Penetration Tester / Ethical Hacker

Position Summary

The Penetration Tester / Ethical Hacker is responsible for assessing the security posture of the organization’s systems, applications, networks, and infrastructure by simulating real‑world cyberattacks. This role identifies vulnerabilities, exploits weaknesses in a controlled manner, and provides detailed remediation recommendations to improve overall security defenses. Penetration Testers work closely with security engineers, compliance teams, and IT operations to ensure risks are understood and mitigated.

Key Responsibilities

Offensive Security Testing

• Perform penetration tests on web applications, APIs, mobile apps, cloud platforms, networks, and infrastructure .
• Conduct internal and external vulnerability assessments and exploit identified weaknesses.
• Simulate advanced persistent threat (APT) attack behaviors to evaluate detection and response capabilities.
• Conduct social engineering assessments (phishing, vishing, physical tests) when approved and in scope.

Reporting & Remediation Guidance

• Document findings clearly and concisely, including exploit techniques, impact, and severity ratings.
• Provide actionable remediation recommendations to reduce risks and prevent exploitation.
• Present results to engineering, leadership, and executive stakeholders as needed.

Security Tooling & Techniques

• Use industry-standard offensive tools (e.g., Burp Suite, Metasploit, Nmap, Kali Linux, Cobalt Strike , custom scripts).
• Develop custom scripts or tools in languages like Python, PowerShell, Bash , or JavaScript to support advanced testing.
• Apply manual testing techniques to identify business logic flaws and complex vulnerabilities not detected by scanners.

Security Standards & Compliance

• Conduct testing aligned with frameworks such as OWASP Top 10, NIST 800-115, MITRE ATT&CK , or OSSTMM.
• Ensure testing activities follow legal, ethical, and compliance guidelines (e.g., SOC 2, PCI-DSS).
• Support security audits by providing technical interpretations of penetration test results.

Continuous Improvement

• Stay updated on emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and offensive security techniques.
• Participate in responsible disclosure programs and threat research to improve internal defensive strategies.
• Collaborate with incident response teams to validate security incidents and provide threat insights.

Qualifications

Required

• 2–5+ years of penetration testing, red teaming, or offensive security experience.
• Proficiency with offensive security methodologies and tools.
• Strong experience testing web apps, APIs, networks, and cloud environments.
• Solid understanding of security protocols, authentication mechanisms, and common vulnerabilities (XSS, SQLi, RCE, CSRF, etc.).
• Ability to clearly document vulnerabilities and explain exploitation steps to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.

Preferred

• Certifications: OSCP, OSWE, OSEP, CEH, GPEN, GXPN , or equivalent offensive security credentials.
• Experience with cloud security testing (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Familiarity with DevSecOps pipelines, CI/CD testing methods, and automated scanning solutions.
• Background in scripting or tool development for advanced exploitation.
• Experience performing red team operations and purple team collaboration.