Sr. AI Red Team Engineer

The Role:

In this role, you will design, execute, and evolve advanced adversarial simulation campaigns to test Moderna’s cyber resilience across corporate, laboratory, and manufacturing environments with a focus on AI and the attack surface it exposes.

You will act as a hands-on operator, building and running end-to-end offensive campaigns — from initial reconnaissance to network exploitation and post-exploitation within high-value segments like lab, OT systems, cloud, and AI infrastructure.

This role reports to the Red Team Program Lead and works very deeply and closely with Incident Response, Threat Intelligence, and Detection Engineering to convert findings into durable defenses. The primary output of the program focuses on building defenses, detections that result in prevention of real adversarial tradecraft.

Your mission: identify, emulate, and weaponize attacker tradecraft before real adversaries do against Moderna.

Here’s What You’ll Do:

• Plan, execute, and document full-spectrum red team operations targeting digital, physical, and hybrid environments.

• Develop and maintain offensive toolchains and infrastructure for covert operations (C2 frameworks, payload obfuscation, cloud-based staging, and beacon management).

• Conduct external-to-internal attack simulations.

• Collaborate with detection and incident response teams to measure time-to-detect, time-to-contain, and overall detection efficacy.

• Build and maintain custom scripts and exploits using Python, PowerShell, and other languages to simulate real adversary TTPs.

• Perform adversary emulation based on threat intel tied to biotech, pharma, and critical manufacturing sectors.

• Lead post-operation technical debriefs with IR and Threat Intel to derive new detection opportunities and security controls.

• Contribute to the development of internal red team maturity, progressing toward a continuous red team model.

Here’s What You’ll Need (Basic Qualifications)

• 4+ years in cybersecurity with deep experience in red teaming, offensive security, or adversary simulation.

• Proven ability to conduct end-to-end attack chains, including initial access, lateral movement, privilege escalation, and data exfiltration.

• Expertise in network penetration testing, Active Directory exploitation, cloud attacks (Azure, AWS, O365), endpoint evasion, and AI systems.

• Experience targeting OT or lab-connected systems is a plus.

• Experience with modern AI based attacks and how to leverage them in a longer attack path.

• Strong knowledge of MITRE ATT&CK, C2 frameworks, and offensive tooling.

• Familiarity with purple team methodologies and integrating offensive results into defensive playbooks and detections.

• OPSEC discipline and experience running stealth operations under blue team monitoring.

• Solid scripting and automation skills in at least one major language (Python, PowerShell, Bash, or Go).

Here’s What You’ll Bring to the Table (Preferred Qualifications)

• Preferred certifications: OSCP, OSEP, OSED, CRTO, or equivalent hands-on offensive credentials.

• Ability to communicate complex offensive findings clearly to both technical engineers and executive stakeholders.

Pay & Benefits

At Moderna, we believe that when you feel your best, you can do your best work. That’s why our benefits and well-being resources are designed to support you—at work, at home, and everywhere in between.

• Competitive healthcare, plus voluntary benefit programs to support your unique needs

• A holistic approach to well-being, with access to fitness, mindfulness, and mental health support

• Family planning benefits, including fertility, adoption, and surrogacy support

• Generous paid time off, including vacation, volunteer days, sabbatical, global recharge days, and a discretionary year-end shutdown

• Savings and investments to help you plan for the future

• Location-specific perks and extras

The salary range for this role is $145,900.00 - $234,200.00(for positions that may be performed in California, the expected salary range is $0.00 - $0.00, which reflects the range permitted under California Labor Code requirements) . This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An individual’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, performance, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate may be eligible for an annual discretionary bonus, other incentive compensation, or equity award, subject to company plan eligibility criteria and individual performance.

About Moderna

Since our founding in 2010, we have aspired to build the leading mRNA technology platform, the infrastructure to reimagine how medicines are created and delivered, and a world-class team. We believe in giving our people a platform to change medicine and an opportunity to change the world.

By living our mission, values, and mindsets every day, our people are the driving force behind our scientific progress and our culture. Together, we are creating a culture of belonging and building an organization that cares deeply for our patients, our employees, the environment, and our communities.

We are proud to have been recognized as a Science Magazine Top Biopharma Employer, a Fast Company Best Workplace for Innovators, and a Great Place to Work in the U.S.

If you want to make a difference and join a team that is changing the future of medicine, we invite you to visit modernatx.com/careers to learn more about our current opportunities.

Our Working Model

As we build our company, we have always believed an in-person culture is critical to our success. Moderna champions the significant benefits of in-office collaboration by embracing a 70/30 work model. This 70% in-office structure helps to foster a culture rich in innovation, teamwork, and direct mentorship. Join us in shaping a world where every interaction is an opportunity to learn, contribute, and make a meaningful impact.

Moderna is a smoke-free, alcohol-free, and drug-free work environment.

Equal Opportunities

Moderna is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry or citizenship, ethnicity, disability, military or protected veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, or any other personal characteristic protected under applicable law. Moderna is a place where everyone can grow. If you meet the Basic Qualifications for the role and you would be excited to contribute to our mission every day, please apply!

Moderna is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. We consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

Accommodations

We’re focused on attracting, retaining, developing, and advancing our employees. By cultivating a workplace that values diverse experiences, backgrounds, and ideas, we create an environment where every employee can contribute their best.

Moderna is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants with disabilities. Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should contact the Accommodations team at leavesandaccommodations@modernatx.com.

Export Control Notice This position may involve access to technology or data that is subject to U.S. export control laws, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). As such, employment is contingent upon the applicant’s ability to access export-controlled information in accordance with U.S. law. Due to the nature of the work and regulatory requirements, only individuals who qualify as U.S. persons (citizens, permanent residents, asylees, or refugees) are eligible for this position. For this role Moderna is unable to sponsor non-U.S. persons to apply for an export control license. #LI-CK1