CTF Infrastructure Engineer

Accelerate Your Career in Cybersecurity!

As a leader in Automated Security Validation, we help businesses around the world safely emulate real-world attacks to uncover their vulnerabilities. At Pentera, you will be at the forefront of cybersecurity innovation, working on advanced tools that challenge organizations' defenses and push the limits of security testing.

With over 400 team members and 1,100+ customers in more than 50 countries, Pentera is a growing company supported by top investors like Insight Partners, K1, and The Blackstone Group.

If you are looking to grow your skills, make a difference, and be part of an innovative team, Pentera is the place for you.

About the role:

We are looking for a highly technical CTF Infrastructure Engineer to join our team. This role combines the technical depth of a Cyber Range Engineer with the creative and storytelling aspects of system gamification.

In this role, you will design and implement the infrastructure behind our Capture The Flag (CTF) environments, while also taking part in architecting the CTF scenarios themselves. You will be responsible for building and orchestrating complex, cloud-based lab environments where our security validation takes place.

This is a unique position for an engineer who combines creativity with deep technical problem-solving. You won’t just be provisioning servers for uptime; you will develop the logic that spins up realistic, intentionally vulnerable, and dynamic environments in the cloud to simulate real-world attack scenarios. You will utilize our internal infrastructure, automate flows with Python, and perform deep configurations on Windows and Linux systems to set the stage for cyber attacks.

As part of this role, you will also take part in creating unique stories and hands-on experiences for CTF scenarios, working closely with security researchers to translate real-world threats into engaging, reproducible challenges.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• End-to-End CTF Ownership: Design and build new Capture The Flag experiences from concept to execution, including scenario design, infrastructure, automation, and validation.
• CTF Environments Development: Write code (primarily in Python) to automate the creation and behavior of complex lab environments.
• Cloud Architecture: Design, deploy, and manage dynamic network environments on AWS using Terraform.
• Deep System Configuration: Configure Windows and Linux internals (Registry, GPO, domain settings) using PowerShell and Bash to support specific attack vectors and research scenarios.
• Pipeline Management: Maintain and tweak the logic of our build environments using Jenkins (writing and managing Groovy scripts).
• Work closely with Security Researchers to understand new threats and translate them into reproducible, runnable lab environments.

Requirements:

• Proficiency in Python.
• Deep understanding of Linux and Windows administration and configuration.
• Strong scripting abilities in Bash and PowerShell.
• Hands-on experience with AWS.
• Experience with Terraform for defining cloud resources.
• Familiarity with Jenkins and ability to work with Groovy pipelines.
• Creativity and a constant desire to learn new technologies and domains.

Preferred skills:

• Background in cybersecurity or experience building Capture The Flag (CTF) environments.
• Experience extending or automating CTFd (plugins, scripts, APIs, or custom workflows).

We are an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to building a diverse and talented workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, colour, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, disability, or any other class or characteristic protected by applicable law. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds to join us!