Penetration Testing Lead

Peraton; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Peraton seeks a Penetration Testing Lead to direct offensive security assessments across applications, infrastructure, networks, and cloud environments. The role provides technical leadership, develops testing strategies, and ensures high-quality security assessments aligned with industry standards.

The position is remote, requires working hours 8am–5pm EST, and is contingent on contract award. You will mentor junior testers and drive remediation with stakeholders while advancing the

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. citizen with ability to obtain Public Trust clearance.
• Bachelor's degree or higher and substantial penetration testing experience.
• Certifications: OSCP, OSCE, GXPN or CEH preferred.
• Experience conducting penetration testing across networks, web apps, APIs, and AWS.
• Knowledge of NIST SP 800-115, MITRE ATT&CK, DHS RVA standards.

Responsibilities

• Develop rules of engagement and test plans, coordinate testing with system owners and ISSOs, and track findings through POA&Ms.
• Lead and execute penetration testing assessments across network infrastructure, applications, APIs, and AWS environments.
• Plan and conduct red team exercises to simulate adversary tactics and evaluate detection and response capabilities.
• Apply industry testing methodologies and standards including NIST SP 800-115, MITRE ATT&CK, and DHS RVA standards.
• Analyze results, validate findings, assess business impact, and provide remediation recommendations.
• Maintain, configure, and optimize penetration testing tools and frameworks.
• Collaborate with security, cloud, app development, and infrastructure teams to communicate findings and support remediation.
• Mentor junior testers, fostering growth and adherence to best practices.
• Continuously evaluate emerging attack techniques and tools to enhance capabilities.

Skills

Penetration testing

Cloud security (AWS)

Security frameworks

Mentoring junior testers

Communication and documentation

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

Experience: 12+ years

Certifications: OSCP/OSCE/GXPN/CEH

Tools

Pentera

Cymulate

Picus Security

Intruder

Job description

Basic Qualifications:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen with the ability to obtain and maintain the required Public Trust level clearance
• Bachelor's Degree and 12 years of experience, a Master's Degree and 10 years of experience, an Associate's Degree and 14 years, or a High School Diploma or equivalent and 16 years of experience
• One (or more) of the following certifications: OSCP, OSCE, GXPN or CEH
• Demonstrated experience conducting penetration testing across network infrastructure, web applications, APIs, and AWS cloud environments.
• Working knowledge of established penetration testing methodologies and security frameworks, including NIST SP 800-115, MITRE ATT&CK, and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (RVA) standards.
• Experience configuring, maintaining, and optimizing penetration testing tools, frameworks, and automated security validation platforms.
• Ability to identify and validate vulnerabilities, assess risk and potential business impact, and communicate actionable remediation recommendations to technical teams and stakeholders
• Experience mentoring junior penetration testers, providing technical guidance, and promoting adherence to testing methodologies and security best practices
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and technical documentation skills, with the ability to translate complex security findings into clear, actionable recommendations

Preferred Qualifications:

• Active Secret clearance
• AWS Certified Security - Specialty certification
• Experience with automated penetration testing and security validation platforms such as Pentera, Cymulate, Picus Security, Intruder, or similar
• Experience planning and executing red team exercises, adversary emulation, and attack simulations to identify security weaknesses and evaluate defensive capabilities

Peraton is seeking a Penetration Testing Lead to join our team. This person will be responsible for leading and executing comprehensive offensive security assessments to identify, validate, and help remediate security vulnerabilities across the organization’s applications, infrastructure, networks, cloud environments, and systems. This role provides technical leadership for penetration testing activities, develops testing strategies and methodologies, and oversees the delivery of high-quality security assessments aligned with industry best practices and organizational risk management objectives.

Work Location:

This is a remote position, but candidate must be willing to work during the hours of 8am - 5pm EST

This position is contingent upon contract award

What You Will Do:

• Develop rules of engagement and test plans, coordinate testing with system owners and ISSOs, and track findings through POA&Ms
• Lead and execute penetration testing assessments across network infrastructure, applications, APIs, and AWS cloud environments to identify, validate, and assess security vulnerabilities
• Plan and conduct red team exercises to simulate real-world adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures and evaluate the organization’s ability to detect and respond to threats
• Apply industry-recognized testing methodologies and standards, including NIST SP 800-115, MITRE ATT&CK, and DHS Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (RVA) standards, to ensure consistent and comprehensive security assessments
• Analyze testing results, validate findings, assess potential business impact, and provide actionable, risk-based remediation recommendations to technical teams and stakeholders
• Maintain, configure, and optimize penetration testing tools, frameworks, and supporting technologies to support effective and efficient security assessments
• Collaborate with security, cloud, application development, and infrastructure teams to communicate findings, support remediation efforts, and improve the organization’s overall security posture
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior penetration testers, fostering technical growth, knowledge sharing, and adherence to established testing methodologies and best practices
• Continuously evaluate emerging attack techniques, vulnerabilities, and offensive security tools to enhance penetration testing capabilities and address evolving threats