Penetration Tester Mid-Level

VulnU; Ashburn, Northern (VA, KY); Hybrid; USD 108,000 - 129,000; Full time

Job summary

GDIT in Ashburn, VA is seeking a mid-level Penetration Tester to contribute to the CBP cybersecurity mission.

You will conduct hands-on testing across networks, apps, endpoints, and cloud workloads, using industry tools to uncover security weaknesses and craft actionable remediation guidance.

Qualifications

• Three+ years of penetration testing or offensive security experience.
• Strong understanding of exploit development concepts and offensive tooling.
• Experience with network, application, and wireless assessments using modern red-team methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Perform hands-on penetration testing of networks, applications, endpoints, cloud workloads, and mission systems to identify exploitable weaknesses.
• Use industry-standard tools to identify misconfigurations and exploitable flaws.
• Produce detailed assessment reports with remediation recommendations and risk context.
• Support follow-up assessments to verify remediation effectiveness.

Skills

Cyber Operations

Cybersecurity Strategies

Cyber Threat Intelligence

Security Operations

Education

Bachelor's degree in information technology or related field

Tools

Nmap

NESSUS

Metasploit

Burp Suite

CANVAS

Kismet

Job description

# Penetration Tester Mid-LevelGDIT · gdit.comCategory: Red Team / OffensiveLocation: USA VA AshburnSalary: $107,744 – $129,375Clearance: Public Trust## Quality of lifeWhat the posting states. Hover or tap a perk to see the line it came from.* Retirement match* Paid parental leaveType of Requisition:RegularClearance Level Must Currently Possess:NoneClearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain:NonePublic Trust/Other Required:BI Full 6C (T4)Job Family:Cyber and IT Risk ManagementJob Qualifications:Skills:Cyber Operations, Cybersecurity Strategies, Cyber Threat Intelligence, Security OperationsCertifications:NoneExperience:3 + years of related experienceUS Citizenship Required:YesJob 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 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 IMPACTThe Penetration Tester plays a critical role in assessing the security of enterprise systems by emulating real‐world adversary behaviors to identify, validate, and help remediate vulnerabilities across networks, applications, and infrastructure. Operating within a high‐stakes cybersecurity mission environment, this role contributes directly to strengthening defensive capabilities and ensuring mission resilience. The candidate will:Conduct hands‐on penetration testing of networks, applications, endpoints, cloud workloads, and mission systems to uncover exploitable security weaknesses.Use industry‐standard tools—including Nmap, NESSUS, Metasploit, Burp Suite, CANVAS, Kismet, and other offensive frameworks—to identify misconfigurations, privilege escalation paths, insecure protocols, and exploitable application flaws.Perform credentialed and non‐credentialed testing, including reconnaissance, enumeration, exploitation, post‐exploitation analysis, and vulnerability validation.Evaluate discovered vulnerabilities to determine exploitability, impact, and potential operational risk.Analyze complex environments (hybrid cloud, containerized platforms, mobile, or legacy systems) to identify cross‐domain security issues.Produce detailed technical assessment reports, including vulnerability descriptions, exploitation steps, affected assets, and prioritized remediation recommendations.Participate in follow‐up assessments and retesting cycles to ensure remediation completeness and risk reduction.WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO SUCCEEDMinimum of three (3) years of penetration testing or offensive security experience.Strong understanding of exploit development concepts, offensive tooling, and common security control weaknesses.Experience performing network, application, and wireless assessments using modern red‐team methodologies.Ability to develop structured documentation, perform technical writing, and have effective communication with both technical and non‐technical audiences.Preferred certifications:CompTIA PenTesteJPT / eCPPTOSCP (highly valued)GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN)EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCEBachelor’s degree in information technology, computer science, cybersecurity or a related field preferred.Previous or Current CBP Background Investigation desired.The likely salary range for this position is $107,744 - $129,375. 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:40Travel Required:Less than 10%Telecommuting Options:OnsiteWork Location:USA VA AshburnAdditional Work Locations: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 plan options, a vision plan, and a 401(k) plan offering the ability to contribute both pre and post-tax dollars up to the IRS annual limits and receive a company match. To encourage work/life balance, GDIT offers employees full flex work weeks where possible and a variety of paid time off plans, including vacation, sick and personal time, holidays, paid parental, military, bereavement and jury duty leave. To ensure our employees are able to protect their income, other offerings such as short and long-term disability benefits, life, accidental death and dismemberment, personal accident, critical illness and business travel and accident insurance are provided or available. We regularly review our Total Rewards package to ensure our offerings are competitive and reflect what our employees have told us they value most.