Threat Hunting Investigator

Meet the Team

Join a highly niche security unit dedicated to proactive defense and high-stakes investigation within a secure, onsite environment. We serve as a critical shield for the organization, executing sophisticated seek campaigns that stay ahead of evolving adversary tradecraft. Our culture is built on technical difficulty and a collaborative spirit where findings are documented and shared to elevate the entire team's intelligence. You will work alongside expert peers who value mentorship and continuous improvement in our detection and forensics capabilities. This is an exciting opportunity to apply deep technical expertise to protect the most sensitive layers of our infrastructure.

Your Impact

• Build and execute hypothesis-driven hunt campaigns based on adversary tradecraft to identify and neutralize hidden threats.
• Build durable detection logic in Splunk and map coverage against the MITRE ATT&CK framework to ensure detailed security visibility.
• Perform end-to-end host and network forensics to determine root causes and drive effective incident containment and eradication.
• Brief technical findings to both engineering peers and leadership to translate sophisticated investigation data into actionable organizational insights.
• Mentor junior analysts and develop robust playbooks to improve the collective maturity and readiness of the security team.

Minimum Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI clearance, in scope, at time of hire.
• 4+ years of combined experience in threat hunting, incident response, detection engineering, or Tier 2+ SOC analysis.
• Proficiency querying and building content in an enterprise SIEM, specifically Splunk (SPL).
• Practical knowledge of Windows and Linux internals, TCP/IP, and common application-layer protocols.
• Scripting proficiency in Python, PowerShell, or Bash for enrichment and automation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with network forensics and traffic analysis using tools like Zeek, Wireshark, or NetFlow.
• Proficiency in Detection-as-code practices, including version control, peer review, and unit-tested logic.
• Prior experience in DoD, Intelligence Community (IC), or federal SOC environments.
• Relevant security certifications such as GCFA, GCIA, GCTI, GDAT, GNFA, GREM, or OSCP.
• Ability to produce meticulous investigation records and brief findings to compliance and non-technical collaborators.

Why Cisco?

At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era - and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.

Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:

Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco’s plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks. Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.

U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco’s policies:

• 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees

• 1 paid day off for employee’s birthday, paid year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco

• Non-exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees

• Exempt employees participate in Cisco’s flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)

• 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to the next

• Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members

• Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer

For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco’s policies.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:

• .75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;

• 1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;

• 1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and

• Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.

For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

* For quota-based sales roles on Cisco’s sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.