Intermediate Penetration Tester

Tantalum Labs LLC; United States; Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Tantalum Security is seeking an intermediate to senior Penetration Tester to join our offensive security team. This remote-enabled role focuses on planning and executing authorized security assessments across web apps, networks, cloud, APIs, and Active Directory, delivering clear, actionable reports to technical and executive audiences.

The ideal candidate brings strong technical depth, sound judgment, and practical remediation guidance, with a focus on mentorship and collaboration within a

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of hands-on penetration testing, offensive security, or red team experience.
• 2–3 years of Python experience, with ability to build custom tooling and exploit PoCs.
• Strong proficiency across core tooling categories and familiarity with multiple specialized categories.

Responsibilities

• Conduct penetration testing engagements from scoping to reporting and client readouts.
• Assess web apps, APIs, networks, cloud, and AD domains.
• Develop tooling and automation to improve testing efficiency and coverage.
• Produce high-quality reports with severity, evidence, and remediation guidance.
• Present findings to technical teams and executives.

Skills

OSINT Reconnaissance

Web app security testing

Network security testing

Reporting & communication

Education

3–5 years hands-on pentesting

Tools

Shodan

Nmap

Burp Suite

OWASP ZAP

Job description

Team: Cybersecurity Professional Services Location: Remote - USA Type: Full-time Hours: Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM (Central Time)

Job Description

We are seeking an intermediate-level or senior-level Penetration Tester to join our offensive security team. This is a hands-on role for someone who can plan and execute authorized security assessments across web applications, internal and external networks, cloud environments, APIs, and Active Directory domains. You will identify meaningful security weaknesses, validate real-world impact through controlled exploitation, and deliver clear, actionable reports to both technical and executive audiences. The ideal candidate combines strong technical depth with sound judgment, professional communication, and a practical approach to remediation.

Responsibilities Include:

• Conduct penetration testing engagements from scoping and reconnaissance through exploitation, reporting, and client readout
• Assess web applications, APIs, network infrastructure, cloud environments, wireless deployments, and Active Directory domains
• Perform attack surface mapping, vulnerability validation, exploitation, and post-exploitation activities in a controlled, authorized manner
• Identify attack paths, privilege escalation opportunities, credential exposure, and lateral movement risks
• Develop custom tooling, scripts, and automation to improve testing efficiency and coverage
• Contribute to the design, improvement, and maintenance of internal security testing tools and frameworks
• Produce high-quality reports with clear severity ratings, evidence, business context, and remediation guidance
• Present findings to technical teams, security leaders, and executive stakeholders
• Participate in client-facing meetings to walk through security assessment results, discuss remediation priorities, and provide practical guidance on strengthening overall cybersecurity posture
• Contribute to internal research, methodology development, and knowledge sharing within the team
• Support the growth of less experienced testers through collaboration, review, and informal mentorship

Requirements

Required Technical Tooling Proficiency:

Candidates should demonstrate strong proficiency across the core categories and working familiarity with at least two specialized categories.

Core Categories:
These represent the foundational skill areas expected for this role.

• OSINT & Passive Reconnaissance — Tools such as Shodan, theHarvester, Recon-ng, SpiderFoot, and Maltego
• Reconnaissance & Information Gathering — Tools such as Nmap, Masscan, Amass, Subfinder, and Rustscan
• Web Application Security Testing — Tools such as Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP, Nuclei, ffuf, and SQLMap
• Directory & Content Discovery — Tools such as Gobuster, Feroxbuster, Dirsearch, Dirb, and Wfuzz
• Exploitation & C2 Frameworks — Tools such as Metasploit, Msfvenom, Cobalt Strike, Sliver, and Havoc
• Active Directory & Network Protocol Exploitation — Tools such as BloodHound, Impacket, NetExec/CrackMapExec, Responder, and Rubeus
• Post-Exploitation & Privilege Escalation — Tools such as LinPEAS, WinPEAS, Mimikatz, Seatbelt, and SharpCollection
• Network Traffic Analysis & Packet Capture — Tools such as Wireshark, tcpdump, tshark, NetworkMiner, and Ettercap
• Password Cracking & Credential Attacks — Tools such as Hashcat, John the Ripper, Hydra, CeWL, and Hash-identifier
• Wireless Security Testing — Tools such as Aircrack-ng (Airmon-ng, Airodump-ng, Aireplay-ng), Kismet, Wifite, and Bettercap

Specialized Categories:
These represent areas of deeper focus that strengthen a candidate's profile. Working familiarity with at least two is expected; additional specialized expertise will increase the potential salary base.

• Social Engineering Testing - Tools such as GoPhish, Evilgnix, EvilNoVNC, and other AiTM tools
• API & GraphQL Security Testing — Tools such as Arjun, Postman, GraphQL introspection tooling, JWT analysis utilities, and custom fuzzing scripts
• Pivoting & Tunneling — Tools such as Chisel, Ligolo-ng, ProxyChains, sshuttle, and SSH tunneling techniques
• Code Analysis & Secrets Exposure Discovery — Tools such as DependencyCheck, TruffleHog, Gitleaks, git-secrets, SecretFinder, and CloudEnum
• Cloud Security Assessment — Tools such as Prowler, ScoutSuite, Pacu, Checkov, and CloudMapper
• Container & Kubernetes Security — Tools such as Trivy, kube-hunter, kube-bench, Falco, and Docker Bench
• Binary Analysis & Reverse Engineering — Tools such as Ghidra, Radare2, GDB, Pwntools, and Binwalk
• Mobile Application Security Analysis — Tools such as ModSF, Frida, and others for identifying and exploiting iOS and Android vulnerabilities

Required Qualifications:

• 3–5 years of hands-on penetration testing, offensive security, or red team experience
• 2–3 years of Python experience, with demonstrated ability to build custom security tooling, automation scripts, and exploit proof-of-concepts
• Strong proficiency across the core tooling categories listed above
• Working familiarity with at least two specialized tooling categories listed above
• Strong working knowledge of the Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES) as a methodology for structuring and conducting engagements
• Strong familiarity with the MITRE ATT&CK framework for mapping adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures
• Strong familiarity with the OWASP Web Security Testing Guide (WSTG) for structured web application assessments
• Solid understanding of the OSI model and how network protocols operate and interact across layers
• Solid understanding of TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP/S, SMB, LDAP, Kerberos, and common enterprise attack paths
• Ability to write clear, professional reports and explain risk to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including comfort presenting to non-technical stakeholders
• Comfortable working independently in a remote, high-trust environment

Preferred Qualifications:

• Industry certifications such as OSCP, OSWE, OSEP, GPEN, GWAPT, GXPN, CRTO, eWPT, or eCPPT
• Understanding of AI red teaming concepts, including prompt injection, model evasion, adversarial input testing, LLM abuse scenarios, and AI/ML pipeline security assessment
• Familiarity with the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and how cybersecurity tools integrate with MCP servers for orchestrated, agent-driven security workflows
• Background in CTF competitions, bug bounty programs, vulnerability research, or published security research
• Experience assessing AWS, Azure, or GCP environments at an architectural level
• Experience with DevSecOps pipelines, infrastructure-as-code review, or security automation
• 100% Employer-Sponsored Platinum Health, Vision & Dental Insurance for Individuals and Families
• Generous 401(k) with 5% Automatic Employer Contribution - You get 5% whether you contribute or not.