Ciph Lab | Remote | Equity-Only (Pre-Seed)

About Ciph Lab

Ciph Lab is building Intelligence Resources™—software that operationalizes responsible AI governance at scale. We're a 4-month-old AI governance company, AI-first and remote-first, transitioning from consultancy to agents and SaaS platform.

AI security isn't static—new jailbreaks, prompt injections, and model vulnerabilities emerge constantly. Traditional security assessments can't keep pace. We're building adaptive governance systems with security-by-design that evolve as the threat landscape changes.

The Opportunity

We're seeking a Principal AI Security & Risk Researcher to join our founding research team and lead our security track. This isn't traditional red teaming or pentesting—you'll be designing continuous security monitoring systems and building frameworks that help enterprises assess and mitigate AI risks at scale.

You'll research emerging AI threats (jailbreaks, prompt injections, model vulnerabilities), translate findings into actionable security frameworks, and collaborate with our technical team to build automated security testing and audit telemetry.

This is a founding research role with equity ownership in defining how organizations approach AI security.

What You'll Do

AI Security Research:

Research emerging AI attack vectors, guardrail bypasses, and defense mechanisms
Monitor threat intelligence feeds and security research communities
Experiment with new AI security tools and assessment methodologies
Stay current with LLM vulnerabilities, adversarial techniques, and model safety

Security Framework Design:

Design security assessment frameworks for generative AI and agentic systems
Develop risk evaluation methodologies that adapt as threats evolve
Create audit telemetry and security monitoring protocols
Translate security research into operational frameworks that enterprises can deploy

Building Adaptive Systems:

Collaborate with the technical team to build automated security testing tools
Design continuous threat monitoring and alerting systems
Create security validation processes for framework updates
Ensure monitoring systems themselves are secure (meta-security)
Build audit trails for compliance documentation

Thought Leadership:

Contribute to Ciph Lab's weekly newsletter on AI security and risk
Position the company as a trusted voice in AI security governance
Share insights publicly (while protecting proprietary methods)

What We're Looking For

Required:

5+ years in cybersecurity, with 2+ years focused on AI/ML security, red teaming, or adversarial testing
Deep understanding of LLM architectures, prompt injection, jailbreaking, and model safety mechanisms
Experience developing security testing frameworks or vulnerability assessment tools
Strong research capabilities with ability to translate technical findings into actionable frameworks

Preferred:

Experience with AI governance frameworks (NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001, EU AI Act)
Background in enterprise risk assessment or security audit methodologies
Familiarity with agent architectures, RAG systems, or multi-modal AI security
Published work in AI security, adversarial ML, or related fields

Critical Attributes:

Self-directed: You identify threats proactively, set research priorities, and drive security strategy without oversight
Systems thinker: You see how security connects to governance, compliance, and technical implementation
Continuous learner: You stay ahead of rapidly evolving AI threats and defense mechanisms
Collaborative: You work effectively with legal, governance, and technical experts
Disciplined remote worker: You manage time effectively, maintain momentum on long-term research, and show up consistently

What Makes This Different

Not your typical security role:

You're building adaptive security infrastructure, not just finding vulnerabilities
You work at the intersection of AI security, governance, and compliance
You're designing living security frameworks that update as threats emerge
You're shaping standards in an emerging field with limited precedent

High autonomy, flexible structure:

Remote-first, manage your own schedule
Weekly team meetings (Wednesdays 5-6 pm PT)
Async collaboration via Slack and shared tools
5-10 hours/week commitment (scales up during peak periods)

Research-first culture:

Time budgeted for learning and experimentation
Expected to share discoveries and insights with the team
Contribute to thought leadership and industry positioning

Commitment & Compensation

Time: 5-10 hours/week + 1 hour weekly meeting

Structure: Part-time, flexible, remote

Compensation: 0.5-2% equity (4-year vest, 1-year cliff)

Stage: Pre-seed, no current funding

This role is for someone who:

Values equity ownership in defining AI security standards
Wants a ground-floor opportunity in AI governance
Sees AI security expertise as a high-value emerging specialty
Thrives in ambiguity and early-stage environments
Treats equity as motivation to build something meaningful

Success in This Role

First 30 days: Audit existing frameworks through a security lens, identify vulnerabilities, and propose a research roadmap

First 90 days: Deliver AI security assessment methodology, design threat monitoring strategy, and begin building security tools with the technical team

Ongoing: Keep frameworks secure as threats evolve, contribute thought leadership, and advance automated security testing

Why This Matters

AI governance without robust security is performative compliance. Organizations need frameworks that don't just check boxes—they genuinely reduce risk.

As AI threats evolve (and they will), enterprises need systems that automatically detect, assess, and respond to new vulnerabilities. Your work ensures that happens.

You'll help define what "auditable AI security" means in practice.

How to Apply

Send to founder@ciph-lab.com:

Resume/CV
Brief note (200-300 words) on your interest in AI security governance and what you'd bring to this role

We review applications on a rolling basis.

Ciph Lab is an equal opportunity employer. We value diverse perspectives and multidimensional talent.

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Principal AI Security & Risk Researcher