Senior Penetration Engineer (Cloud & Containers)

The Opportunity:
We are seeking a Senior Penetration Engineer with deep expertise in cloud-native architecture container runtimes and advanced binary analysis/reverse engineering. This role is ideal for a low-level expert who thrives on technical ambiguity and enjoys hunting for vulnerabilities within the DNA of the cloud. You will use automated reasoning and manual deep-dives to uncover escapes and logic flaws in Kubernetes infrastructure playing a key role in evaluating the security of critical distributed systems and contributing directly to national cybersecurity efforts.

Responsibilities:

• Investigate edge-case behaviors in containerized environments and low-level system initialization logic to reveal hidden attack surfaces.
• Conduct deep-dive research into OCI runtimes (runc crun) and Linux kernel primitives (namespaces cgroups eBPF) to identify breakout and privilege escalation paths.
• Develop custom tools and scripts (primarily in Python3) to automate research workflows protocol decoding and memory analysis.
• Perform static and dynamic analysis on compiled binaries (Go Rust C) using IDA Pro Ghidra or Binary Ninja to map undocumented logic and potential security issues.
• Build and maintain custom fuzzing harnesses (e.g. AFL libFuzzer) to stress-test gRPC interfaces service mesh components and microservices.
• Utilize concolic execution tools (e.g. Angr Manticore) to automate the discovery of complex execution paths and bypass security checks.
• Document findings clearly and translate technical complexity into actionable reports for security and engineering teams.

Qualifications:
Required:

• 7 years of professional experience in vulnerability research software exploitation or low-level engineering.
• Proven track record of finding vulnerabilities in distributed systems virtualization layers or container runtimes.
• Experience with Kubernetes security architecture and service mesh implementations (Istio Linkerd).
• Detailed understanding of Linux kernel internals specifically namespaces cgroups and the container execution model.
• Strong command of Python for scripting and automation of research tasks.
• Background in cloud provider security (AWS Azure or GCP) and underlying hypervisor technology.
• Must be a US Citizen and able to obtain/maintain a security clearance

Desired:

• An active TS SCI clearance is highly desired.
• Expert-level proficiency in software development (Python Go Rust and C/C).
• Hands-on experience with disassembly and decompilation tools (e.g. IDA Pro Ghidra Binary Ninja) and debugging tools (GDB).
• Deep understanding of x86/ARM assembly and memory corruption primitives.
• Familiarity with hardware-assisted isolation technologies and TEEs (Trusted Execution Environments).
• Experience with automated bug-hunting techniques including fuzzing and symbolic/concolic execution.
• Ability to build scalable security tooling and infrastructure to support analysis workflows in a team setting.

What You Can Expect:

A culture of integrity.

At CACI we place character and innovation at the center of everything we do. As a valued team member youll be part of a high-performing group dedicated to our customers missions and driven by a higher purpose to ensure the safety of our nation.

An environment of trust.

CACI values the unique contributions that every employee brings to our company and our customers - every day. Youll have the autonomy to take the time you need through a unique flexible time off benefit and have access to robust learning resources to make your ambitions a reality.

A focus on continuous growth.

Together we will advance our nations most critical missions build on our lengthy track record of business success and find opportunities to break new ground in your career and in our legacy.

Pay Range:

There are a host of factors that can influence final salary including but not limited to geographic location Federal Government contract labor categories and contract wage rates relevant prior work experience specific skills and competencies education and certifications. Our employees value the flexibility at CACI that allows them to balance quality work and their personal lives. We offer competitive compensation benefits and learning and development opportunities. Our broad and competitive mix of benefits options is designed to support and protect employees and their families. At CACI you will receive comprehensive benefits such as; healthcare wellness financial retirement family support continuing education and time off benefits.

The proposed salary range for this position is: