CTL/CTM Penetration Tester

Layer7; Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne; Hybrid; GBP 123,000 - 167,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work

Competitive daily rate

Job summary

Layer7 is seeking an experienced CTL/CTM Penetration Tester to join a large Public Sector client project. The role is remote with occasional travel to Manchester and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, offering a daily rate of £785 outside IR35.

You will lead advanced penetration testing engagements across complex infrastructure, cloud, and containerised environments, delivering strategic findings and mentoring junior testers. The role requires CSTL or CCT, PriCSP certification, and valid security clearance.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading penetration testing engagements in public sector/CNI environments.
• Ability to coach and mentor junior testers and deliver executive-level findings.
• Security clearance (SC) or eligible/active clearance is required.

Responsibilities

• Lead penetration testing engagements across infrastructure, applications, cloud services and containerised environments.
• Deliver detailed technical reports and executive-level findings for clients.
• Mentor junior testers and contribute to testing methodologies and tooling development.
• Communicate complex risks clearly to stakeholders and drive risk-based decisions.
• Support client workshops and security awareness sessions.

Skills

Penetration testing

Security leadership

Client communication

Education

CSTL

CCT

PriCSP

Tools

Azure

AWS

OCI

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

CTL/CTM Penetration Tester

Remote - With occasional travel to Manchester and Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

Rate - £785 per day Outside IR35

Must have Valid SC

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced CTL/CTM Penetration Tester to join a large Public Sector client delivering high-assurance security testing.

This role offers the opportunity to work on complex infrastructure, cloud, containerised, and enterprise environments, helping clients identify vulnerabilities and strengthen their security posture. You will be responsible for leading and delivering penetration testing engagements while providing expert guidance, coaching, and technical leadership to colleagues and clients.

Essential Requirements/Certifications

• Cyber Scheme Team Leader (CSTL) or Crest Certified Tester (CCT)
• Principal UK Cyber Security Council Professional (PriCSP)
• Security Cleared

Experience

• Demonstrable experience conducting penetration testing and security assessments within:
• Public Sector organisations
• Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)
• Large enterprise environments
• Experience delivering advanced penetration testing engagements and leading teams of testers assessing complex environments, including public cloud, infrastructure, Kubernetes, web applications and APIs.
• Strong understanding of current attack techniques, threat actors, and defensive controls

Technical Skills

• Manual penetration testing across:
• Internal and external infrastructure
• Web applications
• Networks and operating systems
• Cloud security testing:
• Microsoft Azure
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Oracle Clound Infrastructure (OCI)
• On-premises infrastructure security assessments
• Container and orchestration platform security:
• Docker
• Kubernetes
• Identity and Access Management (IAM) security
• CI/CD pipeline security assessments
• Cloud-native and hybrid environment testing
• Security architecture and security control reviews
• Security Code Review
• Firewall Configuration Reviews
• Server and Workstation Build Reviews

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and perform penetration testing engagements across infrastructure, applications, cloud services, and containerised environments.
• Deliver detailed technical reports and executive-level findings.
• Conduct security assessments of Azure, AWS, Kubernetes, IAM, and CI/CD environments.
• Work directly with stakeholders to communicate complex technical risks clearly and effectively.
• Provide mentorship, coaching, and skills development to junior penetration testers.
• Support the continuous improvement of testing methodologies, tooling, and service offeringse
  
• Contribute to client workshops, security awareness sessions, and technical training activities.