Penetration Tester

align; United States; Remote; USD 85,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

Dental

Vision

Employer Paid Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

EAP

Pet Insurance

401(k) Plan with Employer Matching

Competitive Bonus Structure

Tech Allowance

Certification Reimbursement

Career Coaching

Generous Paid Time Off

Paid Office Closure December 25-Januar

Vacation Bonus

Summer Hours

Job summary

Pathfynder by A-LIGN seeks an experienced Penetration Tester to execute offensive security engagements across external networks, web apps, and APIs. You will identify, validate, and manually exploit vulnerabilities, craft remediation guidance, and deliver defensible client reports.

You will collaborate with the team to refine tools and methodologies while staying current on new vulnerabilities and trends in offensive security.

Qualifications

• 2–5 years of hands-on penetration testing in external, web, API, or mobile testing.
• Experience independently executing engagements and delivering client deliverables.
• Knowledge of established pentesting methodologies and evidence collection practices.
• Experience identifying and manually validating exploitable vulnerabilities, not just automated scanning.
• Experience communicating findings, risk, and remediation guidance clearly to clients and internal stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Execute external network, web app, and API pentesting engagements per scope and rules.
• Identify, validate, and manually exploit vulnerabilities using various approaches.
• Evaluate attack paths and assess business/technical impact of findings.
• Compile clear client reports with findings, risk, evidence, and remediation guidance.
• Communicate with clients during engagements, including findings walkthroughs and Q&A.
• Execute projects with minimal oversight, maintaining quality and professionalism.
• Collaborate to evaluate tools and improve testing methodologies and reporting standards.
• Share knowledge and guidance with junior team members and clients when appropriate.
• Maintain knowledge of emerging vulnerabilities and industry trends.

Skills

Nmap

SQLmap

Burp Suite

Postman

Nuclei

Wireshark

Nessus

Caido

Python

Bash

JavaScript

PowerShell

SQL

Education

Master's degree in cybersecurity

Bachelor's degree in management information systems

Bachelor's degree in computer science

Tools

Nmap

SQLmap

Burp Suite

Postman

Nuclei

Wireshark

Nessus

Caido

Job description

About the Role

The Penetration Tester works to execute offensive security activities across external networks, web applications, and APIs. In this role, you will be responsible for the execution of penetration testing engagements, including identifying, validating, and manually exploiting vulnerabilities, evaluating potential attack paths, and documenting findings and remediation guidance. As the Penetration Tester, you will provide exceptional technical and creative strategies to support the continued growth of our fast-paced company. A-LIGN will depend on you as the Penetration Tester to support management, independently execute assigned projects, communicate technical findings to clients, and contribute to the continuous improvement of our offensive security tools, methodologies, and delivery processes.

Reports to

Director, Web Application & External Offensive Operations

Pay Classification

Full-Time, Exempt

Responsibilities

• Execute external network, web application, and API penetration testing engagements in accordance with defined scopes, methodologies, and rules of engagement
• Identify, validate, and manually exploit vulnerabilities using public exploits, internally developed techniques, or a combination of approaches
• Evaluate attack paths and determine the potential business and technical impact of identified vulnerabilities
• Compile and write clear, accurate, and defensible client reports that explain findings, risk, evidence, and remediation guidance
• Communicate with clients throughout engagements, including technical discussions, findings walkthroughs, and responses to questions or challenges
• Execute assigned projects with minimal oversight while maintaining quality, professionalism, and attention to detail
• Collaborate with team members to evaluate offensive security tools and improve testing methodologies, delivery processes, and reporting standards
• Share technical knowledge and practical guidance with less-experienced team members and clients when appropriate
• Maintain current knowledge of emerging vulnerabilities, attack techniques, security research, and industry trends

Minimum Qualifications

EDUCATION

• Master's or Bachelor's degree in cybersecurity, management information systems, computer science, or relevant discipline

EXPERIENCE

• 2-5 years of hands-on penetration testing experience in at least one of the following areas:
  • External Penetration Tests
  • Web Application Penetration Tests
  • API Penetration Tests
  • Mobile Application Penetration Tests
• Experience independently executing penetration testing engagements and producing high-quality client deliverables
• Knowledge of established penetration testing methodologies and disciplined evidence collection practices
• Experience identifying and manually validating exploitable vulnerabilities rather than relying solely on automated scanning
• Experience communicating technical findings, risk, and remediation guidance clearly to clients and internal stakeholders

CERTIFICATIONS

• Preferred OSCP, eWPT, eWPTX, OSWA, or OSWE certification

SKILLS

• Proficiency with commonly used offensive security tools such as Nmap, SQLmap, Burp Suite, Postman, Nuclei, Wireshark, Nessus, and Caido
• Proficiency with one or more scripting languages such as Python, Bash, JavaScript, PowerShell, or SQL
• Solid understanding of web technologies, networking concepts, authentication, access control, and common application security weaknesses
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a remote, fast-paced environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain technical issues to different audiences
• Ability to meet deadlines while maintaining a high degree of motivation, self-discipline, and quality

Benefits

• Healthcare, Dental, and Vision Benefits
• Employer Paid Life Insurance and Disability Insurance
• EAP - Employee Assistance Program
• Pet Insurance
• 401(k) Plan with Employer Matching
• Competitive Bonus Structure
• Tech Allowance
• Certification Reimbursement
• Personalized Career Coaching
• Generous Paid Time Off
• Paid Office Closure December 25-January 1
• Vacation Bonus
• Summer Hours

About Pathfynder by A-LIGN

Pathfynder by A-LIGN is a leading technology-enabled cybersecurity company providing premium offensive and defensive cybersecurity services operating under A-LIGN, a security and compliance partner trusted by more than 2,400 global organizations to confidently mitigate cybersecurity risks. We work with small businesses to global enterprises with services spanning across SOC, Penetration Testing, PCI DSS, HITRUST, ISO and privacy compliance. Our proprietary compliance management platform is transforming the compliance experience by enabling an anytime, anywhere approach to audits. For more information, visit www.A-LIGN.com .

A-LIGN is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Minorities, women, dis