Mid-Level Penetration Tester

SAIC•El Paso, TX

About The Position

SAIC is seeking a Mid-Level Penetration Tester for its offensive security practice supporting state and local government customers. The role involves independently conducting security assessments, identifying vulnerabilities, and delivering actionable recommendations. The tester leads and supports engagements across web applications, networks, APIs, mobile applications, wireless environments, cloud-hosted systems, and infrastructure, collaborating with customers, security engineers, and fellow testers to evaluate security controls and simulate real-world attack scenarios. The position reports to the Security Assessments Manager. The role includes managing assigned engagements from planning and scoping support through execution, reporting, and customer debriefs; producing technical reports and presenting findings to technical, management, and executive audiences; and advising customers on risk priorities and remediation. It also involves developing or maintaining testing scripts and methodologies, researching emerging attack techniques and vulnerabilities, contributing to internal research and knowledge sharing, and mentoring junior team members when appropriate. Candidates must have a bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent relevant experience, be able to pass and maintain eligibility through a CJIS Criminal Justice background investigation, and have at least five years of hands-on cybersecurity experience, including at least two years in penetration testing or offensive security assessments. Industry-recognized penetration testing certifications are preferred.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field; relevant experience may be considered as an equivalency.
Ability to pass a CJIS Criminal Justice background investigation and maintain CJIS eligibility throughout employment.
At least 5 years of hands-on cybersecurity experience, including at least 2 years conducting penetration testing or offensive security assessments.
Strong knowledge of web application security testing methodologies, including OWASP WSTG and OWASP Top 10.
Experience conducting authenticated and unauthenticated network penetration tests.
Proficiency with industry-standard testing tools, including Burp Suite Professional, Nmap, Nessus/Tenable, Metasploit, and similar platforms.
Experience identifying, exploiting, validating, and documenting security vulnerabilities.
Working knowledge of network protocols, operating systems, Active Directory, authentication mechanisms, and common enterprise architectures.
Experience creating professional technical reports and presenting findings to technical and non-technical audiences.
Knowledge of attack frameworks and methodologies, including MITRE ATT&CK, NIST, and PTES.
Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.

Nice To Haves

One or more industry-recognized penetration testing certifications, such as OSCP, GWAPT, PNPT, GPEN, OSEP, OSWE, PenTest+, or eJPT/eCPPT.
Experience conducting mobile application security assessments using Frida, Objection, MobSF, and ADB.
Experience assessing APIs, cloud environments (Azure, AWS, or GCP), and containerized applications.
Source code review experience in Java, C#, Python, JavaScript, or Go.
Familiarity with red team operations, adversary emulation, and attack path analysis.
Experience with scripting or automation using Python, PowerShell, Bash, or similar languages.
Knowledge of cloud security architectures, digital forensics, malware analysis, or reverse engineering.
Experience mentoring junior penetration testers or leading portions of assessment engagements.
Participation in security research, bug bounty programs, Capture-the-Flag competitions, or public vulnerability disclosures.

Responsibilities

Independently conduct black-box and white-box penetration tests of web applications, networks, APIs, mobile applications, wireless environments, and cloud-hosted systems.
Perform testing aligned with NIST, OWASP, PTES, and other recognized security assessment frameworks.
Develop attack paths, validate vulnerabilities, and demonstrate exploitability while meeting engagement objectives and timelines.
Manage assigned engagements from planning and scoping support through execution, reporting, and customer debriefs.
Coordinate assessment delivery with senior team members, project managers, and clients.
Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior team members when appropriate.
Create comprehensive technical reports describing vulnerabilities, business impact, attack scenarios, and remediation recommendations.
Present assessment findings to technical teams, management, executive stakeholders, and customers; assist customers with risk prioritization and remediation strategies.
Conduct web application assessments using OWASP WSTG and OWASP Top 10 methodologies; assess APIs and mobile applications; and participate in source code reviews and secure code assessments.
Use commercial, government, open-source, and custom security tools to identify, exploit, and validate vulnerabilities.
Develop and maintain scripts, utilities, and testing methodologies to improve assessment efficiency and effectiveness.
Research emerging attack techniques, vulnerabilities, and security technologies and incorporate findings into team practices.
Build and maintain positive customer relationships and communicate findings in technical and business-focused terms.
Contribute to internal research, methodology improvements, tool development, and knowledge-sharing activities; support capability growth aligned with the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework.
Remain current on evolving threats, offensive security techniques, vulnerabilities, and industry best practices.