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Red Team Operator Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

The Senior Red Team Operator leads advanced offensive security operations designed to assess and improve the organization's cyber resilience. This role is responsible for conducting sophisticated ...

Senior Offensive Security Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$134K - $185K/yr

OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional), OSCE (Offensive Security Certified Expert) and OSEE (Offensive Security Exploitation Expert), Certified Red Team Operator (CRTO), GIAC Red Team ...

... Perform red team/offensive assessments against firmware & devices. • Triage and recommend ... Linux-based operating system internals & network protocols. • Knowledge of hardware security ...

Operations Lead

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$120K - $300K/yr

We red-team, certify, and insure agents, e.g. ElevenLabs, UiPath, Intercom. Soon, agents will take ... consulting, finance, operating) we trust to learn ops fast. * A killer smart generalist ...

... operating private or hybrid OpenStack clouds. • Strong expertise in Ansible, Terraform, Git, and ... Founded in 1988, the company is headquartered in San Jose, USA, with a team of 10001+ employees.

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Red Team Operator information

See California salary details

$10

$19

$28

How much do red team operator jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 27, 2026, the average hourly pay for red team operator in California is $19.80, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $16.59 and $21.83 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Red Team Operator vs Penetration Tester?

AspectRed Team OperatorPenetration Tester
CertificationsOSCP, CEH, GPENOSCP, CEH, GPEN
Work EnvironmentSimulates real-world attacks, often in complex, multi-layered scenariosFocuses on identifying vulnerabilities through controlled testing
Employer & Industry UsageUsed by security teams to assess organizational security postureHired by organizations or consulting firms to find security flaws

Red Team Operators and Penetration Testers share similar certifications and often work in overlapping environments. However, Red Team Operators focus on simulating real-world, multi-faceted attacks to test defenses, while Penetration Testers typically identify specific vulnerabilities through targeted testing. Both roles are essential for comprehensive cybersecurity assessments.

What are some common challenges Red Team Operators face when simulating real-world cyber attacks within an organization?

Red Team Operators often encounter challenges such as navigating complex security controls, dealing with limited information about the target environment, and maintaining stealth to avoid detection by blue teams. They must balance realism with safety, ensuring that operations do not disrupt critical business functions. Collaboration with other security professionals is essential, especially during post-engagement debriefs to share findings and improve the organization's defenses. Managing time and scope within engagement constraints can also be a demanding aspect of the role.

What are Red Team Operators?

Red Team Operators are cybersecurity professionals who simulate real-world cyberattacks to identify vulnerabilities in an organization’s systems, processes, and defenses. Their goal is to mimic the tactics, techniques, and procedures of actual adversaries to test an organization’s security posture. By doing so, they help organizations understand their weaknesses and improve their response capabilities. Red Team Operators often work closely with Blue Teams (defenders) to provide actionable insights and recommendations for strengthening security.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Red Team Operator, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Red Team Operator, you need a deep understanding of cybersecurity concepts, penetration testing methodologies, and knowledge of network and application security, often supported by certifications like OSCP or CEH. Proficiency with tools such as Metasploit, Cobalt Strike, Nmap, and Burp Suite is typically required. Strong analytical thinking, creativity, and effective communication are essential soft skills for simulating adversarial attacks and reporting findings. These skills and qualities are crucial for identifying vulnerabilities, improving organizational defenses, and ensuring resilient security postures.
What are popular job titles related to Red Team Operator jobs in California? For Red Team Operator jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Red Team Operator jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Red Team Operator jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Red Team Operator jobs? Cities in California with the most Red Team Operator job openings:
Infographic showing various Red Team Operator job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 67% In-person, and 33% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $41,191 per year, or $19.8 per hour.
Senior Red Team Operator

Senior Red Team Operator

US Bank

Cupertino, CA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 19 days ago


U.S. Bank rating

8.2

Company rating: 8.2 out of 10

Based on 359 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

52nd of 170 rated banks


Job description

At U.S. Bank, we're on a journey to do our best. Helping the customers and businesses we serve to make better and smarter financial decisions and enabling the communities we support to grow and succeed. We believe it takes all of us to bring our shared ambition to life, and each person is unique in their potential. A career with U.S. Bank gives you a wide, ever-growing range of opportunities to discover what makes you thrive at every stage of your career. Try new things, learn new skills and discover what you excel at-all from Day One.

Job Description

The Senior Red Team Operator leads advanced offensive security operations designed to assess and improve the organization's cyber resilience. This role is responsible for conducting sophisticated threat emulation exercises, adversarial simulations, and offensive security assessments across enterprise systems, applications, cloud environments, and physical security domains. The Senior Red Team Operator serves as a technical leader and subject matter expert, driving innovation in offensive security tradecraft, developing custom capabilities, mentoring team members, and partnering with security and business stakeholders to strengthen detection, response, and risk management capabilities.

