Artificial Intelligence (AI) Cybersecurity Scientist (Ph.D.) at Exponent Inc.
Menlo Park, CA
$140,000–$154,000
Jun 29, 2026
Menlo Park, CA
Jul 21, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A consulting role focused on the intersection of AI and cybersecurity, primarily within operational technology and critical infrastructure environments. Day-to-day work involves assessing AI systems for security risks, building and evaluating AI-driven threat detection tools, and advising clients on governance frameworks. The position suits a doctoral-level researcher or practitioner with hands-on experience in machine learning, AI assurance, and OT/industrial control systems who is also comfortable with client-facing business development.
Senior level · San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA · Doctorate required · Full-time
Pay in the description: $140,000–$154,000
“or” means any one of them counts — you don't need all of them.
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
How this req sits in the market our data
Roughly 1 people in the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA area plausibly meet what this posting asks for (information security analysts). range 1–1
Applicant volume Moderate — A normal amount of company. The rare requirements below are what will separate a shortlisted application from the rest.
Rare in this occupation — lead with these, and say what you built with them.
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $165,879 (middle half $117,529–$206,125). This posting is about at that midpoint.
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Jul 28, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (6)
This role sits at the intersection of AI/ML and cybersecurity for operational technology (OT) environments, making it genuinely ambiguous between Information Security Analysts (15-1212) and Data Scientists (15-2051). The primary framing is cybersecurity assurance and risk management for AI systems, which tips the classification toward 15-1212, but significant AI model development work is also required.
A Ph.D. in a relevant technical discipline is explicitly required with no 'or equivalent experience' escape clause — treated as a hard degree gate.
The skills list under 'You will have the following skills and qualifications' requires proficiency in 'at least two' of: Python, R, C++, Linux, cloud platforms, containerization, MLOps tools, or cybersecurity analysis tools. Python is listed as the primary with R and C++ as alternatives; Linux, cloud platforms, containerization, and MLOps are marked preferred since the JD only requires any two from the full list and these are not individually gated.
Cybersecurity risk frameworks (NIST CSF, NIST AI RMF, MITRE ATT&CK, MITRE ATLAS, ISA/IEC 62443) are listed as required competencies in the responsibilities section with firm language ('applying'); alternatives are captured on a single skill entry.
The role is explicitly marked #LI-Onsite and the posting states consultants engage in-person unless traveling; remote is set to false.
The posting lists Menlo Park, CA and Oakland, CA as primary locations but notes 'or other U.S. locations' — the CBSA reflects the two named California metros, which fall within the San Francisco Bay Area CBSA.
Read the full posting
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