--- title: 'Research Staff, Adversarial Intelligence at Horizon3 AI' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/research-staff-adversarial-intelligence-horizon3-ai-united-states-xxx9ghesv6ha' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-11-07' --- # Research Staff, Adversarial Intelligence at Horizon3 AI - **Company:** [Horizon3 AI](https://feeny.ai/companies/horizon3-ai) - **Location:** United States - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** remote - **Posted:** 2026-11-05 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-07 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/horizon3ai/6134d6f9-4b78-47e9-a57a-93636bc4b666 ## Job description Get to Know Us Horizon3.ai is a fast-growing, remote cybersecurity company dedicated to the mission of enabling organizations to proactively find, fix and verify exploitable attack vectors before criminals exploit them. Our flagship product, the NodeZeroTM platform, delivers production-safe autonomous pentests and other key assessment operations that scale across the largest internal, external, cloud, and hybrid cloud environments. NodeZero has been adopted by organizations of all sizes, from small educational institutions to government agencies and Global 100 enterprises. It is used by IT Ops/SecOps teams, consulting pentesters, and MSSPs and MSPs. We are a fusion of former U.S. Special Operations cyber operators, startup engineers & operators, and formerly frustrated cybersecurity practitioners. We're committed to helping solve our common security problems: ineffective security tools and false positives, resulting in alert fatigue, blind spots, "checkbox” security culture, cybersecurity skills shortage, and the long lead time and expense of hiring outside consultants. Collectively, we are a team of learn it alls, committed to a culture of respect, collaboration, ownership, and results. An Overview We're looking for a Research Staff Member to join Horizon3 AI Research and work on research problems at the intersection of super intelligence, systems security, and agentic systems for security. You'll investigate technical problems that arise from real security environments and help turn promising research ideas into methods, prototypes, experiments, and systems that can influence Horizon3's technology. Depending on the project, this may include AI agents for security, autonomous pentesting, attack-path reasoning, cyber deception, AI safety and security, security evaluation of AI systems, or new methods for reasoning over security data and environments. This is not a purely academic research role and it is not a conventional software engineering role. We are looking for people who enjoy both understanding difficult technical problems and building systems that allow us to test those ideas in practice. You do not need to arrive as an expert in both AI and systems security. You should have strong computer science foundations and meaningful depth in at least one of these areas, along with the curiosity and motivation to develop expertise in the other. This role may be hired at the P1 (Entry) or P2 (Developing) level based on experience and demonstrated technical maturity. We expect junior researchers to receive mentorship and technical guidance as they develop greater independence. ## What You’ll Do - Conduct research on problems at the intersection of AI, cybersecurity, and computer systems. - Formulate research questions from real technical challenges faced by Horizon3 and its customers. - Design and run experiments that test research hypotheses in controlled and representative environments. - Build research prototypes and implement methods with sufficient quality to support meaningful evaluation. - Study and evaluate modern AI techniques, including large language models, agentic systems, reasoning methods, learning algorithms, and related approaches when relevant to the research problem. - Analyze security systems, attack paths, telemetry, graphs, configurations, and other real-world security data. - Read and critically evaluate academic and technical literature, identify relevant ideas, and determine how they apply to Horizon3's research problems. - Work closely with researchers, attack engineers, security engineers, product teams, and other technical groups to understand problems and evaluate potential solutions. - Document research methods, experiments, results, and limitations clearly and rigorously. - Communicate research findings through internal presentations, technical reports, prototypes, and, when appropriate, academic publications or external research outputs. - Develop greater research independence over time, including the ability to identify promising questions, propose technical approaches, and drive portions of a research project. ## What You’ll Bring - Strong foundations in computer science, including the ability to reason about algorithms, systems, software, and data. - Technical depth in systems security, super intelligence / machine learning, or a closely related area, along with a strong interest in developing expertise across both AI and security. - Strong programming skills and the ability to translate technical ideas into working implementations. Python experience is particularly useful, but we care more about strong programming fundamentals than a specific language. - Ability to design careful experiments, analyze results, and distinguish evidence from intuition. - Curiosity and willingness to investigate unfamiliar technical areas in depth. - Interest in both research and engineering. You may be stronger in one than the other, but you should be comfortable moving between technical ideas, experiments, prototypes, and implementation. - Ability to receive technical feedback, revise your approach, and learn from other researchers and engineers. - Good technical