Senior Red Team Lead: Adversary Emulation

Cyber Defense Technologies; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Retirement plan

Job summary

Cyber Defense Technologies is seeking a Senior Red Team Operator to lead and execute adversarial security engagements for a government client onsite in Chantilly, VA. You will guide design and testing to identify weaknesses and translate findings into real-world attack strategies.

You will mentor junior operators, shape Red Team strategy, and deliver clear, actionable reports to client leadership and legal teams.

Qualifications

• Relevant degree with professional experience as listed (HS Diploma with 15 years, Associate with 12 years, Bachelor's with 8 years, or Master's with 5 years).
• Experience in network penetration testing and manipulation of network infrastructure.
• Shell scripting or automation using Perl, Python, or Ruby.
• Experience developing, extending, or modifying exploits or exploit tools.
• Experience with Red, Blue, or Purple teaming exercises.
• Knowledge of exfiltration and lateral movement tradecraft.
• OSINT collection/recon techniques for target selection.
• Strong attention to detail with analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Familiarity with security testing tools (Kali Linux, Metasploit, Burp Suite, Cobalt Strike, BloodHound, Nessus, NMAP, Nikto, sqlmap).
• 8570 Level 3 IAT certification

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate an ability to structure a Red Team and optimize it for execution.
• Lead full scope Red Team testing: network, web app, threat analysis, wireless, social-engineering, and evasion.
• Use OS, networking, firewalls, databases, and scripting to perform adversarial engagements.
• Develop comprehensive reports and presentations for technical and executive audiences.
• Mentor and lead junior operators and translate technical information to senior management.
• Help define Red Team strategy to enhance security posture.
• Communicate findings to client stakeholders including technical staff and executives.
• Provide risk-based remediation recommendations.
• Configure and safely utilize attacker tools and procedures to improve security posture.
• Develop scripts/tools to enhance Red Team processes.
• Mentor and lead junior Red Team Operators.

Skills

Network pen testing

Shell scripting

Exploitation development

Red/Blue/Purple teaming

OSINT

Threat analysis

Adversarial testing

Education

Bachelor's Degree in a technical field

Master's Degree (preferred)

8570 Level 3 IAT certification

Tools

Kali Linux

Metasploit

Burp Suite

Cobalt Strike

BloodHound

PowerShell Empire

Nessus

Web Inspect

NMAP

Nikto

sqlmap

Job description

Cyber Defense Technologies is seeking a Senior Red Team Operator to lead and execute adversarial security engagements for a government client onsite in Chantilly, VA. You will guide design and testing to identify weaknesses and translate findings into real-world attack strategies.

You will mentor junior operators, shape Red Team strategy, and deliver clear, actionable reports to client leadership and legal teams.