AVP, Penetration Tester (LLM)

LPL Financial; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 129,000 - 214,000; Full time

Job summary

LPL Financial is seeking an AVP Penetration Tester to join its Cyber Security team in Austin, TX. You will lead hands-on penetration testing of AI/LLM enabled systems, architect tooling, and coordinate with stakeholders to remediate security gaps across the company’s applications and APIs.

The role emphasizes advanced testing, collaboration, and staying ahead of evolving threat tactics. A strong background in security tooling, coding, and leadership is essential for success in this dynamic

Qualifications

• 5+ years’ experience conducting application/API and network-based penetration‑testing engagements.
• 5+ year’ troubleshooting tools, manually finding issues in code, and rewriting code to remove bugs.
• 3+ years’ experience leading penetration testing engagements end-to-end.
• 2+ years' experience pentesting AI/LLM/GenAI applications
• 2+ years' experience using AI Models such as Claude to rapidly develop tooling.

Responsibilities

• Partner with product stakeholders to drive end-to-end pentesting activities and SDLC integration.
• Conduct security assessments of LLM/AI applications and supporting APIs against OWASP Top 10.
• Develop mitigation strategies and recommend automated tooling enhancements.
• Identify vulnerabilities and craft remediation guidance for IT stakeholders.
• Lead testing initiatives and report findings with risk ratings and validation results.

Skills

Burp Suite

OWASP Top 10 for LLM

Python

Kali Linux

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Information Security, Engineering, or Computer Science

Tools

Claude

Claude Code

Nessus

Burp Suite Pro

Job description

Where Ambition Meets Innovation

Build a career that matches all your initiative with an impressive dose of innovation. From cutting-edge resources and a collaborative environment to the freedom to make an impact and more, you’ll find the ingredients you need at LPL Financial to shape your success while helping clients pursue their financial goals.

Where Ambition Meets Innovation

Build a career that matches all your initiative with an impressive dose of innovation. From cutting-edge resources and a collaborative environment to the freedom to make an impact and more, you’ll find the ingredients you need at LPL Financial to shape your success while helping clients pursue their financial goals.

Job Overview

As a member of the Cyber Security team, an AVP Penetration Tester of Offensive Security will be responsible for helping with the scheduling, scoping, and execution of internal penetration testing with a strong focus on Large Language Model (LLM), agentic built applications, and supporting API penetration testing. This role will perform, at advanced levels, manual penetration testing to validate the security of resources across the company as assigned. Candidates will perform hands‑on testing as well as serve as the point of contact for the assigned penetration testing activities as a part of their regular duties. The ideal candidate must possess a highly technical skill set, the ability to collaborate with stakeholders across the company to help recommend, as well as test mitigation strategies for challenging, systemic issues, across LPL applications. Offensive Security is a top area of focus at LPL. This is an exciting time to join the Information Security team as we look for highly skilled people to help expand the current program.

Please note

This position does not offer work authorization sponsorship now or in the future. Applicants must have valid U.S. work authorization that does not require employer sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Partner with product stakeholders to drive end-to-end pentesting activities. Including working with Security Architects during the SDLC processes for LLM / AI to make recommendations and offer our ability to identify security weaknesses in applications prior to production deployment.
• Conduct tactical security penetration test assessments to validate the security of company applications (LLM, agentic built applications, and supporting APIs) against OWASP Top 10 threats work with the Application Security team to provide feedback, and recommendations to increase automated capabilities to include ai assisted tooling.
• Think creatively and strategically to circumvent security guardrails, identify vulnerabilities, and develop effective mitigation strategies for ai.
• Stay informed on ever-emerging and fast-changing TTPs, zero-days and remediation strategies for Agentic developed applications, systems, and their supporting infrastructure.
• Develop/modify custom tooling to solve new needs with the use of models such as Claude.
• Document and formally report testing initiatives, test findings, justified risk ratings, remediation recommendations, and validation results in a clear and concise manner.
• Partnering with technology teams to present security testing results, highlight the threat presented, and consult on remediation guidance in a way that is easy IT stakeholders to understand.
• Perform assessments of internal/external networks, infrastructure, cloud environments, along with a wide array of internally developed and commercial products.
• Help develop and maintain tools or scripts used in agentic penetration testing.
• Lead the execution of assigned Ai/LLM penetration testing initiatives to communicate status to leadership.
• Oversee communication and reporting of findings identified during testing activities and performing retesting to validate successful closure of previously identified findings.
• Develop tooling for agentic assisted LLM pentesting.

