Penetration Testing Engineer, Senior - Army (TS/SCI)

Praescient Analytics is seeking a seasoned Senior Penetration Testing Engineer to join our team supporting Army programs. The ideal candidate will be an experienced offensive security practitioner with strong hands-on technical skills in penetration testing, vulnerability management, and software/system assurance. This role requires creativity in attack development, excellent reporting skills, and the ability to collaborate with developers, system owners, and leadership to reduce risk across complex environments., * Plan, develop, and execute comprehensive penetration tests against applications, services, hosts, and networks to identify security weaknesses and exploitability.

• Perform hands-on offensive activities including reverse shells, SQL injection, buffer overflow analysis, trojan/backdoor development, password-cracking, privilege escalation, and social-engineering campaigns where authorized.

• Conduct threat and vulnerability assessments, risk analysis, and recommend pragmatic mitigation strategies.

• Develop attack vectors, perform reconnaissance, OSINT collection, enumeration, footprinting, and build exploit payloads/backdoors for testing purposes.

• Test system and software modifications to validate security posture prior to deployment.

• Document findings clearly and concisely in vulnerability reports and trackers; maintain databases of known defects and test artifacts.

• Participate in software design and architecture reviews to provide security input on requirements and operational characteristics.

• Integrate vulnerability management processes and tools into development/operational workflows; advise on secure coding and configuration baselines.

• Mentor junior testers and contribute to team best practices, playbooks, and test automation.

• Support red team / purple team engagements and collaborate with defensive teams to validate mitigations., * Real opportunity for career growth in an environment where your achievements will be celebrated.

• Constant collaboration with numerous teams to ensure client success.

• A team that respects and embraces your ideas and expertise.

• Coworkers that are motivated by pursuing excellence, rather than the prospect of personal gain.

• A workplace dedicated to supporting and improving public safety and government agencies.

• Active TS/SCI clearance - Required
• GPEN (GIAC Penetration Tester) or OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional) - Required.
• Minimum 5+ years hands-on experience in penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, or offensive security roles.
• Strong practical experience with common pentest tools and frameworks (e.g., Metasploit, Burp Suite, Nmap, Wireshark, Empire, Cobalt Strike, password-cracking tools) and offensive distributions (Kali, Parrot).
• An IAT Level III certification (one of the following: CASP, CCNP, CISA, CISSP, or GCIH)
• Proven ability to develop and modify exploits, payloads, and backdoors; experience with reverse engineering and debugging.
• Solid programming/scripting skills (Python, Bash, PowerShell). Comfortable reading or writing C/C++/assembly when needed for exploit development or binary analysis.
• Deep understanding of web application vulnerabilities (OWASP Top 10), network protocols, authentication systems, and privilege escalation techniques.
• Experience with vulnerability management workflows and bug-tracking systems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to produce high-quality technical reports tailored to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• U.S. citizenship required.

Preferred / Nice-to-Have

• Experience with targeting cloud platforms (AWS, Azure) and containerized environments.
• Familiarity with CI/CD security, SAST/DAST tooling, and secure SDLC practices.
• Experience with red team operations, social engineering campaigns, or physical/technical assessment integration.
• Additional certifications: OSCE, CREST, CISSP, GWAPT, GPYC, or similar.
• Prior experience in or supporting Army / DoD programs and mission environments.

• Very competitive salary based on qualifications and experience.

• Comprehensive, Company paid Aetna Health Care Medical for you (We pay your premiums and deductibles)

• 401(k) with company match

• Travel & performance incentives

• 3 weeks paid time off (plus Federal Holidays)

• $5K annual training allowance

• $500 book allowance

• Tuition reimbursement program

Praescient Analytics is a Certified Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) with over a decade of expertise in advanced analytics, engineering, and DevOps, specializing in transforming complex data into actionable intelligence for informed decision-making. Since 2011, we have supported over 40 organizations across diverse domains, including military intelligence operations, financial and fraud investigations, and insider threat detection. Our team of experts-skilled in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, DevOps, and engineering-brings deep experience in solving complex challenges. With a proven track record in federal contracting, we deliver tailored, high-impact solutions designed to enhance operational efficiency, ensure mission success, and address the evolving needs of our clients. Praescient's innovative and adaptive approach makes us a trusted partner in delivering data-driven insights and technological excellence for critical missions.