Testing Specialist

Job Title: Pen Tester/ Penetration testing

Job Location: Charlotte, NC 28262 (Hybrid).

Job Duration: 12 months (possibility of extension)

Summary:

Outstanding long-term contract opportunity! A well-known Financial Services Company is looking for a Cyber Security Research Engineer in

Work with the brightest minds at one of the largest financial institutions in the world. This is a long-term contract opportunity that includes a competitive benefit package! Our client has been around for over 150 years and is continuously innovating in today's digital age. If you want to work for a company that is not only a household name, but also truly cares about satisfying customers' financial needs and helping people succeed financially, apply today.

Responsibility

• Consult on or participate in moderately complex initiatives and deliverables within Cyber Security Research and contribute to large-scale planning related to Cyber Security Research deliverables.
• Review and analyze moderately complex Cyber Security Research challenges that require an in-depth evaluation of variable factors.
• Contribute to the resolution of moderately complex issues and consult with others to meet Cyber Security Research deliverables while leveraging solid understanding of the function, policies, procedures, and compliance requirements.
• Collaborate with client personnel in Cyber Security Research.
• Conduct application penetration testing across browser-based/web applications, APIs, and mobile applications (and where applicable mainframe and thick client applications) using primarily manual techniques supplemented by automated tools; include authentication/authorization testing and business-logic abuse cases where applicable
• Configure and tune automated tools to support testing, improve coverage, and accelerate discovery (as a complement to manual testing)
• Perform deep defect analysis by reproducing, validating, and safely demonstrating impact (including chained attack paths when applicable); triage and disposition false positives from automated tooling
• Produce clear, reproducible technical reports with evidence (steps to reproduce, impacted components/endpoints, and risk/impact) and practical remediation guidance
• Collaborate with application and security teams to ensure shared understanding of defects, prioritization, and remediation paths; support defect walkthroughs and follow-up questions as needed
• Support continuous improvement of testing methodologies and processes leveraging industry standards and best practices
• Collaborate with other members of the team to share knowledge and complete peer reviews of reports
• Communicate findings and risk clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders; support readouts, status updates, and remediation Q&A

Required Skills & Experience

• 4+ years of Cyber Security Research experience, or equivalent demonstrated through one or a combination of the following: work or consulting experience, training, military experience, education.
• 2+ years of Cybersecurity Research experience, or equivalent demonstrated through one or a combination of the following: work experience, training, military experience, education
• 2+ years of hands-on application penetration testing experience (manual testing required), beyond reviewing/validating automated scanner results
• 2+ years of Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) experience, including tool configuration/tuning and manual verification of findings

Desired Skills & Experience

• Advanced experience with testing tools such as Burp Suite, Invicti, WebInspect, and Fiddler (and applying them to web, API, mobile, and thick client testing as applicable)
• Strong knowledge of application security and common vulnerabilities (OWASP Top 10)
• Experience with scripting and automation (e.g., Python, Shell)
• Knowledge of security best practices and compliance standards (e.g., PCI DSS, GDPR)
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
• Demonstrated knowledge of AI/ML-enabled applications and common security risks (for example, prompt injection, sensitive data exposure, and insecure integrations)
• Security certifications such as OSCP, BSCP, GWAPT, GPEN, GXPN or equivalent are a plus