Junior AI Specialist

Lacework

Lacework

Software Engineering, Data Science
Burnaby, BC, Canada
CAD 79k-97k / year + Equity
Posted on Apr 9, 2026

The Role
The FortiGuard IoC team is looking for a junior AI Cybersecurity Specialist who is passionate about using AI to defend against threat actors.

You will be at the forefront of an arms race: using machine learning to detect advanced threats and building various AI tools to automate threat processes.

Responsibilities
• Threat Detection: Design and deploy machine learning models to identify anomalies, malware, and zero-day threats within enterprise networks and cloud environments.
• AI Security (Adversarial ML): Secure our internal AI/ML pipelines against poisoning, evasion, and model inversion attacks.
• Automation: Develop AI-driven security automation to reduce response times and mitigate false positives in our IoC Research Team.
• Threat Intelligence: Analyze emerging threats and create IoCs.
• Collaboration: Work closely with Data Scientists, DevOps, and SOC analysts to add AI-driven solutions (eg. chatbots, AI agents, and Agentic RAG) to improve team productivity.
• Infrastructure: Developing AI workflows and maintaining AI development environments.
• API Utilization: Connecting applications to Large Language Models (LLMs) like GPT, Claude, or LLaMA, and performing LLM fine tuning, etc.
• Model Integration: Wrapping machine learning models behind REST or GraphQL APIs to make them accessible, allowing software to send data (like text or images) and receive intelligent results.
• Agentic Workflows: Developing specialized APIs for AI agents, allowing them to interact with tools such as databases, internet search, or third-party software (Model Context Protocol).

Qualifications
• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Data Science, or related field.

• Experience: 0-2 years of related experience.

• Technical Skills:
o Proficiency in Python, Java, SQL, and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
o Experience with ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn) and data processing frameworks (Spark, Flink, and Hadoop)
o Strong knowledge of network protocols, encryption, and endpoint security.
o Familiarity with Docker and Kubernetes.
o Solid understanding of data science
o Deep understanding of how artificial intelligence works

• Mindset:
o Great communication skills and a team player.
o Attention to details.
o Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
o Curious and proactive.

The Canada base salary range for this full-time position is expected to be between $79,000 - $97,000 annually. Wage ranges are based on various factors including the labour market, job type, and job level. Exact salary offers will be determined by factors such as the candidate’s subject knowledge, skill level, qualifications, and experience.

This job posting represents an existing vacancy.

Fortinet strives to provide you and your family with a comprehensive benefits package. Benefits eligibility starts on your first day of hire and comprises of 100% company paid medical, dental, and vision coverage, including a Health Spending Account and a Personal Spending Account that gives you flexibility to spend where you need it the most. Our Employee & Family Assistance Plan (EFAP) offers you and your family access to various services like counseling, legal advice, mental health resources etc. We also provide critical illness, disability, and life insurance, as well as a Group Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) with a company match to help you save faster for retirement. We offer competitive Paid Time Off and flexible leave policies, including paid health days, to help you take care of yourself and your family members.

All roles are eligible to participate in the Fortinet equity program. Bonus eligibility is reviewed at time of hire and annually at the Company’s discretion.

Why Join Us:
We encourage candidates from all backgrounds and identities to apply. We offer a supportive work environment and a competitive Total Rewards package to support you with your overall health and financial well-being.

Embark on a challenging, enjoyable, and rewarding career journey with Fortinet. Join us in bringing solutions that make a meaningful and lasting impact to our 890,000+ customers around the globe.


Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT) secures the largest enterprise, service provider, and government organizations around the world. Fortinet empowers its customers with intelligent, seamless protection across the expanding attack surface and the power to take on ever-increasing performance requirements of the borderless network - today and into the future. Only the Fortinet Security Fabric architecture can deliver security without compromise to address the most critical security challenges, whether in networked, application, cloud or mobile environments. Fortinet ranks number one in the most security appliances shipped worldwide and more than 500,000 customers trust Fortinet to protect their businesses.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with disabilities. If you require assistance or accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at accommodations@fortinet.com.
Fortinet is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity in our company, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, military/veteran status or any other applicable legally protected characteristics in the location in which the candidate is applying.

The FortiGuard IoC team is looking for a junior AI Cybersecurity Specialist who is passionate about using AI to defend against threat actors. You will be at the forefront of an arms race: using machine learning to detect advanced threats and building various AI tools to automate threat processes.