What are we looking for?

We’re looking for strong collaborators who deliver exceptional client experiences and thrive in fast-paced, team‑oriented environments. Our ideal candidates pursue greatness, act with integrity, and are driven to help our clients succeed. We value those who embrace creativity, continuous improvement, and contribute to a culture where we win together and create and share joy in our work.

Requirements

• 5+ years’ experience conducting application/API and network-based penetration‑testing engagements.
• 5+ year’ troubleshooting tools, manually finding issues in code, and rewriting code to remove bugs.
• 3+ years’ experience leading penetration testing engagements end-to-end.
• 2+ years' experience pentesting AI/LLM/GenAI applications
• 2+ years' experience using AI Models such as Claude to rapidly develop tooling.

Core Competencies

• Advanced level of knowledge with security assessment tools and frameworks, including Burp Suite, Promptfoo, HexStrike, Claude, CAI, Garak, Pyrit, Kali Linux, Nessus, Metasploit, Cobalt Strike, Mitre Atlas, OWASP Top 10 for LLM, and similar.
• At least one industry certification such as OSCP, OSAI, OSCE, OSWE, GPEN, GCIH, GWAPT, or GXPN.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate with all stakeholders, internal and external, finding, advising, and implementing the best solutions.
• Strong organizational skills
• Insatiable curiosity for tinkering with and circumventing security features and controls.

Preferences

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Information Security, Engineering, or Computer Science.
• Advanced understanding of OWASP, the MITRE ATT&CK framework, Atlas, and the software development lifecycle (SDLC).
• Advanced knowledge and experience penetration testing AI/LLM systems including MCP servers, Models, and Chatbots.
• Advanced understanding of tool development with the use of AI such as Claude Code.
• Advanced knowledge in programming languages (.NET, JavaScript, Python, Java, PowerShell, Perl, Ruby, Bash, C#, Golang, or similar).
• Advanced level knowledge of Linux/Mac/Windows operating systems, AWS/Azure cloud environments, and cloud-native resources (ex. Containers, Kubernetes, microservices, serverless functions)
• Breadth and depth of knowledge in security of LLM systems such as MCP servers, models, tooling, and infrastructures.

Please note

This position does not offer work authorization sponsorship now or in the future. Applicants must have valid U.S. work authorization that does not require employer sponsorship.

Pay Range

$128,647.00 - $214,343.00

Actual base salary varies based on factors, including but not limited to, relevant skill, prior experience, education, base salary of internal peers, demonstrated performance, and geographic location. Additionally, LPL Total Rewards package is highly competitive, designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play – such as 401K matching, health benefits, employee stock options, paid time off, volunteer time off, and more.

Company Overview

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LPLA) is among the fastest growing wealth management firms in the U.S. As a leader in the financial advisor-mediated marketplace(6) , LPL supports over 32,000 financial advisors and the wealth management practices of approximately 1,100 financial institutions, servicing and custodying approximately $2.3 trillion in brokerage and advisory assets on behalf of approximately 8 million Americans. The firm provides a wide range of advisor affiliation models, investment solutions, fintech tools and practice management services, ensuring that advisors and institutions have the flexibility to choose the business model, services, and technology resources they need to run thriving businesses. For further information about LPL, please visit www.lpl.com.

At LPL, independence means that advisors and institution leaders have the freedom they deserve to choose the business model, services, and technology resources that allow them to run a thriving business. They have the flexibility to do business their way. And they have the freedom to manage their client relationships, because they know their clients best. Simply put, we take care of our advisors and institutions, so they can take care of their clients.

For further information about LPL, please visit www.lpl.com.

Principals only. EOE.

Information on Interviews

LPL will only communicate with a job applicant directly from an @lplfinancial.com email address and will never conduct an interview online or in a chatroom forum. During an interview, LPL will not request any form of payment from the applicant, or information regarding an applicant’s bank or credit card. Should you have any questions regarding the application process, please contact LPL’s Human Resources Solutions Center at [phone].

EAC 5.19.26