and experience integrating ExtraHop as a data source
8. Experienced in proactive threat hunting and incident investigations using the MITRE ATT&CK framework, Cyber Kill Chain, NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), and CIS Critical Security Controls to identify adversary TTPs and strengthen detection and response capabilities.
9. Experience with cloud traffic mirroring (AWS VPC Traffic Mirroring, Azure vTAP, or GCP Packet Mirroring) is a strong plus
10. Solid Understanding of network security, cloud environments, Identity, Linux, Mac and Windows.
11. Strong analytical and troubleshooting capabilities.
12. Effective communication skills with the ability to engage with clients and Team members.
13. ExtraHop certification (ECS or equivalent) preferred or relevant industry certifications ( CISSP, CYSA, CEH, Security+, Pentest+, OSCP) are a plus.

$180,000 - $210,000 a year

The compensation range indicated in this posting reflects the On-Target Earnings (“OTE”) for this role, which includes a base salary and any applicable target bonus amount. This OTE range may vary based on the candidate’s relevant experience, qualifications, and geographic location.

Why AHEAD:

Through our daily work and internal groups like Moving Women AHEAD and RISE AHEAD, we value and benefit from diversity of people, ideas, experience, and everything in between.

We fuel growth by stacking our office with top-notch technologies in a multi-million-dollar lab, by encouraging cross department training and development, sponsoring certifications and credentials for continued learning.

USA Employment Benefits include:

- Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

- 401(k)

- Paid company holidays

- Paid time off

- Paid parental and caregiver leave

- Plus more! See benefits https://www.aheadbenefits.com/ for additional details.

Use of AI:

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, assessing responses, or to capture recordings and create transcriptions or summaries during interviews. 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 refer to theCandidate Privacy Noticeor contact us [e-mail].

You may opt-out of the review or analysis of your application and resume by AI tools by using theGeneral Application. Please include the role you wish to apply for in the Additional Information field. You may also choose to opt-out of recording and transcription at any time, including after joining an interview. Candidates will not be penalized for choosing to opt-out.