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Penetration testing is one of the most in demand roles in offensive cyber security today. Recruiters and hiring teams need candidates who can proactively find security bugs before attackers do, and who can turn what they find into a clear, actionable report that improves the organization’s security posture.
This penetration tester job description template covers the responsibilities, required skills, and a typical day in the role, so you can adapt it to your organization’s specific environment and use it as the foundation for a skills based hiring process.
We are hiring a penetration tester who can act as a custodian of cyber security and configuration settings across the enterprise. This role is a fit for candidates who are comfortable launching adversarial attack simulations and protecting data integrity under realistic conditions.
Strong candidates are fluent in network and application security, penetration test management platforms, and security assessment tooling. Prior experience with bug bounty programs, Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), and proprietary attack programs is a strong plus.
A typical day blends deep technical work with communication. Testers spend time examining target subdomains and known flaws, running tools like Sublist3r, Aquatone or HostileSubBruteForcer, Nikto, Dig, and Nessus, and formulating vulnerability findings with reproducible proof of concept steps for clients.
Beyond hands on testing, the role includes staying current on how known vulnerabilities are being exploited in new ways, improving internal tooling used for vulnerability validation, contributing to detection signatures, and writing clear, well documented reports that give clients a concrete path to remediation.
Glider’s recruitment platform is built on the principle of competency over credentials. Instead of relying on a resume alone, you can validate a candidate’s actual offensive security skills through a structured, data driven evaluation process before they ever reach a live interview.
Glider AI’s skill assessment platform gives hiring teams:
A penetration tester simulates real world cyber attacks against an organization’s systems, networks, and applications to find security weaknesses before malicious actors can exploit them, then documents findings with proof of concept detail.
Common and well regarded certifications include OSCP, GIAC certifications, EC Council’s CEH, and other IEEE recognized credentials, though hands on skill validation matters as much as certification alone.
The terms are often used interchangeably. In practice, penetration tester tends to describe a formal, scoped engagement role, while ethical hacker is a broader term that can include bug bounty and research work as well.
Python, PowerShell, Golang, and Bash are the most commonly required languages, since they support scripting exploits, automating reconnaissance, and building custom tooling.
Structured, hands on skill assessments and live coding or scenario based interviews are more reliable indicators than a resume or certification list alone, since they show how a candidate actually approaches a target.
Look for familiarity with tools like Kali Linux, Burp Suite, Metasploit, Nessus, and Nikto, along with reconnaissance tools such as Sublist3r and Aquatone.
Access 2,000+ prebuilt assessments covering 500+ skills and 250,000+ questions, all validated by 2,000+ subject matter experts, including assessments built specifically for the penetration tester role. Go ahead and spotlight your next penetration tester hire with Glider AI today, or write to us at info@glider.ai for help accessing these hiring resources.
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