Job Title: Senior Penetration Tester
Pay Type: SALARIED EXEMPT
Location: Hybrid, Washington, DC
US Citizenship: Required
Summary of Position Role/Responsibilities
The Senior Penetration Tester will lead and execute advanced security assessments across web applications, APIs, internal networks, cloud environments, and client infrastructure. This role is responsible for planning and performing penetration tests and vulnerability assessments, simulating real-world attack scenarios, identifying security weaknesses, and translating findings into clear reports, risk assessments, and actionable recommendations for technical and leadership audiences. The Senior Penetration Tester will also support client coordination, report delivery, and debriefs while mentoring penetration testing team members and maintaining advanced expertise in security tools, scripting, networking, web application security, and emerging offensive security techniques.
Essential Functions of the Job
- Plan, create, and execute advanced penetration methods, scripts, and tests for the team, with a focus on Web Applications
- Assess and test the security of internal networks and underlying application infrastructure.
- Conduct penetration testing and vulnerability assessments on Azure cloud infrastructure and applications
- Lead and mentor a team of penetration testers, providing guidance and sharing expertise
- Carry out remote and on-site testing of client networks and infrastructure to expose security weaknesses
- Simulate security breaches to assess a system's relative security
- Create detailed reports and recommendations based on findings, including uncovered security issues and associated risk levels
- Present findings, risk assessments, and conclusions to management and other relevant parties
- Maintain advanced knowledge of networking, cryptography, reverse engineering, web applications, operating systems databases
- Possess expertise in various scripting and programming languages, including Python, SQL, C/C++, JavaScript, PHP, Java, and Ruby
- Provide strong written and oral communication skills to effectively convey assessment results and potential weaknesses
- Assist in penetration testing intake, coordination with client teams for scheduling and delivery of reports/debriefs.
Marginal Functions of the Job
- Other duties as assigned
Normal Work Schedule
This is a full-time position. Standard business hours are Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM. If your role falls within our Security Operations Center, you will be assigned a specific shift. As a result, your working schedule may require flexibility to cover any shift that falls within a 24/7 cycle, it may also change and rotate, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
Education, Training, and Experience Requirements
- Required bachelor’s degree in cyber security, computer science, IT or a related field.
- Required: A fundamental understanding and experience with business/application logic vulnerabilities.
- Required: 6 years minimum work experience directly related to Red Team assessments, and/or penetration testing (intranet, internet, web, wireless, social engineering), with a focus on Web Application testing. Additional years of relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a bachelor’s degree.
- Required: Must have an active OSCP+ certification in addition to one of the following:
- CompTia PenTest+
- CEH
- CompTia CySa+
- GCIH
- GCFA
- CISSP
- Expertise with scripting languages (e.g., Python, PowerShell, Java, Perl, etc)
- Expertise with API focused penetration testing.
- Proficiency with penetration testing tools (Kali Linux, Binwalk, BurpSuite, Wireshark, etc)
Nice To Have:
- Certification focuses on Web Application penetration testing.
- i.e. eWPT, BSCP, etc
- Relevant security research.
- Accredited CVEs, research papers or contributions to the cyber security sphere.
EEO Statement
The Company is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, disability, veteran's status, or any other basis protected by applicable discrimination laws.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in cybersecurity, computer science, information technology, or a related field
- At least 6 years of directly related Red Team assessment or penetration testing experience, with a focus on web application testing
- Active OSCP+ certification
- At least one additional certification: CompTIA PenTest+, CEH, CompTIA CySA+, GCIH, GCFA, or CISSP
- Fundamental understanding and experience with business and application logic vulnerabilities
- Expertise with scripting languages such as Python, PowerShell, Java, and Perl
- Expertise with API-focused penetration testing
- Proficiency with penetration testing tools including Kali Linux, Binwalk, Burp Suite, and Wireshark
- US citizenship
- Web application penetration testing certification such as eWPT or BSCP
- Relevant security research, accredited CVEs, research papers, or cybersecurity contributions
What We Do
Quzara is a Washington, D.C.-area cybersecurity and compliance advisory firm serving federal, commercial, and defense industrial base customers. It helps organizations meet FedRAMP, CMMC, and other federal security requirements through advisory and compliance services, cloud security architecture, and security analytics. Its Cybertorch platform provides 24/7 managed extended detection and response, including threat monitoring, incident response, and vulnerability management for regulated environments.
