Join TENEX: Revolutionizing AI-Native MDR on the Ground Floor!
At TENEX, we're not just another cybersecurity company; we're an AI-native, automation-first, built-for-scale Managed Detection and Response (MDR) provider. We act as a force multiplier for defenders, equipping organizations with unparalleled threat detection, lightning-fast response, and continuous protection against the most sophisticated adversaries. Our team comprises industry pioneers with deep expertise in cybersecurity, automation, and AI-driven solutions.
Backed by elite investors, including Crosspoint Capital Partners, Shield Capital, DTCP (formerly Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners), Deepwork Capital, and the Florida Opportunity Fund, with our seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), we are experiencing explosive growth. We're seeking top-tier talent to join our mission and shape the future of AI-Native MDR.
This is a rare opportunity to get in on the ground floor. As an early employee, you'll play a pivotal role in defining our culture and pioneering our solutions. We're a well-funded, agile team that has just secured a substantial round – joining us now means limited risk and unlimited upside in a truly impactful role.
Culture is paramount at TENEX.AI. We champion the irreplaceable collaboration and community that in-person work fosters. Explore our culture deck at culture.tenex.ai to see how we live it every day.
The Mission: Lead Security Engineer, Purple Team
Our Adversary Research Team is the intelligence powerhouse, meticulously studying real-world attacker tradecraft to fortify our detection and response capabilities for customers. As our Lead Security Engineer on the Purple Team, you are the critical link, closing the loop between offense and defense.
You will step into the mind of an attacker, emulating current adversary techniques against our cutting-edge detection stack. Your mission will be to rigorously measure our effectiveness in catching and responding to these threats, then translate those insights directly into actionable improvements for our detection engineering and Security Operations Center (SOC) teams. This is a hands-on role for a seasoned professional equally adept at building and executing sophisticated red-team emulations as you are at dissecting blue-team telemetry and crafting precision detections.
What You'll Deliver: Strategic Gap Identification & Resolution: Proactively pinpoint where our security coverage falls short, then research, design, and validate robust detection use-cases to eliminate vulnerabilities. What You Bring to the Table: 7+ years of dedicated experience in offensive security, detection engineering, or a powerful combination of both, including hands-on purple team or adversary emulation expertise. Bonus Points for: Hands-on experience with leading emulation and purple team tooling (e.g., Caldera, Atomic Red Team, Prelude, Scythe, or similar platforms). Education & Certifications: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Engineering, or a closely related field (or equivalent practical experience). Why Your Next Move is TENEX: Define the Future of Purple Teaming: Seize ownership of the purple team function at a cutting-edge MDR company. Work directly with adversary research, detection engineering, and our SOC to continuously validate and elevate our defenses against real attacks.
Advanced Detection Engineering Research: Blaze new trails where public detection research is scarce. Develop innovative detection strategies from first principles for high-impact technologies, crown-jewel systems, and areas of elevated risk.
Deep Adversary Research: Keep a pulse on the most active threat actors, malware, and tooling targeting our customers' verticals. Dissect their tradecraft to identify the critical behaviors for detection and emulation.
Realistic Adversary Emulation: Architect and meticulously recreate authentic attack scenarios to rigorously test and validate our detections and controls. Leverage outcomes to drive tangible improvements in customer environments.
Impactful Reporting & Metrics: Develop clear, concise reporting that provides leadership and customers with an unequivocal understanding of our defensive posture and progress.
Strong Red Team Acumen: Deep understanding of adversary tradecraft, command and control methodologies, evasion techniques, and the ability to construct realistic emulation plans mirroring real intrusions.
Robust Blue Team Skills: Proven ability to write and fine-tune high-fidelity detections, coupled with expert analysis of endpoint, network, and cloud telemetry within SIEM or EDR platforms.
Demonstrated capability to accurately measure detection effectiveness and articulate complex results clearly to engineers, analysts, and executive leadership.
Previous experience within an MDR/MSSP environment or a high-growth startup.
A background in advanced detection content development or proactive threat hunting.
Valued certifications include OSCP, OSEP, CRTO, GIAC (GPEN, GCFA, or GCDA), or CISSP.
Innovate with the Best: Collaborate daily with a talented, innovative team driven by a shared passion for continuously advancing security operations and pioneering AI-native solutions.
Invest in Your Future: Enjoy a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits package, and the substantial upside potential inherent in a well-funded, rapidly growing startup.
Unleash Your Potential: Thrive in a culture of continuous growth and development, with unparalleled opportunities to expand your expertise in AI, advanced cybersecurity, and emerging threat technologies.