Jobs · Management · Virginia

Principal Red Team Operator / Leader - Hybrid

Swift · Culpeper, VA · 3 wk ago
HybridManagement$146k/yrFull-time

About Us

We’re the world’s leading provider of secure financial messaging services, headquartered in Belgium. We are the way the world moves value – across borders, through cities and overseas. No other organization can address the scale, precision, pace and trust that this demands, and we’re proud to support the global economy. We’re unique too. We were established to find a better way for the global financial community to move value – a reliable, safe and secure approach that the community can trust, completely. We’re always striving to be better and are constantly evolving in an ever-changing landscape, without undermining that trust. Five decades on, our vibrant community reflects the complexity and diversity of the financial ecosystem. We innovate diligently, test exhaustively, then implement fast. In a connected and exciting era, our mission has never been more relevant.

Swift now has a presence in 200+ countries and legal territories to serve a community of more than 12,000 banks and financial institutions. Swift is seeking an experienced Red Team leader to research, plan, and conduct advanced adversary emulation campaigns across our enterprise environments and conduct purple teaming activities to evolve the detection capabilities of our internal SOC.

What to Expect

  • Red Team Operations & Campaign Leadership
    • Architect, monitor and execute end-to-end adversary simulations across enterprise, cloud and hybrid infrastructures
    • Lead and coordinate multi-operator exploitation teams, managing simultaneous kill chains and campaign logistics
    • Direct complex Red Team engagements from reconnaissance and initial access through persistence, lateral movement and data exfiltration
    • Design and execute network, application, wireless, physical and cloud penetration tests
    • Build, operate, and maintain Red Team infrastructure, including command-and-control (C2) ecosystems, phishing platforms and operational security (OPSEC) tooling
    • Develop and operationalize custom tooling, payloads, automation and exploitation chains
    • Research and implement advanced evasion techniques against SIEM, EDR, and XDR platforms
    • Ensure operational realism, safety, and compliance with internal policy, legal constraints, and regulatory requirements
    • Align Red Team operations with the MITRE ATT&CK framework and threat-led industry testing standards
  • Leadership, Collaboration & Strategic Enablement
    • Lead Purple Team exercises and translate offensive findings into prioritized defensive improvements
    • Partner with SOC, Threat Intelligence, Risk Management, and Engineering teams to strengthen detection and response maturity
    • Mentor and develop junior and mid-level operators, sharing techniques, lessons learned, and tooling improvements
    • Foster an environment of internal information sharing
    • Interpret technical exploitation in the context of business risk and control effectiveness
    • Communicate technical risk clearly to security leadership and key stakeholders
    • Produce high-quality After-Action Reports (AARs), executive summaries, and technical documentation
    • Ensure that all Red Team related processes adhere to governance and regulatory requirements

What Will Make You Successful

  • Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related field
  • 10 + years of relevant experience
  • Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) or higher
  • Proven experience leading and executing Red Team operations and adversary simulations
  • Advanced skills across network, application, cloud, wireless and hybrid penetration testing
  • Strong command of the exploitation lifecycle (reconnaissance, initial access, persistence, privilege escalation, lateral movement, data exfiltration)
  • Experience with Active Directory exploitation, Linux privilege escalation, kernel-level techniques, and cloud identity systems
  • Proficiency with Red Team tooling, including C2 frameworks, scanners, phishing platforms and OPSEC tooling
  • Deep understanding of persistence mechanisms, identity-based attacks and stealth tradecraft
  • Familiarity with the MITRE ATT&CK framework and adversary emulation methodologies
  • Strong technical writing and reporting capabilities
  • Strong presentation skills and ability to tailor the message to the intended audience
  • Demonstrated ability to mentor operators and lead technical teams
  • Demonstrated experience supporting Purple Team exercises and detection engineering
  • Demonstrated experience managing or coordinating multi-operator Red Team engagements

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience developing custom exploits, scripts, and automation
  • Experience aligning operations with regulatory frameworks such as TIBER or similar threat-led testing standards
  • Certifications and Professional Development Recommended / Supported Path:
    • Offensive Security Exploit Expert (OSEE)
    • Certified Red Team Operator Level II (CRTO II) or equivalent advanced adversary simulation certifications
    • GIAC Red Team Professional (GRTP), where available
    • Offensive Security Experienced Penetration Tester (OSEP) and/or Offensive Security Web Expert (OSWE)
    • Advanced SANS coursework (e.g., SEC760, SEC660)
    • Cloud exploitation and identity attack specialization training

Why Join Us

  • Lead adversary emulation and Red Team operations at enterprise scale
  • Operate as a technical authority to support a continuously maturing Red Team program
  • Work alongside a highly technical, security organization
  • Influence enterprise-wide security strategy, resilience, and regulatory posture
  • Grow your career through advanced training, certifications, and leadership opportunities
  • Make a measurable, real-world impact on organizational security outcomes
  • A flexible work from home (WFH) schedule
  • Swift is unable to sponsor an employment authorization for this position now or in the future.

What We Offer

  • Competitive base salary and bonus opportunity for all employee’s contingent on personal and company performance
  • Generous benefits program including medical, dental, vision and life insurance with no premium costs for our employees and their families, and retirement plan plus matching 401k
  • A flexible work from home (WFH) schedule
  • Continuous learning and professional development opportunities
  • Commitment to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process

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