AI Systems Engineer Offensive Cybersecurity Washington, D.C. 160K-250K

Location: Washington D.C. (in-person 5 days a week)

Compensation: $160000 - $250000 base plus equity

Join a fast-growing defense technology company building AI-driven systems for one of the most consequential problems in software: cyber dominance.

What Youll Own

- Build production systems that conduct AI-driven vulnerability research and exploit development at scale

- Work close to the metal: operating system internals kernel-level interfaces and low-level performance optimization

- Own problems end-to-end across architecture implementation and shipped production code

- Partner directly with vulnerability researchers security operators and the engineering team to convert manual cyber operations into automated repeatable systems

- Help define the standards and operating cadence of a team that intends to set the bar for AI-native offensive cyber

What Youll Bring

- 2 years of engineering experience

- Deep low-level systems experience such as operating system internals kernel work runtime detection or dynamic analysis

- A strong builder mindset comfortable owning systems end-to-end and shipping production code where performance and correctness matter

- Extreme comfort with ambiguity and uncertainty

- Willingness to work in person in Washington DC 5 days a week (full relocation and housing assistance provided)

- Eligibility for security clearances and other requirements associated with US government work

Nice to Have

- Vulnerability research CTF or prior offensive security experience

- Prior experience as a founder or early engineer at a YC-backed company

- Engineering experience at a high-bar AI or defense technology company

- Open-source contributions to OS-level tooling

- Cyber or security startup engineering experience especially in runtime detection dynamic analysis or operating system tooling

This is a chance to work on one of the most consequential and fastest-growing problems in software alongside a small highly technical team that includes founders and engineers from some of the most respected companies in AI and security.