judgment. We value ambitious exploration, but also careful reasoning about assumptions, limitations, risks, and unintended consequences. - Strong written and verbal communication skills. - A degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent technical experience. What Sets You Apart - Experience in systems security, offensive security, defensive security, penetration testing, vulnerability research, operating systems, networks, distributed systems, cloud security, or related areas. - Experience with machine learning, deep learning, large language models, AI agents, reinforcement learning, planning, search, graph-based reasoning, or related AI methods. - Experience conducting research through an academic research group, thesis, independent research project, internship, industrial research project, or comparable technical work. - Experience designing experimental infrastructure, benchmarks, test environments, or evaluation frameworks. - Experience building systems that operate on real-world data, environments, or security infrastructure rather than only clean benchmark datasets. - Familiarity with security concepts such as attack paths, Active Directory, cloud environments, identity systems, network security, security controls, or adversarial techniques. - Strong research publications, conference presentations, open-source contributions, or other evidence of high-quality technical work. Publications are valuable but are not required for this role. - Experience working across research and engineering teams or contributing research ideas to practical systems. Travel Required We are a fully remote company, and this job may require up to 5% of travel to be successful. ## Compensation and Values At Horizon3, we believe that our people are our greatest asset, and our compensation philosophy reflects this core value. We are committed to fostering an environment where all employees feel valued, respected, and rewarded for their contributions. Our compensation structure is designed to be fair, competitive, and transparent, ensuring that every team member is recognized and compensated equitably across roles, levels, and locations. In accordance with various State’s transparency regulations, we provide the following salary range information for this position: - Base salary range: $145,000 - $170,000 annually. The exact salary will be determined based on the selected candidate’s location, qualifications, experience, and relevant skills. - Additional compensation: All full-time roles are eligible for an equity package in the form of stock options. Perks of [Horizon3](http://Horizon3.ai) - Inclusive Team: We value diversity and promote an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive. - Growth Opportunities: Be part of a dynamic and growing team with numerous career development opportunities. - Innovative Culture: Work in a collaborative environment that encourages creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. - Hybrid & Remote Work: We embrace a mix of remote and hybrid work models depending on role and location, including our Chicago office, where some roles require regular in-office presence. - Competitive Compensation: We offer competitive salary, equity and benefits. Our benefits include health, vision & dental insurance for you and your family, a flexible vacation policy, and generous parental leave. You Belong Here Horizon3 is not just an equal opportunity employer - we are a community that values diversity, equity, and inclusion as fundamental principles of our culture and success. We are dedicated to fostering a workplace where everyone feels welcome and respected, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, hair length or any other legally protected status by law. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion means we strive to attract, develop, and retain a workforce that reflects the varied communities we serve. We believe that diverse perspectives drive innovation and strengthen our ability to create cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions. At Horizon3, every team member is valued and supported in an environment that encourages personal and professional growth. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and experiences, and we encourage all qualified individuals to apply. Come be a part of Horizon3, where your unique contributions are recognized, and your potential is limitless. Other Duties Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Application Note In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information. ## About Horizon3 AI ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Horizon3.ai provides an autonomous penetration testing platform (NodeZero) that safely hacks production environments to identify and fix exploitable attack paths using AI. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series D – latest funding round in 2026, led by Prosperity7 Ventures) - **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, United States (447 Battery Street, San Francisco, CA 94111) - **Founded**: 2019 - **Founders**: Snehal Antani (Co-Founder & CEO); founded by a mix of US Special Operations, US National Security, and cybersecurity industry veterans ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Cybersecurity (autonomous penetration testing, vulnerability management, continuous security validation) - **Target customers**: B2B – large enterprises, Fortune 100, government agencies (NSA, CISA), healthcare providers, financial services, manufacturing, education, public sector - **Mission**: “Turn the map around” – using the attacker’s perspective to help enterprises prioritize defensive efforts. The company aims to shift the advantage from attackers to defenders by fighting AI with AI. ## Products & Services - **[NodeZero®](https://horizon3.ai/)**: Autonomous