Security Testing Lead Specialist

Xpt Software Australia Pty Ltd; Canberra; On-site; AUD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Xpt Software Australia Pty Ltd is seeking a Security Testing Lead Specialist to drive high-complexity assessments and lead a skilled team across DevOps and traditional delivery frameworks. You will shape testing strategy and mentor engineers to uphold security quality and resilience.

Apply your expertise in vulnerability assessment, penetration testing, and secure coding practices to translate technical findings into clear business risk insights and actionable mitigations.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in security testing.
• Experience across DevOps and Waterfall delivery models.
• Proven ability to perform complex security assessments.
• Experience integrating automated security tools into CI/CD pipelines.
• Strong knowledge of security assessment toolsets.
• Ability to review security assessment reports and provide guidance.
• Understanding of application security architecture including threat modelling.
• Experience in training and developing people.
• Tertiary qualification in a related discipline.
• Certifications such as OSCP/OSCE/OSWE or CREST are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead high-complexity security assessments across domains.
• Provide technical leadership as SME in security testing and secure development.
• Translate findings into business risk insights for remediation prioritisation.
• Identify critical vulnerabilities and attack vectors from tests and scans.
• Drive evolution of testing strategy, methodologies, and standards.
• Mentor and uplift capability across senior and junior staff.
• Collaborate with cross-functional cyber security teams and external vendors.

Skills

Security testing

Penetration testing

Vulnerability assessment

Source code security reviews

CI/CD security

Automation scripting

Threat modelling

Application security architecture

Mentoring

Education

Tertiary qualification in Electrical/Electronic, Computer, Network or Software Engineering; Information/Cyber Security; IT

Tools

Vulnerability scanners

Static code analysis

Software composition analysis

Job description

Job Description

Security Testing Lead Specialist

Key Accountabilities Include

• Lead and deliver high-complexity, high-assurance security assessments across systems, including advanced penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, and source code security reviews, focusing on real-world exploitability and attack path development.
• Provide authoritative technical leadership as a subject matter expert in security testing and secure development, acting as the primary escalation point for complex vulnerabilities, assessments, and adversary emulation activities.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of systems in protecting organisational data and maintaining intended functionality, and provide strategic recommendations to improve security posture and resilience.
• Identify and validate critical vulnerabilities, exploit paths, and attack vectors, including analysing scan outputs and manual testing results to assess risk and impact accurately.
• Translate technical findings into clear, actionable business risk insights, supporting informed decision making and prioritised remediation.
• Drive the evolution of security testing strategy, methodologies, and standards, ensuring alignment with industry best practices and continuous improvement across the function.
• Collaborate with the Security Testing – Senior Lead and broader cyber security teams to shape capability development, resourcing, and operational direction.
• Assess existing security controls and practices against expected standards, and recommend improvements to address gaps and uplift security maturity.
• Ensure delivery of high-quality security assessment reports, clearly articulating risks, impacts, and recommended mitigations.
• Provide mentorship and technical guidance to uplift capability across both senior and junior team members.
• Apply a pragmatic, risk-based approach to all activities, balancing security requirements with business objectives, timelines, and operational constraints.
• Fulfil Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) responsibilities in accordance with organisational policies and regulatory requirements.

Additional Information

• Provide technical leadership across the domain, including performing and leading complex assessments across multiple technical domains, and responding to escalated incidents and engagements.
• Provide input into Penetration Testing, Vulnerability Assessment and Secure Code processes, methodologies, standards, and corresponding roadmaps and enhancement plans.
• Develop and deliver training for junior team members and the broader community to uplift security capability.
• Promote shift-left practices to enable the delivery of secure, high-quality code at speed.
• Provide guidance on application security architecture and secure design considerations.
• Develop scripts and contribute to automation initiatives to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of security testing activities.
• Refine and define engagement processes, secure code artefacts, security criteria, and use cases.
• Collaborate with third parties, including vendors and newly acquired entities, to assess and uplift their security and development practices.
• Conduct quality assurance reviews of deliverables produced within the Secure Code team to ensure high technical standards.
• Operate effectively in environments with ambiguous or conflicting requirements, consistently delivering high-quality outcomes aligned with Cyber Security expectations.
• Translate technical vulnerabilities into business risk for stakeholders in a timely manner, leveraging insights from the broader Cyber Security function.
• Apply a pragmatic approach to security testing, balancing business objectives, standards alignment, cost, time, and risk considerations.

Essential

• A minimum of 8 years’ experience in a Security Testing role
• Experience and exposure to a variety of software delivery models, including DevOps and Waterfall
• Significant experience in performing complex security assessments across a range of domain areas in a large corporate environment
• Significant experience in implementing automated security assessment tools into CI/CD pipelines
• Exceptional working knowledge of Security Assessment toolsets, such as Vulnerability Scanners, Static Code Analysis and Software Composition Analysis tools.
• Ability to review and provide guidance and feedback on security assessment reports
• Strong understanding of application security architecture principles including transport security, authentication, authorisation, threat modelling, and logging and monitoring.
• Experience in training and developing people
• Tertiary qualifications in Electrical/Electronic, Computer, Network or Software Engineering; Information/Cyber Security; IT or a related discipline
• Demonstratable skillset exceeding that expected of a person holding OSCE/OSWE or CREST – Certified qualifications for domain areas in scope for the position.

Highly Desirable

• Prior experience as a developer / software engineer is a significant advantage.
• Experience in developing security policy, standards, and development guidelines
• Significant experience in other domain areas of Cyber Security
• A strong understanding of adjacent security dependencies including endpoints, application platforms, databases, network security technologies, development frameworks.
• Current industry certification, including but not limited to: OSCP, OSCE3, OSWE; CREST (CCT, CCSC, CCSAS, CCSAM); SANS (GPEN, GAWN, GWAPT, GXPN); (ISC)2 CISSP, CCSP
• Experience in managing engagements with external security vendors
• Demonstrable history of developing exploits and zero-day discovery