The Offensive Security Specialist - Innovation & Research plays a dual role: leading advanced, high-impact offensive security testing engagements and contributing to the organisation's innovation and IP initiatives. The role requires a broad range of technical expertise across penetration testing, red teaming, and adversarial simulation, combined with a creative approach to developing new tools, techniques, and internal cybersecurity products.
This position strengthens the organisation's offensive capability by uncovering vulnerabilities, emulating real-world threats, and driving continuous improvement through research, automation, and collaboration with the wider security ecosystem.
Requirements
- Offensive Testing and Red Teaming
- Plan and execute complex penetration testing, red-team, and adversary emulation exercises across on-premise, cloud, and hybrid environments.
- Perform comprehensive security assessments of networks, applications, APIs, endpoints, and industrial systems (IT/OT).
- Conduct threat-led testing aligned with frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK, TIBER-EU, and NCSC GBEST.
- Develop and execute stealthy attack paths, privilege escalation chains, and persistence mechanisms that emulate advanced threat actors.
- Collaborate with blue-team functions to validate detections, improve incident response readiness, and enhance purple-team collaboration.
- Document findings with clear technical and business impact, providing actionable remediation guidance.
- Research and Innovation
- Research emerging offensive techniques, zero-day attack trends, and adversary TTPs to advance the organisation's security capability.
- Design and develop internal offensive tools, automation scripts, and frameworks to optimise testing efficiency and accuracy.
- Collaborate with the Innovation & IP team to translate offensive research outcomes into internal products, proof-of-concepts, or reusable frameworks.
- Explore AI/ML applications for offensive simulation, exploit discovery, and automated threat emulation.
- Produce internal whitepapers, playbooks, and training modules to continuously uplift the organisation's offensive security maturity.
- Cross-Team Collaboration
- Work closely with Threat Intelligence, Blue Team, and Detection Engineering to align attack and defence priorities.
- Provide expert input into threat modelling, detection logic validation, and security control effectiveness testing.
- Support the development of continuous security validation and breach simulation capabilities.
- Contribute to security architecture reviews and red-team readiness assessments across key business platforms.
Required Skills and Experience:
Technical Expertise
- Extensive hands-on experience in penetration testing and red-team operations, ideally spanning infrastructure, application, cloud, and Active Directory environments.
- Deep understanding of adversarial simulation, attack lifecycle stages, and evasion techniques.
- Proficient in tools such as Cobalt Strike, Metasploit, Burp Suite, BloodHound, Empire, Covenant, and custom offensive frameworks.
- Strong scripting and automation skills using Python, PowerShell, or Bash.
- Working knowledge of exploit development, reverse engineering, or offensive use of AI/ML technologies is a plus.
- Familiarity with DevSecOps, CI/CD pipelines, and attack surface management tools desirable.
Professional Experience
- Typically 5-8 years in offensive security, red teaming, or penetration testing roles within consultancy, MSSP, or in-house security functions.
- Proven record of leading or significantly contributing to complex security testing engagements.
- Prior involvement in research or tool development initiatives that generated internal or external IP.
- Relevant certifications such as OSCP, OSEP, OSWE, CRTO, or equivalent experience required; OSED or similar exploit development credentials desirable.
Soft Skills
- Creative, analytical, and methodical mindset with strong problem-solving ability.
- Excellent communication and report-writing skills to translate technical findings into clear business risk narratives.
- Collaborative and adaptable, capable of working across diverse teams and dynamic environments.
- Self-motivated, research-oriented, and passionate about continuous learning in offensive security.
Nationality Requirement: This position is open exclusively to citizens of the UK, US, Canada, or EU member states, in accordance with contractual obligations.
