Cyber Security Penetration Testing Consultant

Accenture; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Certification pathway

Job summary

Accenture is seeking a Cyber Security Penetration Testing Consultant to perform hands-on testing of client web applications, APIs and infrastructure across the UK, with hybrid work (office 1x per month). You will work in a collaborative team, delivering vulnerability identification, risk-based remediation advice and retests to verify fixes.

The role offers a pathway to CHECK and Red Team engagements, mentoring from senior testers, and a funded certification pathway.

Qualifications

• 2–4 years' commercial penetration testing experience across web applications, APIs and infrastructure.
• Practitioner-level certifications such as CREST CRT, Cyber Scheme CSTM or OSCP are desirable.
• Good working knowledge of common web and API vulnerabilities, including OWASP Top 10 and API Top 10.
• Sound understanding of networking, protocols, and Windows/Linux security.
• Experience with Burp Suite, Nmap and Metasploit.

Responsibilities

• Perform manual and tool-assisted testing of web applications, APIs and internal and external infrastructure.
• Identify, validate and safely exploit vulnerabilities within agreed rules of engagement, including authentication, authorisation, injection, business logic and misconfiguration issues.
• Help identify attack paths, including privilege escalation, and explain their business impact.
• Follow recognised methodologies, including OWASP (WSTG, API Security Top 10), PTES and CHECK/CREST standards.
• Help prepare for engagements by confirming scope, access and prerequisites with the engagement lead.
• Write clear, accurate reports with reproducible evidence, risk ratings and prioritised remediation advice.
• Support client remediation and carry out retests to confirm fixes are effective.
• Escalate critical findings promptly to the engagement lead and help explain their impact to stakeholders.
• Share knowledge with the team through peer review, tooling improvements and technical write-ups.

Skills

Penetration testing

Web and API security testing

Technical writing

Networking fundamentals

Windows/Linux security

Education

CREST CRT

Cyber Scheme CSTM

OSCP

Tools

Burp Suite

Nmap

Metasploit

Job description

Job Title: Cyber Security Penetration Testing Consultant

Locations: UK wide (hybrid work- 1x a month in office)

Salary: Competitive salary and package (Depending on level of experience)

Please Note: Any offer of employment is subject to satisfactory BPSS and SC security clearance which requires 5 years continuous UK address history (typically including no periods of 30 consecutive days or more spent outside of the UK) at the point of application.

Role overview

As a Penetration Tester, you will deliver hands‑on security testing of client web applications, APIs and infrastructure. Working within a collaborative testing team, and supported by senior testers and CHECK Team Leaders on complex engagements, you will find and validate vulnerabilities, demonstrate their real‑world impact and give clients clear, practical remediation advice. This role suits a tester who wants to broaden their technical skills and progress through recognised industry certifications, and work towards delivery of CHECK and/or Red Team assessments.

Key responsibilities

• Perform manual and tool‑assisted testing of web applications, APIs and internal and external infrastructure.
• Identify, validate and safely exploit vulnerabilities within agreed rules of engagement, including authentication, authorisation, injection, business logic and misconfiguration issues.
• Help identify attack paths, including privilege escalation, and explain their business impact.
• Follow recognised methodologies, including OWASP (WSTG, API Security Top 10), PTES and CHECK/CREST standards.
• Help prepare for engagements by confirming scope, access and prerequisites with the engagement lead.
• Write clear, accurate reports with reproducible evidence, risk ratings and prioritised remediation advice.
• Support client remediation and carry out retests to confirm fixes are effective.
• Escalate critical findings promptly to the engagement lead and help explain their impact to stakeholders.
• Share knowledge with the team through peer review, tooling improvements and technical write‑ups.

Essential skills and experience

• Typically 2-4 years' commercial penetration testing experience across web applications, APIs and infrastructure.
• Holds, or is working towards, a practitioner‑level certification such as CREST CRT, Cyber Scheme CSTM, OSCP.
• Good working knowledge of common web and API vulnerabilities, including the OWASP Top 10 and API Security Top 10.
• Sound understanding of networking, common protocols, and Windows and Linux security.
• Practical experience with industry‑standard tools such as Burp Suite, Nmap and Metasploit.
• Ability to validate findings, rule out false positives and capture reproducible evidence.
• Clear technical writing that explains risk and remediation in plain language.

Desirable skills and experience

• Awareness of cloud security and configuration review in AWS, Azure or GCP.
• Some mobile application testing experience (iOS and/or Android).
• Basic scripting (e.g. Python, Bash, PowerShell) to automate tasks or adapt tools.
• Understanding of cryptography and build/hardening standards.
• A curious mindset, shown through CTFs, home labs, bug bounty, CVEs or technical blog posts.
• Holds, or is eligible for, UK security clearance for CHECK and public sector work.

Development and support

• Mentoring and technical guidance from experienced testers and CHECK Team Leaders.
• A funded certification pathway, for example from CRT or CSTM through to CCT or CSTL.
• A broad mix of engagements to build experience across testing types.
• Dedicated time for training, research and lab work.
• Opportunities to contribute to internal tooling, methodology and innovation projects.

#LI-EU #LI-MP

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world's leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services-creating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent- and innovation-led company with approximately 791,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the world's leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology and leadership in cloud, data and AI with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. Our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Song, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360° value, enable us to help our clients reinvent and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360° value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners and communities.

Visit us at www.accenture.com

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