Penetration Tester - India (Remote)

Location: India (Remote)

Salary: ₹800,000 – ₹1,200,000

About Cognisys

Cognisys is a cybersecurity company specialising in penetration testing, GRC consulting, and managed security services. We pride ourselves on our customer service, forward-thinking approach, and commitment to excellence.

Our small but mighty team works with well-known organisations around the world, supporting clients across more than 30 countries. We're growing rapidly and continue to invest in our people, services, and technical capabilities to help businesses strengthen their security.

The Opportunity

We're looking for a Penetration Tester to join our team and help deliver high-quality security assessments for our clients.

You'll work across a range of environments, which may include networks, web applications, APIs, mobile applications, and cloud infrastructure. Using a combination of automated tools, manual testing, and exploitation techniques, you'll identify vulnerabilities, assess their potential impact, and help clients understand how to address them.

You'll have the opportunity to work on varied engagements across different technologies, collaborate with experienced cybersecurity professionals, and engage directly with clients to communicate your findings and recommendations.

We're looking for someone with strong technical curiosity, a practical approach to offensive security, and the ability to translate technical findings into meaningful improvements for our clients.

About You

We're looking for a technically capable and curious penetration tester who enjoys understanding how systems work, identifying weaknesses, and exploring how security controls could be bypassed.

You'll approach problems methodically, think creatively, and be motivated to develop your technical skills as the cybersecurity landscape evolves. You'll also understand that good penetration testing involves more than identifying vulnerabilities — it means explaining their significance and helping clients take practical steps to improve their security.

You'll enjoy working across different technologies and environments, collaborating with others, and engaging directly with clients. Strong communication, attention to detail, and a commitment to producing high-quality work are just as important as your technical ability.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Hands-on experience conducting penetration testing across one or more areas, such as networks, web applications, APIs, mobile applications, or cloud environments.

• A strong understanding of offensive security methodologies, tools, and techniques.

• Experience using vulnerability scanning tools alongside manual testing and exploitation techniques.

• An understanding of technical security controls, attack paths, and how vulnerabilities can be identified and exploited.

• Experience identifying, analysing, and validating security vulnerabilities.

• The ability to assess the potential technical and business impact of vulnerabilities.

• Experience producing high-quality penetration testing reports with clear, practical remediation recommendations.

• The ability to communicate complex technical findings to both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including confidence when discussing findings with clients.

• The ability to manage multiple engagements, priorities, and deadlines effectively.

• A proactive approach to problem-solving, continuous learning, and technical development.

Desirable Skills & Experience

• Experience testing a broad range of technologies, systems, and environments.

• Experience working within a cybersecurity consultancy or professional services environment.

• Experience presenting penetration testing findings and remediation recommendations directly to clients.

• Knowledge of emerging cybersecurity threats, attack techniques, and offensive security tools.

• Experience conducting cloud security assessments across platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP.

• Experience with API and mobile application security testing.

• Industry-recognised penetration testing or offensive security certifications, or demonstrable progress towards obtaining them.

Certifications

The following certifications are highly regarded:

• OSCP — Offensive Security Certified Professional.

• CPSA — CREST Practitioner Security Analyst.

• CRT — CREST Registered Tester.

• Equivalent CREST or other recognised offensive security and penetration testing certifications.

We value practical technical capability and hands-on experience alongside certifications. Candidates with strong relevant experience who are working towards a recognised certification are encouraged to apply.

What Success Looks Like

• Technical delivery: Successfully delivering penetration testing engagements to a high standard, following agreed scopes and Cognisys methodologies.

• Identifying vulnerabilities: Demonstrating sound technical judgement when identifying, validating, and assessing vulnerabilities and potential attack paths.

• Quality reporting: Producing accurate, clear, and actionable reports that explain vulnerabilities, their potential impact, and practical remediation recommendations.

• Client engagement: Communicating confidently with clients, explaining technical findings clearly, and helping them understand how to prioritise and address security weaknesses.

• Managing priorities: Effectively managing your workload, deadlines, and responsibilities across multiple client engagements.

• Continuous development: Keeping your technical knowledge current and actively developing your skills across offensive security tools, techniques, and emerging threats.

• Team contribution: Working collaboratively with colleagues, sharing technical knowledge, and contributing ideas to improve Cognisys' testing methodologies and delivery processes.

Why Join Us?

At Cognisys, you will be part of a collaborative and innovative team that values your input and shares support. You'll have the opportunity to work on challenging projects that make a real impact for our clients. We'd love to hear from you if you want to challenge, lead and innovate! We're not just about the work; we're about the people. Join a team where innovation is celebrated, and your contributions are valued. We foster a collaborative environment where fresh ideas thrive, and professional growth is encouraged.

What we Offer:

• Annual Leave: 23 days per year plus 10 Indian public holidays (5 national plus 5 state holidays of your choosing).

• Additional Leave: 1 day of paid leave for your Birthday.

• Health & Wellbeing: Individual healthcare insurance plan and access to an employee mental health and wellbeing platform.

• Professional Development: £2,000 annual training budget to support your continued learning and career growth.

• Referral Bonus: help to grow our team and earn up to £2,000 per successful referral.

Applications

We’re always happy to help with questions, but to keep our process fair for everyone, we’re unable to accept applications via email—please apply directly through the job advert page.

Please feel free to reach out to Andrea, our Talent Acquisition Lead, if you would like any further information, to discuss accessibility requirements, or if you require this information provided in an alternative format – andrea.smith@cognisys.co.uk

We welcome applications from candidates from a range of diverse backgrounds and can make various reasonable adjustments to consider individual needs.