Senior Penetration Tester — OT&E Red Team Lead (Norfolk)

Cybersecurity Jobs; Norfolk (VA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Tharros in Norfolk, VA is seeking a Senior Penetration Tester to support US Navy OT&E efforts onsite. You will build test plans, run pen tests and red team activities across lab and field environments, and deliver actionable results for mission-focused OT&E programs.

Responsibilities include OPTEVFOR planning, SOP development, tool usage, and documenting lessons learned. Strong communication and 6+ years in testing or red teaming are required.

Qualifications

• Minimum 6 years in penetration testing, red teaming, or exploitation development.
• Minimum 6 years leading red team operators to achieve test objectives.
• Required certifications: OSCP, OSCE, GX-PT, GXPM, PNPT, or HTB CPTS.
• Proficient with offensive tools including Metasploit, Cobalt Strike, Core Impact, Burp Suite, Nessus.
• Ability to validate tooling safety and effectiveness via source code.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Review OPTEVFOR cyber T&E concepts, SOPs, policies, and guidance.
• Develop 01D SOPs and DCAT authorization documentation per DoDI 8585.01.
• Submit requirements for equipment or cyber capabilities via the 01D tool approval process.
• Support the development and execution of TTPs for testing and Red Teaming.
• Research adversary TTPs and integrate findings into test planning.
• Identify attack surfaces and threat vectors across multiple environments.
• Lead test plan reviews and guide objective feasibility.
• Execute test events including CVP, adversarial assessments, and tabletop exercises.
• Utilize OPTEVFOR and NAO-approved tools such as Core Impact/Nmap/Burp/Nessus.
• Document lessons learned and deficiencies in risk sheets.

Skills

Penetration testing

Red team ops

Ethical hacking

OPTEVFOR knowledge

Exploits validation

Windows

Linux

Documentation

Threat analysis

Tools

Metasploit

Cobalt Strike

Core Impact

Burp Suite

Nessus

Nmap

BloodHound

Job description

Tharros in Norfolk, VA is seeking a Senior Penetration Tester to support US Navy OT&E efforts onsite. You will build test plans, run pen tests and red team activities across lab and field environments, and deliver actionable results for mission-focused OT&E programs.

Responsibilities include OPTEVFOR planning, SOP development, tool usage, and documenting lessons learned. Strong communication and 6+ years in testing or red teaming are required.