Penetration Tester

Vagmine Tech IT; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading IT consulting firm is seeking a Penetration Tester in Johannesburg, South Africa. This role involves conducting comprehensive security assessments, identifying vulnerabilities, and simulating cyber-attacks. The ideal candidate has over 5 years of experience in penetration testing, is familiar with banking security risks, and holds mandatory certifications like OSCP. This is a contract position with high-impact responsibilities.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in penetration testing and offensive security.
• Deep knowledge of banking security risks and standards.
• Proficiency in scripting languages like Python, Bash, PowerShell.

Responsibilities

• Perform manual and automated penetration tests.
• Lead red team exercises and adversary simulations.
• Deliver detailed technical and executive-level reports.

Skills

Penetration testing

Offensive security

Knowledge of banking security risks

Proficiency in security tools

Cloud security

Scripting

Tools

Burp Suite

Metasploit

Kali

AWS

Azure

GCP

Kubernetes

Job description

Direct message the job poster from Vagmine Tech IT

Role Description

This is a contract role for a Penetration Tester located on-site in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Penetration Tester will be responsible for conducting comprehensive security assessments, identifying vulnerabilities, and simulating cyber-attacks to evaluate the security of systems, applications, and networks. The role involves preparing detailed reports on findings, providing recommendations for remediation, and collaborating with various stakeholders to enhance the organisation's security posture.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform manual/automated penetration tests (web, mobile, API, cloud, network).
• Lead red team exercises and adversary simulations for banks.
• Analyze and document vulnerabilities in critical systems.
• Review security configurations and architectures.
• Collaborate on remediation and technical solutions.
• Deliver technical and executive-level reports.
• Align testing to compliance frameworks (POPIA, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, SWIFT CSP).
• Support incident response and conduct security awareness sessions.

Required Skills & Experience

• 5+ years in penetration testing, offensive security.
• Deep knowledge of banking security risks, OWASP, NIST, SANS 25.
• Experience with core banking systems, SWIFT, EFT, RTGS.
• Proficiency in offensive security tools (Burp Suite, Metasploit, Kali, etc.).
• Cloud and container security (AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes).
• Scripting (Python, Bash, PowerShell).

Preferred Certifications

• OSCP (Mandatory)
• CREST
• GPEN
• GWAPT
• OSCE
• OSEE
• CISSP
• CISM (preferred for leadership growth)

Skills & Attributes

• Attention to detail, analytical problem-solving, and strong communication.
• Collaboration with multi-disciplinary teams and clients.
• High ethics and discretion for sensitive data.

Success Metrics

• High-quality penetration tests and red team delivery.
• Effective remediation and risk reduction.
• Positive client feedback and reporting excellence.
• Continuous improvement of security methodologies.

Seniority level

• Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Contract

Job function

• Information Technology

Industries

• IT Services and IT Consulting