Full Spectrum Cyber AI Researcher

Description

The Leidos Cyber Accelerator is seeking a hands-on applied researcher to design, execute, and automate real-world offensive security assessments while advancing ML-driven approaches to penetration testing. You will perform end-to-end automation of pentesting/red teaming (scoping exploitation post-exploitation reporting), build repeatable tooling and test harnesses, and explore machine learning and reinforcement learning (RL) techniques for improving attack planning, prioritization, and autonomous decision-making.

Primary Responsibilities:

-Develop automation to support penetration tests and red-team style assessments across networks, endpoints, identity, and web apps; produce actionable, mission-aligned findings and remediation guidance.
-Leverage agentic workflows to utilize common offensive tools:
-Exploitation frameworks (e.g., Metasploit)
-Pen-test distribution tools (e.g., common Kali Linux tools)
-Fuzzing for vulnerability discovery (e.g., AFL / AFL++)
-Apply and operationalize red-team knowledge bases and testing standards to summarize findings (e.g., NIST taxonomy, MITRE ATLAS/ATT&CK).
-Research and prototype ML/RL approaches for security (e.g., attack-path selection, exploit prioritization, automated decision policies), and evaluate them via measurable experiments and test environments.
-Build automation around offensive workflows (repeatable test harnesses, lab environments, tooling wrappers, and data collection for ML/RL experiments).
-Collaborate with defensive engineers/researchers to translate findings into detections, mitigations, and secure-by-design improvements.

Basic Qualifications:
-Bachelor's degree and 5+ years relevant experience in offensive security, penetration testing, red teaming, vulnerability research, or closely related fields (additional years may substitute for degree).
-Demonstrated hands-on experience using offensive security toolchains (e.g., Metasploit, Kali Linux) and modern recon/exploitation/post-exploitation workflows.
-Experience with fuzzing or vulnerability discovery workflows (AFL/AFL++ or similar), including triage and root-cause analysis.
-Strong programming/scripting skills (Python preferred; plus Bash). Experience using AI-assisted development tools (examples: coding agents, LLM copilots) to accelerate prototyping.
-Working knowledge of ML fundamentals and practical experience implementing AI/ML experiments; familiarity with RL concepts.
-Must be a US Citizen with the ability to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance.

Preferred Qualifications:
-Demonstrated applied research experience using modern AI techniques for automated or semi-automated penetration testing (e.g., attack-graph/decision-making approaches).
-Reverse engineering and binary analysis experience (IDA Pro/Ghidra/radare2), exploit dev, and/or advanced fuzzing (instrumentation, harnessing, coverage-guided tuning).
-Experience emulating adversary behaviors mapped to ATT&CK and converting results into durable security improvements.
-Experience building repeatable lab environments and automation for security experimentation.
-Ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance.

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares.

For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline onlyand not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

About Leidos

Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Pay and Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.

Securing Your Data

Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos' name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system - never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at LeidosCareersFraud@leidos.com.

If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.

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