Penetration Tester Junior

General Dynamics IT; Ashburn (VA); On-site; USD 91,000 - 124,000; Full time

Job summary

General Dynamics IT seeks a Penetration Tester Junior to support CBP Cyber Security Directorate operations and national security initiatives in the United States. You will assist in penetration testing across applications, endpoints, networks, and cloud environments, documenting findings and supporting remediation efforts.

With a focus on vulnerability assessment and exploitation steps, you will work alongside senior testers to validate weaknesses, gather evidence, and contribute to audit-ready

Qualifications

• 3+ years of cybersecurity or vulnerability assessment experience.
• Experience executing penetration tests, gathering evidence, documenting vulnerabilities, and validating system weaknesses.
• Experience with common penetration testing tools (Nmap, Nessus, Burp Suite, Metasploit).
• Strong analytical and documentation skills.
• Understanding of exploit development concepts and offensive tooling.

Responsibilities

• Assist in performing penetration tests across applications, endpoints, networks, cloud systems, and mission‑critical environments to uncover security gaps.
• Run discovery and enumeration tasks using industry‑standard testing tools.
• Execute basic exploitation steps under the direction of senior testers.
• Document vulnerabilities with clear descriptions, reproduction steps, and severity scoring.
• Draft technical sections of penetration testing reports for stakeholder awareness.
• Collaborate with system owners and developers to clarify findings and support remediation.

Skills

Cybersecurity Operations

Incident Response

Network Penetration Testing

Security Operations

Vulnerability Remediation

Education

Bachelor's degree in information technology, computer science, cybersecurity or a related field

Tools

Nmap

Nessus

Burp Suite

Metasploit

Job description

Type of Requisition

Regular

Clearance Level Must Currently Possess

None

Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain

None

Public Trust/Other Required

BI Full 6C (T4)

Job Family

Cyber and IT Risk Management

Job Qualifications

• Skills: Cybersecurity Operations, Incident Response, Network Penetration Testing, Security Operations, Vulnerability Remediation
• Certifications: None
• Experience: 3 + years of related experience
• US Citizenship Required: Yes

Job Description

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Cyber Security Directorate (CSD) is leading one of the most comprehensive, mission critical cybersecurity operations in the federal government, protecting the digital infrastructure that safeguards America's borders. This multifaceted program spans 24/7/365 Security Operations Center (SOC) monitoring, advanced threat intelligence, forensics, incident response, cloud and network security engineering, zero trust modernization, vulnerability assessment, and enterprise-wide risk and compliance activities. The Penetration Tester Junior will support teams at the forefront of national security, supporting sophisticated cyber operations that defend vital systems, enable secure mission execution, and counter rapidly evolving threats. You will find this work uniquely impactful, fast-paced, and deeply collaborative, offering the opportunity to lead high performing technical teams, shape CBP's cybersecurity strategy, and contribute directly to the protection of the nation.

MEANINGFUL WORK AND PERSONAL IMPACT

The Penetration Tester plays a critical role in strengthening enterprise cybersecurity by ensuring vulnerabilities are accurately identified, validated, documented, and communicated. Through hands‑on testing and collaboration with technical teams, the Penetration Tester Junior helps reduce risk exposure and supports the continuous improvement of security controls across mission‑critical systems. The candidate will:

• Assist in performing penetration tests across applications, endpoints, networks, cloud systems, and mission‑critical environments to uncover security gaps.
• Run discovery and enumeration tasks using industry‑standard testing tools such as Nmap, Nessus, Burp Suite, Metasploit, and similar utilities.
• Execute basic exploitation steps under the direction of senior testers to help validate identified vulnerabilities.
• Gather and document exploitation artifacts, screenshots, logs, payload outputs, and supporting evidence to ensure complete audit and reporting trails.
• Support post‑exploitation analysis by capturing privilege escalation paths, lateral movement opportunities, or insecure configurations.
• Document vulnerabilities with clear descriptions, reproduction steps, and appropriate severity scoring.
• Contribute to penetration testing reports by drafting technical sections and summarizing findings for stakeholder awareness.
• Work with system owners, developers, engineers, and cybersecurity teams to clarify findings and support remediation efforts.
• Participate in retesting cycles to confirm vulnerability remediation and track closure progress.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO SUCCEED

• Minimum of three (3) years of cybersecurity or vulnerability assessment experience.
• Experience executing penetration tests, gathering evidence, documenting vulnerabilities, and validating system weaknesses.
• Experience with common penetration (e.g., Nmap, Nessus, Burp Suite, Metasploit) testing tools to run scripts, supports senior testers, and contributes to improving assessment quality.
• Strong analytical and documentation skills.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and documentation skills.
• Understanding of exploit development concepts, offensive tooling, and common security control weaknesses.
• Strong skills in testing notes, scripts, and tool configurations to support repeatability and compliance.
• Ability to develop structured documentation, perform technical writing, and have effective communication with both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Preferred certifications: CompTIA PenTest+
• eJPT / eCPPT

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in information technology, computer science, cybersecurity or a related field preferred.
• Previous or Current CBP Background Investigation desired.

OWN YOUR OPPORTUNITY

Explore a career in cyber security at GDIT and you'll find endless opportunities to grow alongside colleagues who share your passion for securing the mission.

The likely salary range for this position is $91,375 - $123,625. This is not, however, a guarantee of compensation or salary. Rather, salary will be set based on experience, geographic location and possibly contractual requirements and could fall outside of this range.

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Travel Required

Less than 10%

Telecommuting Options

Onsite

Work Location

USA VA Ashburn

Total Rewards at GDIT

Our benefits package for all US-based employees includes a variety of medical plan options, some with Health Savings Accounts, dental pl