Advanced Red Team Operator

The Advanced Red Team Operator leads and executes complex penetration testing and red team operations in support of OPTEVFOR Cyber Operational Test & Evaluation (OT&E). The role provides technical leadership across planning, preparation, execution, and post-test activities; mentors and directs basic and intermediate operators; and ensures compliance with OPTEVFOR policies, DoD guidance, and DCAT authorization requirements.

Qualifications

• Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) or equivalent offensive cybersecurity certification
• Minimum of six (6) years of experience performing penetration testing, red teaming, and/or exploitation development
• Proficiency with multiple offensive cyber tools, including:
• Metasploit
• Cobalt Strike
• Core Impact
• Burp Suite
• Nessus
• SharpHound
• Demonstrated ability to detect malicious program activity using dynamic analysis techniques
• Ability to independently plan and execute penetration testing and red team activities to accomplish assigned test objectives
• Minimum of six (6) years of demonstrated experience leading red team operators to accomplish assigned test objectives

Key Responsibilities

Policy, Procedures, and Governance

• Become proficient in and ensure adherence to OPTEVFOR Cyber T&E CONOPS, SOPs, policies, and guidance
• Maintain and contribute to development of 01D SOPs and technical documentation supporting DCAT authorization in accordance with DoDI 8585.01
• Research, review, prioritize, and submit operational requirements for acquisition of cyber tools and capabilities in accordance with the 01D tool approval process
• Lead development and execution of tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) for penetration testing and red team operations
• Research adversary cyber actors’ TTPs, organizational structures, capabilities, personas, and operating environments, integrating findings into cyber survivability test planning and execution
  
  
  

Test Planning

• Lead and participate in OPTEVFOR cyber test planning activities, including:
• Conducting open-source research and reviewing system-under-test (SUT) documentation to understand mission, architecture, interfaces, and critical components
• Identifying attack surfaces and threat vectors
• Participating in checkpoint meetings
• Guiding development of cyber test objectives
• Reviewing test plans to ensure objectives are feasible, comprehensive, and executable
• Participating in test planning site visits
  
  

Test Preparation

• Lead preparation activities for cyber OT&E events, including:
• Participation in site pre-test coordination visits and support of test site in-briefs
• Leading red team test plan reviews
• Adding relevant system technical information to the test reference library
• Organizing and leading research briefings focused on advanced capability development for future tests
• Preparing OPTEVFOR Red Team (OPTEV-RT) Government-furnished test assets
  
  

Test Execution

• Lead execution of assigned cyber test events, including Cooperative Vulnerability Penetration Assessments, Adversarial Assessments, and Cyber Tabletop exercises, in support of Operational Testing, Developmental Testing, risk-reduction events, and other assigned efforts
• Employ OPTEVFOR-provided and NAO-approved commercial and open-source cyber assessment tools, including but not limited to:
• Core Impact, Nmap, Burp Suite, Metasploit, Nessus
• Apply ethical hacking techniques to exploit discovered vulnerabilities and misconfigurations across:
• Operating systems (Windows, Linux, Unix)
• Network protocols and services (HTTP, FTP, DNS, PKI, HTTPS)
• Execute testing independently while providing technical direction and oversight to Basic and Intermediate operators
• Ensure all testing is conducted safely, in accordance with approved test plans and OPTEVFOR policies
• Adhere to JFHQ-DoDIN deconfliction procedures
• Verify accuracy and completeness of collected test data

Post-Test and Continuous Improvement

• Participate in the post-test iterative process, including generation of deficiency and risk documentation
• Document lessons learned and drive continuous improvement across red team operations
• Generate and update documentation required to maintain DCAT authorization compliance in accordance with DoDI 8585.01
• Participate in capture-the-flag events, cyber off-sites, red team huddles, and technical exchange meetings; develop supporting products and materials
• Attend OPTEVFOR-required meetings in support of OT&E activities
  
  
  

DCWF Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Tasks (KSATs)

Skills

• Assessing existing tools to identify capability gaps and improvement opportunities
• Testing and evaluating cyber tools for operational implementation
• Knowledge management and technical documentation (e.g., wiki-based documentation)
• Processing exfiltrated data for analysis and dissemination
• Evaluating and validating locally developed tools for operational use
• Ability to collaborate with development organizations to create, adapt, and deploy tools required to achieve operational objectives
• Ability to develop new techniques for gaining, maintaining, and extending access to target systems
  
  
  

Knowledge

• Active defense methodologies and system hardening techniques
• Encryption algorithms and cyber tools (e.g., TLS, PGP)
• Evasion strategies and exploitation techniques
• Forensic implications of operating system structures and processes
• Host-based security products and their impact on exploitation
• Network administration, construction, and topology
• Security hardware and software options and their effects on exploitation artifacts
• Security implications of software configurations
• Digital forensics fundamentals to extract actionable intelligence
• Cryptologic capabilities, limitations, and contributions to cyber operations
• Unix/Linux and Windows operating system internals (process management, directory structures, installed applications)
• Network collection procedures, including decryption techniques and tools
• Knowledge of deconfliction reporting processes, including coordination with external organizations