Find Jobs
Find Jobs Near You – Available Work in Your Location
Skip to job details
E
eFinancialCareers
Lead Penetration Test Engineer
Career Insights for Vulnerability Analyst / Penetration Tester
See where this job fits in the broader career landscape. Knowing your career path helps you see what's possible from here.
Scorecard
Based on national data
Review key factors to help you decide if this role fits your goals. How is this calculated?
What they do
A Vulnerability Analyst or Penetration Tester probes for and exploits security vulnerabilities in web-based applications, networks and systems. Penetration Tests are designed to achieve a specific, attacker-simulated goal and should be requested by customers who are already at their desired security posture. A typical goal could be to access the contents of the prized customer database on the internal network, or to modify a record in an HR system. Vulnerability Assessments are designed to yield a prioritized list of vulnerabilities and are generally for clients who already understand they are not where they want to be in terms of security. The customer already knows they have issues and simply need help identifying and prioritizing them.
$124,644 / year median in the U.S.
+3% projected growth
Job Description
Lead Penetration Test Engineer
Lead Penetration Test Engineer S&P Global Trenton, United States Save Posted 17 hours ago Remote Job Permanent salary range for this position is $135,000 USD
- $200,000 USD Lead Penetration Test Engineer S&P Global Trenton, United States Save About the
Role:
Grade Level (for internal use): 12S&P Global Corporate The Role:
Lead Penetration Test Engineer Location:
US- Virtual, or Canada
Virtual The Team:
The S&P Ratings Security team focuses on protecting our clients and users from modern security threats. Our mission is to safeguard systems and data by developing innovative solutions to the industry's most complex security challenges. We are passionate problem solvers with deep security expertise.Responsibilities and Impact:
We are seeking a Lead Penetration Test Engineer with extensive experience in penetration testing and offensive security. The ideal candidate will conduct penetration tests, re-testing, vulnerability scanning, and threat assessments across diverse environments. This role requires strong offensive security skills combined with cloud and application security expertise to identify vulnerabilities and develop effective mitigation strategies. A successful candidate will excel in the following areas: Penetration Testing & Vulnerability Assessments- Conduct comprehensive penetration testing of web applications, infrastructure, and cloud environments using both manual and automated techniques.
- Develop custom scripts, tools, and methodologies to enhance penetration testing capabilities and automate security testing within CI/CD pipelines.
- cloud-specific offensive techniques, including IAM abuse, container and serverless exploitation, and cloud misconfiguration testing. Vulnerability Management & Remediation
- Collaborate with engineering and development teams to analyze vulnerabilities, develop remediation plans, and strengthen application security across development and production lifecycles.
- Perform detailed security assessments using DAST, SAST, and SCA tools to ensure continuous validation and improvement of security controls. Attack Simulations & Research
- Lead and participate in attack simulations and tabletop exercises to validate security controls and improve organizational response capabilities.
- Research emerging threats, attack vectors, and adversarial techniques to inform offensive and defensive strategies.
- Partner with internal teams to design and threat assessments based on intelligence feeds and threat actor analysis. Security Communication & Reporting
- Communicate and present penetration testing and security assessment findings to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Provide actionable remediation guidance and risk mitigation strategies to strengthen the organization's overall security posture. What We're Looking For Basic Required Qualifications
- Minimum 8 years of experience in information security with a strong focus on penetration testing, application security, and vulnerability management.
- Hands-on experience with penetration testing tools (e.
ATT&CK, PTES
).- Expertise in identifying and exploiting common infrastructure and web application vulnerabilities (e.g., XSS, SQL Injection, IDOR).
- Familiarity with vulnerability classification and scoring frameworks (CVE, CVSS, CWE).
- Strong scripting or programming skills (e.g., Bash, Python, Go, PowerShell, JavaScript).
- Experience performing security assessments (DAST, SAST, SCA, credential scanning) and integrating security testing into CI/CD pipelines.
- Ability to translate complex technical findings into clear, actionable reports and confidently brief cross-functional teams and executives.
- At least one recognized offensive security certification (OSCP, OSCE3, OSEP, GXPN, GPEN, or
CREST CRT/CCT
).- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent experience. Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with cloud security across AWS, Azure, or GCP.
- Knowledge of AI/ML security and adversarial testing methods, including evaluating LLMs and other models for manipulation, evasion, and data integrity risks.
- Demonstrated involvement in the infose.