Cyber Red Team Lead - Jersey/Tampa/Dallas #1002859

Job Title: Offensive Cyber Operations – Red Team Lead

Location: Hybrid (Dallas, TX; Tampa, FL; Jersey City, NJ)
Employment Type: Contract‑to‑Hire
Interview Process: Two rounds

Job Summary

The Offensive Cyber Operations (Red Team) Lead is responsible for leading and executing advanced security testing and adversary‑emulation activities to assess an organization’s ability to detect, respond to, and withstand real‑world cyber threats. This role combines deep hands‑on technical expertise with team leadership, program ownership, and stakeholder engagement.

The Red Team Lead plans and conducts full‑scope red team and penetration testing engagements, mentors and develops offensive security staff, collaborates closely with defensive teams, and delivers clear, actionable risk insights to both technical teams and executive leadership. The role ensures all offensive testing activities are conducted in a legal, ethical, and well‑governed manner, aligned with organizational objectives and risk tolerance.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and execute full‑scope Red Team engagements and adversary‑emulation campaigns across network, identity, cloud, endpoint, and human attack surfaces.
• Plan and manage Red Team operations, including defining scope, objectives, rules of engagement, operational constraints, and deconfliction procedures.
• Design and execute realistic, campaign‑style attack chains using adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), including assumed‑breach and stealth scenarios.
• Perform and oversee advanced exploitation of enterprise environments, including Windows, Active Directory, identity platforms, and cloud services.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of preventive and detective controls (e.g., EDR, SIEM, IAM, NAC) by validating telemetry, alerting, and response workflows.
• Collaborate with Detection, Response, and Purple Team partners during live‑fire exercises and control validation activities.
• Identify systemic security gaps and end‑to‑end attack paths, translating business drivers and risk tolerance into practical technical recommendations.
• Administer and coordinate internal and third‑party testing activities, ensuring adherence to policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
• Guide security decisions related to network architecture, cloud adoption, threat modeling, and integration of new technologies.
• Oversee evidence collection, attack documentation, and artifact management; produce clear, executive‑ready reports communicating risk and remediation guidance.
• Mentor, coach, and develop Red Team operators, contributing to tooling, labs, and training initiatives.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with IT, security leadership, business stakeholders, and risk management teams.
• Monitor emerging threat actor techniques, industry trends, and testing methodologies to continuously mature the offensive security program.
• Manage operational and organizational risk through disciplined execution, issue resolution, proper escalation, and documentation.

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional experience in offensive security or related technical disciplines such as penetration testing, red teaming, networking, systems administration, cloud, or software development.
• 2+ years of hands‑on experience conducting penetration tests or red team engagements, including leadership of complex assessments.
• Deep, hands‑on technical expertise in at least one key offensive security domain (e.g., enterprise networks, Active Directory, identity attacks, cloud).
• Strong understanding of adversarial tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).
• Experience assessing security controls, detection technologies, and incident response processes.
• Proficiency with common offensive security tools (open‑source and commercial) and understanding their configuration, limitations, and operational risks.
• Strong experience working across UNIX/Linux and Microsoft operating systems.
• Knowledge of industry testing standards and frameworks (e.g., NIST 800‑53, NIST 800‑115).
• Ability to clearly communicate technical findings to both technical and non‑technical audiences, including executive leadership.
• Proven ability to lead teams, mentor practitioners, and collaborate across organizational boundaries.

Preferred Qualifications

• Offensive security certifications such as OSCP, OSEP, CRTO, GXPN, or equivalent.
• Experience with cloud and container security environments (e.g., AWS, Azure, Kubernetes).
• Prior involvement in Purple Team operations or close collaboration with SOC and IR teams.
• Experience shaping or maturing an enterprise‑level offensive security program.