Vice President, Research & Development

Coalfire Systems

Coalfire is an EEO employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to respecting one another, embracing individual differences, and creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Coalfire is on a mission to make the world a safer place by solving our clients’ hardest cybersecurity challenges. We work at the cutting edge of technology to advise, assess, automate, and ultimately help companies navigate the ever‑changing cybersecurity landscape. We are headquartered in Chicago, Illinois with offices across the U.S. and U.K., and we support clients around the world. We are thought leaders, consultants, and cybersecurity experts, but above all else, we are a team of passionate problem‑solvers who are hungry to learn, grow, and make a difference.

Position Summary

We are seeking a highly experienced and dynamic Vice President of Research and Development within our Division Hex business. The ideal candidate will possess over 10 years of in‑depth experience in the cybersecurity domain, with a proven track record in building and leading teams focused on automation, threat research, artificial intelligence, data science, and overall security research. The Vice President of R&D will play a pivotal role in shaping Division Hex’s overall strategy around research and automation, external thought leadership, our Hexeon platform, building high‑performing teams, managing profit and loss, and driving large‑scale product efforts.

If you’re a visionary leader with a passion for driving cybersecurity forward and a track record of success in building and leading research teams, we invite you to apply for the position of Vice President of Division Hex R&D.

• Lead the development and execution of Division Hexs automation and AI strategy
• Oversee a diverse team of product development experts and threat‑focused researchers
• Build strong relationships with outsourced vendors and make staffing mix decisions around development of delivery platforms
• Oversee the development and deployment of cutting‑edge automation solutions to our hackers and defenders, with a focus on enriching datasets with threat intelligence and other contextual sources
• Drive business growth through effective budget management, sales efforts, and strategic partnerships.
• Identify, establish, and nuture partnerships with leading technology providers to enhance our service offerings.
• Represent Division Hex and the larger Coalfire as a thought leader in the cybersecurity industry by speaking at notable conferences such as Black Hat, DEF CON, and other premier threat‑focused events.
• Stay up to date on the latest cybersecurity trends, threats, and technologies to continuously improve our offensive, defensive, and managed services.
• Client travel, including international travel required

• Over 10 years of experience in cybersecurity, with a focus on research, threat actor TTPs, and automation.
• Proven experience in building and leading high‑performing teams that execute research.
• Demonstrated history of budget management, driving large‑scale sales efforts, and developing strategic partnerships.
• Extensive speaking experience at notable cybersecurity conferences such as Black Hat, DEF CON, or similar events.
• Strong understanding of offensive and defensive technologies, tools, and methodologies.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with both internal teams and external partners.
• Strong leadership qualities with a strategic mindset and a passion for driving innovation in cybersecurity
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to manage, track, and inspire remote, geographically dispersed teams
• Ability to define and articulate a rolling 3‑year vision for technology platforms and internal team efficiency improvements
• Ability to oversee technology product organizations using cloud‑native techniques and methods
• Ability to recruit and retain highly technical talent, especially in the fields of automation, AI, and threat research
• Bachelor’s degree (four‑year college or university) or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

• Familiarity with SCRUM…