Key Responsibilities
  • Lead and execute advanced threat emulation, Red Team, and adversarial simulation exercises that replicate sophisticated threat actors.
  • Conduct offensive security assessments against enterprise networks, applications, cloud platforms, infrastructure, and physical security controls.
  • Develop custom tools, payloads, exploits, and automation capabilities to support complex Red Team operations.
  • Research emerging threats, attacker methodologies, and offensive security techniques to continuously enhance team capabilities.
  • Design and execute multi-stage attack scenarios that assess the effectiveness of security controls, monitoring capabilities, and incident response processes.
  • Produce executive and technical reporting that clearly documents attack chains, business impact, risk severity, and remediation recommendations.
  • Serve as a trusted advisor and subject matter expert to security operations, detection engineering, threat hunting, and technology teams.
  • Lead purple team engagements to validate detection coverage and improve defensive capabilities.
  • Mentor and develop junior Red Team operators while contributing to operational standards, methodologies, and best practices.
  • Drive continuous improvement initiatives through automation, process optimization, and capability development.

Basic Qualifications:

  • Bachelors degree or equivalent experience
  • 8+ years experience in information security
Preferred Qualifications
  • Seven or more years of experience in information security, including significant experience in offensive security, penetration testing, or Red Team operations.
  • Demonstrated experience leading Red Team engagements, threat emulation exercises, and adversarial simulations within complex enterprise environments.
  • Advanced expertise in exploit development, custom payload creation, offensive tooling development, and attack automation.
  • Extensive experience with industry-standard offensive security and command-and-control frameworks such as Cobalt Strike, Metasploit, Mythic, Sliver, and similar platforms.
  • Proven ability to bypass, evaluate, and assess modern security technologies including EDR, XDR, endpoint protection, and network-based controls.
  • Strong proficiency in multiple programming and scripting languages including Python, PowerShell, C/C++, C#, Go, and Shell scripting.
  • Deep understanding of enterprise architecture, cloud technologies, application security, network security, identity systems, and emerging cyber threats.
  • Experience performing purple team activities and partnering with defensive teams to improve detection and response capabilities.
  • Experience leveraging Infrastructure as Code (IaC), automation frameworks, and cloud-native technologies.
  • Proven ability to identify complex vulnerabilities, develop innovative attack paths, and create proof-of-concept exploits that demonstrate business risk.
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to translate highly technical concepts into actionable recommendations for senior leadership and executive stakeholders.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead complex offensive security initiatives, influence strategic security decisions, and drive measurable improvements to the organization's security posture.

This role requires working from a U.S. Bank location three (3) or more days per week.

If there's anything we can do to accommodate a disability during any portion of the application or hiring process, please refer to ourdisability accommodations for applicants.

Benefits:

Our approach to benefits and total rewards considers our team members' whole selves and what may be needed to thrive in and outside work. That's why our benefits are designed to help you and your family boost your health, protect your financial security and give you peace of mind. Our benefits include the following:

  • Healthcare (medical, dental, vision)

  • Basic term and optional term life insurance

  • Short-term and long-term disability

  • Pregnancy disability and parental leave

  • 401(k) and employer-funded retirement plan

  • Paid vacation (from two to five weeks depending on salary grade and tenure)

  • Up to 11 paid holiday opportunities

  • Adoption assistance

  • Sick and Safe Leave accruals of one hour for every 30 worked, up to 80 hours per calendar year unless otherwise provided by law

Review our full benefits available by employment status here.

U.S. Bank is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or veteran status, and other factors protected under applicable law.

E-Verify

U.S. Bank participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-Verify program in all facilities located in the United States and certain U.S. territories. The E-Verify program is an Internet-based employment eligibility verification system operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Learn more about theE-Verify program.

The salary range reflects figures based on the primary location, which is listed first. The actual range for the role may differ based on the location of the role. In addition to salary, U.S. Bank offers a comprehensive benefits package, including incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase 401(k) contribution and pension (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). Pay Range: $133,365.00 - $156,900.00

U.S. Bank will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records for employment. U.S. Bank conducts background checks consistent with applicable local laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act as well as the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. U.S. Bank is subject to, and conducts background checks consistent with the requirements of Section 19 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (FDIA). In addition, certain positions may also be subject to the requirements of FINRA, NMLS registration, Reg Z, Reg G, OFAC, the NFA, the FCPA, the Bank Secrecy Act, the SAFE Act, and/or federal guidelines applicable to an agreement, such as those related to ethics, safety, or operational procedures.

Applicants must be able to comply with U.S. Bank policies and procedures including the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct and related workplace conduct and safety policies.

Posting may be closed earlier due to high volume of applicants.


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About U.S. Bank

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

U.S. Bank is a reputable and established financial institution that plays a significant role in the banking sector. With a history spanning over 150 years, U.S. Bank has built a strong foundation of trust and reliability. As a comprehensive bank, they offer a wide array of financial products and services to cater to the diverse needs of their customers, including individuals, businesses, and communities. Customer satisfaction is of utmost importance to U.S. Bank. They prioritize delivering exceptional service and fostering long-term relationships with their clients. Through their extensive network of branches and advanced digital banking platforms, U.S. Bank ensures convenient access to their services, empowering customers to manage their finances efficiently and securely.

Industry

Banking and credit intermediation

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Minneapolis, MN, US

Year founded

1863

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