Penetration Tester (Senior)

Starling; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A pioneering digital bank in London is seeking an experienced Penetration Tester to enhance security within its systems. The role includes performing various penetration tests, collaborating with engineering teams, and developing secure solutions. Candidates should have over 5 years in information security and experience with mobile, web, and cloud security. This position supports a hybrid working model, requiring a minimum office presence of one day per week.

Benefits

25 days holiday

Extra holiday for birthday

Annual leave increase with service

Paid volunteering time

Company pension scheme

Life insurance

Private Medical Insurance

Family-friendly policies

Perkbox membership

Cycle to Work initiative

Qualifications

• 5+ years technical information security experience.
• Experience of mobile, web application, cloud and infrastructure penetration testing.
• Desire to learn and apply technical security knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Scoping and performing penetration tests.
• Automation of security testing and development of tooling.
• Collaborating with engineering teams for secure development.

Skills

Mobile security (iOS and Android)

Web application security

Networking and associated protocols

Cloud security (AWS and GCP)

Containers and Kubernetes

Automation of security testing

Reverse engineering and exploit development

Threat modelling

Code reviews (Java and Go)

Client facing security consulting

Excellent verbal and written communication

Education

CREST, OSCP or similar industry qualification

Job description

Starling is the UK's first and leading digital bank on a mission to fix banking! We built a new kind of bank because we knew technology had the power to help people save, spend and manage their money in a new and transformative way. Read more about Our Story here.

Hybrid Working

We have a hybrid approach to working here at Starling – our preference is that you’re located within a commutable distance of one of our offices so that we can interact and collaborate in person. We are asking that you attend the office a minimum of one day per week.

About the Role

As an experienced Penetration Tester you will be working with talented cyber security professionals to protect Starling customers, company assets and systems using the latest technologies and techniques. The primary objective for this role is to collaborate with, support, and guide Starling’s engineering and operation functions to ensure our services are designed, developed and operated securely. As an experienced member of our penetration testing team you will directly interact with multiple areas of the business to understand requirements, define the scope and approach to testing (including undertaking appropriate research), and produce reporting information aligned to our risk framework. In addition, we understand the importance of knowledge and expertise remaining current and you shall support the continued advancement of our penetration testing through research, design and implementation of new solutions, including automation.

Responsibilities

• Scoping and performing mobile, web application, cloud, and infrastructure penetration tests.
• Automation of security testing, and development of internal tooling, to achieve continuous assurance.
• Collaboration with engineering teams to facilitate secure development, including:
  • Review and analysis of proposed technical solutions to identify appropriate security controls.
  • Input and guidance to security related technical architecture and design decisions.
  • Code review of features and critical security components.
  • Practical security testing.
  • Advising on remediation of security issues and processes to address root causes.
• Security assurance reviews of third-party solutions.
• Identifying and implementing improvements to the team's internal processes and procedures.
• Review, analysis and reporting of external threats relevant to Starling systems and solutions, in the context of Starling’s desired security posture.

Requirements

We’re open-minded when it comes to hiring and we care more about aptitude and attitude than specific experience or qualifications. Ideally, we would like:

• 5+ years technical information security experience.
• Experience of mobile, web application, cloud and infrastructure penetration testing.
• Strong technical knowledge in:
• Mobile security (iOS and Android)
• Web application security
• Networking and associated protocols
• Cloud security (AWS and GCP)
• Containers and Kubernetes
• A desire to learn, and ability to apply technical security knowledge to new and unfamiliar areas.
• CREST, OSCP or similar industry penetration testing qualification.
• A good understanding of applied cryptographic techniques.
• Reverse engineering and exploit development capabilities.
• Experience of security testing in an agile SDLC.
• Threat modelling experience.
• Experience performing code reviews, particularly in Java and Go.
• Experience of fulfilling a client facing security consulting role.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience in automation of security testing, with previous development experience desirable.

Interview process

Interviewing is a two‑way process and we want you to have the time and opportunity to get to know us, as much as we are getting to know you! Our interviews are conversational and we want to get the best from you, so come with questions and be curious. In general you can expect the below, following a chat with one of our Talent Team:

• First stage with the Penetration Testing Team Lead
• Second stage with additional members of the Penetration Testing team
• Final stage with Infosec Director and CISO

Benefits

We have a hybrid approach to working here at Starling – our preference is that you’re located within a commutable distance of one of our offices so that we can interact and collaborate in person. In Technology, we’re asking that you attend the office a minimum of 1 day per week.

• 25 days holiday (plus take your public holiday allowance whenever works best for you)
• An extra day's holiday for your birthday
• Annual leave is increased with length of service, and you can choose to buy or sell up to five extra days off
• 16 hours paid volunteering time a year
• Salary sacrifice, company enhanced pension scheme
• Life insurance at 4x your salary & group income protection
• Private Medical Insurance with VitalityHealth including mental health support and cancer care. Partner benefits include discounts with Waitrose, Mr Mrs Smith and Peloton
• Generous family‑friendly policies
• Perkbox membership giving access to retail discounts, a wellness platform for physical and mental health, and weekly free and boosted perks
• Access to initiatives like Cycle to Work, Salary Sacrificed Gym partnerships and Electric Vehicle (EV) leasing

About Us

You may be put off applying for a role because you don’t tick every box. Forget that! While we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we’re always open to discussion. So, if you’re excited about working with us, but aren’t sure if you’re 100% there yet, get in touch anyway. We’re on a mission to radically reshape banking – and that starts with our brilliant team. Whatever came before, we’re proud to bring together people of all backgrounds and experiences who love working together to solve problems.

Starling is an equal opportunity employer, and we’re proud of our ongoing efforts to foster diversity & inclusion in the workplace. Individuals seeking employment at Starling Bank are considered without regard to race, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition, ancestry, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

When you provide us with this information, you are doing so at your own consent, with full knowledge that we will process this personal data in accordance with our Privacy Notice. By submitting your application, you agree that Starling Bank will collect your personal data for recruiting and related purposes. Our Privacy Notice explains what personal information we will process, where we will process your personal information, its purposes for processing your personal information, and the rights you can exercise over our use of your personal information.