Senior Principal Engineer, Offensive Security (2026-345)

Define and lead Astera Labs' offensive security strategy across hardware, firmware, software, cloud, and enterprise IT

Plan and execute red team, penetration testing, and adversary emulation engagements against production and pre-production assets

Establish scope, rules of engagement, and success metrics for offensive programs in partnership with security leadership

Conduct advanced vulnerability research and exploit development across hardware/firmware, embedded systems, and cloud/SaaS environments

Drive threat modeling, attack surface analysis, and adversary simulation aligned to real-world threat actors (e.g., MITRE ATT&CK)

Prototype tooling and automation to scale offensive testing and continuous validation of controls

Partner with product security, engineering, IT, and GRC teams to prioritize findings, drive remediation, and validate fixes

Communicate complex technical risk clearly to engineering leaders and executives, translating exploits into actionable business impact

Contribute to secure-by-design reviews, threat models, and architecture guidance for new products and platforms

Mentor security engineers and elevate offensive security capability across the organization

Represent Astera Labs' security posture with customers, partners, and (as appropriate) the broader research community

Champion a builder mindset that pairs rigorous adversarial testing with pragmatic, engineering-friendly remediation

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field

12+ years of experience in offensive security, including red teaming, penetration testing, and/or vulnerability research

Demonstrated expertise in at least two of the following domains: hardware/firmware security, embedded systems, cloud (Azure preferred) and SaaS security, network and application penetration testing, or Active Directory / Microsoft enterprise environments

Proficiency with offensive tooling and exploit development in languages such as Python, C/C++, and assembly

Deep understanding of modern attacker tradecraft, TTPs, and frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK

Proven track record of driving remediation and measurable security improvements in partnership with engineering teams

Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in a security-related discipline

Industry certifications such as OSCP, OSEP, OSED, GXPN, GPEN, or equivalent demonstrated experience

Experience in the semiconductor, hardware, or hyperscale infrastructure industry, including exposure to PCIe, CXL, or high-speed connectivity technologies

Published research, CVEs, conference talks (Black Hat, DEF CON, etc.), or notable open-source contributions

Familiarity with secure development lifecycle, threat modeling methodologies, and product security programs

Salary range is $190,000 to $240,000 depending on experience, level, and business need. This role may be eligible for discretionary bonus, incentives and benefits.