Cybersecurity Malware SME

This range is provided by Synergis. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

$100.00/hr - $115.00/hr

Direct message the job poster from Synergis

Please Note:
This role is not open to 3rd party submission or W2 vendor referral

Principal Incident Response & Malware Analysis Engineer

LOCATION:
Remote in US on our W2 - we are unable to C2C, sponsor or transfer work visas such as H1B, OPT, EAD, etc.

ANTICIPATED DURATION: 1 year with extensions

$100-115/hr W2

About the Role

The Principal Incident Response & Malware Analysis Engineer serves as a senior technical authority within Incident Response service. This role applies advanced incident response, investigative, and digital forensics expertise to respond to security breaches, contain active threats, investigate impact, and guide remediation efforts
.

This is a hands-on, deeply technical role requiring expert‑level malware analysis, forensic evidence handling, and the ability to translate complex investigations into clear, executive‑level insights. The Principal Incident Handler acts as a Tier 3 escalation point
, mentors engineers, and helps mature incident response workflows where formal playbooks are still evolving.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and execute complex incident response investigations
  , including breaches, intrusions, fraud, and insider‑related events
• Implement containment and mitigation measures to halt attacks in progress while preserving business and medical service uptime
• Perform advanced malware analysis using static and behavioral techniques in a dedicated malware lab
• Reverse engineer malicious code through debugging, disassembly, and decompilation
• Collect, preserve, and analyze digital evidence in a forensically sound manner, following industry best practices
• Maintain proper chain of custody for criminal, employee, and fraud‑related investigations
• Evaluate system and security artifacts including:
  • Memory, network traffic, files, and email artifacts
  • Identify attack vectors, exploit techniques, C2 activity, persistence mechanisms, and lateral movement
• Determine scope, root cause, business risk, and overall impact of incidents
• Develop and recommend containment, remediation, and long‑term security improvement plans
• Serve as a Tier 3 escalation resource and mentor senior incident responders
• Produce thorough documentation including evidence records, investigation notes, findings reports, and executive summaries
• Brief senior leadership and guide technical and operational stakeholders during high‑severity incidents

Required Experience & Qualifications

Candidates should meet the majority of the following:

• 10+ years of experience in incident response, digital forensics, malware analysis, or security engineering
• Expert understanding of the incident response lifecycle
  , investigative workflows, and breach handling
• Advanced knowledge of malware and attacker techniques
  , including:
  • Behavioral and static malware analysis
  • Root cause and full‑impact determination
• Strong hands‑on experience with reverse engineering tools such as IDA Pro (primary), Ghidra, x64dbg, or Olly Dbg
• Developer or low‑level systems background with experience using Visual Studio or similar development environments
• Broad knowledge of hardware, operating systems, applications, and digital processing platforms
• Expert knowledge of Windows operating systems and working knowledge of Linux/UNIX
• Strong understanding of networking concepts and ability to analyze and decode network traffic
• Experience with security controls and tooling, including:
  • EDR platforms (e.g., Crowd Strike)
  • Email security (e.g., Proofpoint)
  • SIEM and log analysis (Splunk)
  • Forensics platforms such as EnCase, FTK, X‑Ways
    , or equivalent
• Ability to securely manage and operate with elevated access
• Proficiency in shell scripting and automation using modern scripting languages
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to:
  • Produce executive‑level reports articulating risk, exposure, and corrective actions
  • Lead diverse technical and operational teams through high‑pressure incidents
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent…