Government and Public Sector - Cybersecurity - Penetration Tester - Senior Consultant

Government and Public Sector – Cybersecurity – Penetration Tester – Senior Consultant

From strategy to execution, the Government & Public Sector practice (“GPS”) of Ernst & Young provides a full range of consulting and audit services to help our Federal, State, Local and Education clients implement new ideas to help achieve their mission outcomes. We deliver real change and measurable results through our diverse, high-performing teams, quality work at the highest professional standards, operational know-how from across our global organization, and creative and bold ideas that drive innovation. We enable our government clients to achieve their mission of protecting the nation and serving the people; increasing public safety; improving healthcare for our military, veterans and citizens; delivering essential public services; and helping those in need. EY is ready to help our government build a better working world.

The opportunity  

Our cybersecurity professionals possess diverse industry knowledge, along with unique technical expertise and specialized skills. The team works together in planning, pursuing, delivering and managing engagements to assess, improve, build, and in some cases operate integrated security operations for our clients. 

We will support you with career-long training and coaching to develop your skills. As EY is a global leading service provider in this space, you will be working with the best of the best in a collaborative environment. So, whenever you join, however long you stay, the exceptional EY experience lasts a lifetime. 

Your key responsibilities 

Our cybersecurity professionals possess diverse industry knowledge, along with unique technical expertise and specialized skills. The team stays highly relevant by researching and discovering the newest security vulnerabilities, attending and speaking at top security conferences around the world, and sharing knowledge on a variety of cybersecurity topics with key industry groups. The team frequently provides thought leadership and information exchanges through traditional and less conventional communications channels such as speaking at conferences and publishing white papers.  

As part of our Penetration Testing team, you'll identify potential threats and vulnerabilities to operational environments. Projects here could include penetration testing and simulating physical breaches to identify vulnerabilities. 

Our professionals work together in planning, pursuing, delivering and managing engagements to assess, improve, build, and in some cases operate integrated security operations for our clients.  

• Offensive Security Execution - Execute advanced penetration testing and red team activities.
• Identify, validate, and exploit complex attack paths to demonstrate realistic business and mission risk
• Perform manual validation of vulnerabilities identified through automated or tool-based scanning to confirm exploitability and impact.
• Correlate findings across network, application, cloud, and identity attack vectors to identify systemic security weaknesses.
• Risk Identification and Escalation- Escalate critical and high-risk findings to engagement leadership and client stakeholders during active testing activities.
• Articulate technical risk, potential impact, and exploitation context in clear, client-facing language suitable for both technical and executive audiences.
• Quality Assurance and Reporting - Review, validate, and approve testing evidence and technical findings prior to inclusion in formal deliverables.
• Author and contribute to technical penetration testing reports and executive summaries that clearly describe risk, likelihood, and potential impact.
• Apply consistent evidence handling and documentation practices aligned to engagement and compliance requirements.
• Engagement Support and Team Leadership - Support engagement scoping, testing strategy development, and definition of rules of engagement.
• Provide technical oversight and mentoring to staff-level penetration testers during testing execution and report development.
• Serve as a senior technical authority during client briefings, readouts, and debrief sessions.Required Experience and Qualifications

Skills and attributes for success 

• Perform penetration testing which includes internet, intranet, wireless, web application, social engineering and physical penetration testing. 
• Execute red team scenarios to highlight gaps impacting organizations security postures. 
• Ability to work both independently as well as lead a team of technical testers on penetration testing and red team engagements. 
• Provide technical leadership and advise junior team members on attack and penetration test engagements. 
• Identify and exploit security vulnerabilities in a wide array of systems in a variety of situations. 
• Perform in-depth analysis of penetration testing results and create reports that describe findings, exploitation procedures, risks and recommendations. 
• Execute penetration testing projects using the established methodology, tools and rules of engagements. 
• Convey complex technical security concepts to technical and non-technical audiences including executives. 

To qualify for the role you must have  

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Minimum of three years of direct penetration testing or red teaming experience supporting enterprise or large-scale environments.
• Must be able to obtain/maintain a secret level clearance
• Must be comfortable working in-person as needed in the greater Washington, DC area
• Demonstrated hands-on execution of penetration testing across infrastructure, application, cloud, and identity-centric environments.
• At least one intermediate or advanced offensive security certification, such as:
  • Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)
  • GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN)
  • Equivalent industry-recognized certification

• Demonstrated experience completing approximately 1,000 hours of penetration testing activities, aligned with EY Attack and Penetration Testing senior capability benchmarks.
• Technical Skills:
  • Network, operating system, and application exploitation techniques.
    Credential-based attack techniques, including password cracking, pass-the-hash, and token abuse.
  • Active Directory and enterprise identity infrastructure assessment.
    Web application and application programming interface (API) security testing.
  • Cloud and hybrid environment penetration testing; Use of commercial, open-source, and custom penetration testing tools.

Due to the nature of our work in the Government and Public Sector, work may be required to be completed at client, EY and/or contractor sites. Our goal is to assign professionals to projects within a commutable distance of their work location office.  In certain circumstances, travel may be required beyond your work location based on client and project needs. Candidates should be willing to travel 20 – 30% or more.

Ideally, you'll also have  

• Experience in penetration testing which includes internet, intranet, web application penetration tests, wireless, social engineering, and red team assessments
• Operates effectively within multi-role delivery teams that include Managers, