About the role
Leidos has a new and exciting opportunity for a Mid-Level Offensive Cyber Engineer in our INTEL Sector's Cyber & Analytics Business Area (CABA). Our talented team is at the forefront in Security Engineering, Computer Network Operations (CNO), Mission Software, Analytical Methods and Modeling, Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), and Cryptographic Key Management. At Leidos, we offer competitive benefits, including Paid Time Off, 11 paid Holidays, 401K with a 6% company match and immediate vesting, Flexible Schedules, Discounted Stock Purchase Plans, Technical Upskilling, Education and Training Support, Parental Paid Leave, and much more. Join us and make a difference in National Security!
The Mid-Level Offensive Cyber Engineer (Penetration Tester) will have detection engineering capabilities to conduct comprehensive security assessments on enterprise and government systems. In this role, you will perform offensive security evaluations while partnering closely with defensive teams (CEMA Resiliency System) to translate offensive tactics into resilient threat detections. This position is located in Lawton, OK.
Primary Responsibilities:
* Develop custom exploits, payloads, and automated testing tools tailored to identified system vulnerabilities. * Plan and execute penetration tests, vulnerability assessments, and network protocol analyses across enterprise, government, and classified environments. * Collaborate with CEMA Resiliency System (CRS) team and detection engineering teams to develop, validate, and tune threat detectors based on adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). * Travel to operational testing events to assess and verify exploit effectiveness in real-world scenarios. * Research technical documentation, system architectures, and security classification guides. * Author comprehensive technical reports, remediation roadmaps, and after-action summaries for both technical teams and leadership stakeholders. * Mentor early-career engineers and assist in the planning of future operational test events.
Basic Qualifications:
* Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline with 6+ years of relevant experience; OR a Master’s degree with 4+ years of experience; OR an additional 4 years of related experience in lieu of a degree (10+ years total). * 6+ years of hands-on experience in penetration testing, red teaming, or offensive cyber operations. * Proficiency with Linux distributions (e.g., Kali, Parrot) and Windows operating systems at a deep-system/administrative level. * Demonstrated experience developing custom scripts and tools using languages such as Python, Bash, or PowerShell. * Strong understanding of networking concepts, TCP/IP architecture, and security assessment methodologies. * Must be a US Citizen and be able to obtain and maintain an active Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance. * Willingness to work on-site in Lawton, OK (or relocate prior to start date) and travel to testing events as required.
Preferred Technical Experience:
* Certifications: Industry-recognized credentials such as OSCP, GPEN, GWAPT, CPTS, GXPN, or CEH. * Testing & Exploitation Tools: Extensive experience with tools such as Burp Suite, Metasploit, Cobalt Strike, Nmap, and OWASP ZAP. * Cloud Assessments: Practical experience assessing cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) using security tools (e.g., ScoutSuite, Pacu, Prowler). * Defensive Alignment & MITRE: Practical experience mapping exploits to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, detection engineering, or SOC operations. * Low-Level Analysis: Knowledge of binary analysis, reverse engineering, and low-level exploitation techniques. * Government / Defense Background: Prior experience supporting DoD programs and working within classified security environments.
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.
Original Posting:
October 29, 2026
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.
Pay Range:
Pay Range $87,100.00 - $157,450.00
The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and 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.