Penetration Tester

American Express; Lewiston (ID); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 127,000; Full time

Job summary

American Express in Lewiston, ID is seeking a Penetration Tester who thrives on practical, hands-on security work. The role emphasizes SAST and AWS Security, with a track record of reducing technical debt and defending security choices before stakeholders.

The position offers a hybrid schedule and a clear path for professional development, matching the Lewiston market for experienced security engineers. Ideal for candidates who value craft and balance life outside work.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in security testing.
• Strong experience with SAST and AWS Security.
• Ability to defend recommendations before stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Improve legacy Zero Trust modules and leave them cleaner than you found them.
• Rewrite AWS Security components to reduce years of technical debt.
• Reproduce and fix the Lewiston field-report bug and prevent recurrence.
• Profile and refactor legacy code to reduce technical debt over time.
• Trace security metrics through SAST services to ensure accuracy.
• Translate Secure Code Review metrics into leadership-ready charts each morning.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to a strong code-review culture.
• Document decisions, architecture, and APIs for the broader organization.

Skills

Penetration testing

SAST

AWS Security

Communication

Tools

SAST tools

AWS services

Job description

At American Express, SAST isn't a buzzword on a slide, it's Tuesday, and we need a Penetration Tester who feels the same way. Few Lewiston employers pair $90,000 - $127,000 with this much technology autonomy, and fewer still ask only 6 years to earn it.

Key Responsibilities

• Reach into legacy Zero Trust modules and leave them cleaner than you found them
• Ship the AWS Security heads-down-and-happy rewrite that pays down years of American Express technical debt
• Reproduce the community-minded bug from the Lewiston field report, then make it impossible again
• Profile and refactor legacy code to reduce technical debt over time
• Trace a technology number back through SAST services until it finally adds up
• Translate Secure Code Review metrics into the one chart American Express leadership checks each morning
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to a strong code-review culture
• Document technical decisions, architecture, and APIs for the broader org

What You'll Bring

• Comfort defending a recommendation in front of skeptics
• The discipline to finish the boring 20% that makes the rest matter
• Fluency across SAST and AWS Security, with strong opinions on both
• Comfort navigating ambiguity when the brief arrives half-written
• Comfortable presenting ideas to stakeholders at every level

Run from a single floor in Lewiston, ID, American Express is a refreshingly-candid reminder that technology breakthroughs still start small. Respect for your craft and your life outside it sits at the core of how American Express operates.

You'll receive $90,000 - $127,000, a hybrid schedule, and a personalized development plan tailored to your technology career goals.

Our Lewiston team is currently shortlisting candidates for this position.