Web Application Penetration Tester – Technical Lead (Hybrid or Remote Work)

Freddie Mac; McLean (VA); Remote; USD 150,000 - 224,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking company as an Information Security Tech Lead, where you will play a crucial role in enhancing housing finance security. You will lead penetration testing efforts, mentor team members, and develop innovative solutions to strengthen defenses against cyber threats. This position offers the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies and contribute to a mission that makes homeownership more accessible. If you are passionate about cybersecurity and eager to make an impact, this role is perfect for you, allowing you to grow in a collaborative environment while ensuring the safety of vital financial systems.

Benefits

Comprehensive Total Rewards Package

Competitive Compensation

Market-Leading Benefit Programs

Annual Incentive Program

Qualifications

• 8-10 years of experience in web application penetration testing required.
• Technical certifications such as OSWA or OSWE are essential.
• Solid understanding of web technologies and security frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead web application penetration assessments and vulnerability searches.
• Mentor less experienced team members and enhance team capabilities.
• Contribute to security policy development and improvement.

Skills

Web Application Penetration Testing

Vulnerability Analysis

Risk Awareness

Scripting/Programming

Secure Development Practices

Education

Technical Certifications (OSWA, OSWE, etc.)

Tools

Burp Suite

sqlmap

Project Discovery

Job description

At Freddie Mac, you will do important work to build a better housing finance system and you’ll be part of a team helping to make homeownership and rental housing more accessible and affordable across the nation.

Position Overview:

The Freddie Mac Red Team is responsible for testing the overall strength of our organization’s defenses (the technology, the processes, and the people) by simulating the objectives and actions of an attacker. We are seeking an Information Security Tech Lead to assist the team by providing subject matter expertise in Penetration testing of Infrastructure and Networks, Web Applications, Cloud and Social engineering, and Purple Team. In this role, the candidate will provide enhanced vulnerability analysis and contextual feedback to stakeholders to support the resolution of discovered vulnerabilities and facilitate risk awareness.

Responsibilities include:

1. Penetration Testing and Red Team assessments

• Lead and perform web application penetration assessments, collaborating with stakeholders to scope engagements, translate complex security concepts, and provide tailored remediations.
• Proactively search for vulnerabilities in web applications, web APIs, cloud environments, etc. throughout Freddie Mac.
• Work together with other Red Team members to integrate web application security into broader threat emulation scenarios.
• Develop and maintain scripts, tools, and methodologies to enhance processes and capabilities.
• Provide mentorship and technical guidance to less experienced team members.
• Contribute to the development and improvement of security policies, standards, and guidelines.

Develop Team Capabilities and Leadership:

• Generate innovative ideas and challenge the status quo.
• Develop scripts, tools, or methodologies to enhance the Red teaming processes and capabilities.
• Participate in and actively support mentoring with other members of the team.
• Assist with scoping prospective engagements, leading engagements from kickoff through remediation, and mentoring less experienced staff.

Our Impact:

The Freddie Mac internal Red Team is responsible for continuously testing the overall strength of our organization’s defenses (across all people, processes, & technology) by simulating the objectives and actions of an attacker.

Your Impact:

In this role, the candidate will contribute to a collaborative team as subject matter expertise in Web Application penetration testing on Freddie Mac’s internal Red Team. Additionally, the candidate will provide enhanced vulnerability analysis and contextual feedback to stakeholders to support the resolution of discovered vulnerabilities and facilitate risk awareness.

Qualifications:

• 8-10 years of relevant experience in web application penetration testing.
• One or more technical certifications: OSWA, OSWE, Burp Suite Certified Practitioner, eWPT, eWPTX.
• Ability to critically examine web applications to identify, exploit, and remediate vulnerabilities (SQL injection, XSS, SSRF, CSRF).
• Solid understanding of related web technologies (HTTP, DNS, HTML, JavaScript, REST, GraphQL, Java, .NET, SQL/noSQL, OAuth) and infrastructure (cloud native, containers, proxies, webservers, PaaS).
• In-depth knowledge of secure development practices (DevSecOps, secure code review) and security frameworks (OWASP, CWE, MITRE).
• Proficient with common web application penetration testing tools (Burp Suite, Project Discovery, sqlmap).
• Familiarity with WAF bypasses.

Key to success in this role:

• Web-related public research (advisories, disclosures).
• Previous Bug Bounty or vulnerability disclosure experience.
• Proficiency in at least one scripting or programming language (Python, JavaScript, C#, Java).

Current Freddie Mac employees please apply through the internal career site.

Today, Freddie Mac makes home possible for one in four home borrowers and is one of the largest sources of financing for multifamily housing. Join our smart, creative and dedicated team and you’ll do important work for the housing finance system and make a difference in the lives of others.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity and inclusion at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We will ensure that individuals with differing abilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

CA Applicants: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

Notice to External Search Firms: Freddie Mac partners with BountyJobs for contingency search business through outside firms. Resumes received outside the BountyJobs system will be considered unsolicited and Freddie Mac will not be obligated to pay a placement fee. If interested in learning more, please visit www.BountyJobs.com and register with our referral code: MAC.

Time-type: Full time FLSA Status: Exempt

Freddie Mac offers a comprehensive total rewards package to include competitive compensation and market-leading benefit programs. Information on these benefit programs is available on our Careers site.

This position has an annualized market-based salary range of $150,000 - $224,000 and is eligible to participate in the annual incentive program. The final salary offered will generally fall within this range and is dependent on various factors including but not limited to the responsibilities of the position, experience, skill set, internal pay equity and other relevant qualifications of the applicant.