penetration testing SaaS platform. Safely runs real attack techniques in production environments (no agents, no disruption). Discovers and chains exploitable vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, harvested credentials, and dangerous defaults across external, identity, on-prem, cloud, and Kubernetes attack surfaces. Also includes Active Directory password auditing and phishing impact testing. Continuously validates fixes and repeats autonomously. ## Market Standing - **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed - **Key Metrics**: - Annual Revenue: **$35.5M** (per LinkedIn) - Total Funding: **$187M** (per LinkedIn) / **$181M** (per CB Insights – conflicting reports; both cited) - **225,000+** production-safe tests completed - **5,000+** customers - **Notable Investors/Partners**: - SignalFire (lead in Seed, Series A, Series B) - Craft Ventures (lead Series C) - Prosperity7 Ventures (lead Series D – 2026) - **Growth Signals**: - Ranked **#1 in Security** on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list - **#3 overall** on the 2025 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 - Fast Company’s **Most Innovative Companies** (2026) – #1 in Security - Named to the **Fortune Cyber 60** (2023 & 2025) - Two-time **Black Unicorn Award** winner - Headcount grew **115.5% YoY** to 341 employees (LinkedIn) - Active job postings up **168.2% YoY**; operates in 14 countries ## Competitive Advantages - **AI-driven autonomous testing** that learns from hundreds of thousands of tests and uses the right AI (ML, GenAI) for each problem – delivers evidence-based results with **zero hallucinations**. - **Production-safe** – zero downtime across all production tests, trusted by the world’s most sensitive high-security environments (NSA, CISA, Fortune 10, major healthcare). - **No agents required** – fully self-service SaaS, safe to run continuously. - **Real attack techniques** – not a scanner; shows actual attacker paths and impact. - **Rapid verification** – instantly confirms fixes and repeats the cycle, enabling a continuous validation loop. ## Strategic Focus - **Continuous validation** – driving a loop of test-fix-verify-repeat autonomously. - **Fighting AI with AI** – building NodeZero to operate at machine speed against AI-powered attacks. - **Global expansion** – already in 14 countries, with active hiring in EMEA, APAC, and the Americas. - **Scaling the team** – 59 active job postings (as of mid-2026), with emphasis on engineering, sales, and customer success roles. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Rated **5.0/5.0 on LinkedIn** (76 reviews) with perfect scores for Culture (5.0), Career (4.9), Compensation (4.7), and Work-Life (4.6). Described as a “kick-ass organization hell bent on disrupting an industry” with a team of “motivated learn-it-alls.” - **Work Policy**: Remote-friendly (most roles listed as remote, HQ in San Francisco, CA). Offers flexibility across time zones. - **Notable Perks** (from Built In and LinkedIn): - Comprehensive healthcare (medical, dental, vision, FSA) - Life insurance, disability insurance - 401(k) with company matching - Equity and employee stock purchase plan - Generous parental leave and family medical leave - Performance bonuses - Job training, conferences, and customized development tracks - Promotion policies and career growth support - **Engineering Culture**: Built by US Special Operations and National Security veterans. Emphasis on high autonomy, real-world impact, and cutting-edge AI/security work. “If you want to be part of a kick-ass organization hell bent on disrupting an industry and keeping attackers at bay, let’s talk.” ## Sources 1. [horizon3.ai – Homepage](https://horizon3.ai/) 2. [horizon3.ai – About/Team](https://horizon3.ai/about-us/) 3. [LinkedIn – Horizon3.ai Company Page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/horizon3ai) 4. [Built In – Horizon3.ai Careers & Perks](https://builtin.com/company/horizon3ai) 5. [CB Insights – Horizon3.ai Profile](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/horizon-3-ai) ## Other roles at Horizon3 AI - [Director of Engineering, Threat Research](https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-engineering-threat-research-horizon3-ai-united-states-0fsq2qg04cee) — United States - [Senior Attack Engineer, GCP](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-attack-engineer-gcp-horizon3-ai-united-states-p7dypj66skxv) — United States - [Senior Attack Engineer, Kubernetes](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-attack-engineer-kubernetes-horizon3-ai-united-states-8bbsrmqpg924) — United States - [Senior Attack Engineer, OCI](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-attack-engineer-oci-horizon3-ai-united-states-06y0k0t6a5p9) — United States - [Staff Backend Engineer, Internal](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-backend-engineer-internal-horizon3-ai-united-states-eccvzb53mpb7) — United States - [Senior Sales Engineer (SLED)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-sales-engineer-sled-horizon3-ai-united-states-agqan5xzy6d6) — United States - [Engineering Manager, Internal Attack](https://feeny.ai/job/engineering-manager-internal-attack-horizon3-ai-united-states-tx9j8q1pkfsx) — United States - [Senior Account Executive, SLED - New York](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-account-executive-sled-new-york-horizon3-ai-new-york-2d49m7hyp482) — New York, NY - [Senior Account Executive, SLED - Texas](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-account-executive-sled-texas-horizon3-ai-united-states-nkhqvten2p1s) — United States - [Senior Account Executive, SLED - California](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-account-executive-sled-california-horizon3-ai-united-states-7xv95fnvn25d) — United States