Head of Advesarial Research

About the role

The Head of Adversarial Research position at TENEX is a unique opportunity to build and lead a cutting-edge research team that will drive the future of AI-native Managed Detection and Response (MDR).

Responsibilities

• Recruit, mentor, and direct a world-class team of adversarial researchers, reverse engineers, and threat intelligence analysts.
• Continuously monitor, analyze, and document advanced threat actor campaigns, novel toolkits, TTPs, and malware variants.
• Perform deep-dive adversarial research including adversary emulation and malware analysis to uncover new attack vectors and partner with Detection Engineering to translate these findings into high-fidelity, AI-driven detections.
• Publish and present: author high-impact blogs, whitepapers, and technical reports on novel findings.
• Represent TENEX at premier cybersecurity conferences and industry events.
• Partner across the business: act as the ultimate escalation point for complex threat analysis, working closely with the SOC, Incident Response, and Software Engineering teams to ensure our AI models and human analysts are equipped with the latest intelligence.

Requirements

7+ years in cyber threat intelligence, adversarial research, reverse engineering, or offensive security, with at least 2+ years in a leadership or team-building role.

Deep understanding of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, threat actor methodologies, and the cybercrime ecosystem.

Hands-on expertise analyzing malware, exploit kits, and adversary infrastructure.

A proven track record of published research, public speaking, or community contributions (blogs, CVEs, conference talks).

Ability to translate highly technical, deeply complex threat data into actionable detection logic and clear executive summaries.

Bonus Points: Strong scripting/development skills (Python, Go, C/C++) for automating malware analysis or building custom research tools. Prior experience building a research or intel function within an MDR, MSSP, or high-growth startup environment. Experience leveraging AI/Machine Learning for threat intelligence and pattern recognition.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience).

Relevant advanced certifications are highly preferred (e.g., GREM, GCTI, OSCE, OSCP, or similar).

Benefits

Competitive salary, equity, and benefits package.

A culture of growth, technical excellence, and collaboration, with the freedom to pursue groundbreaking research in emerging technologies.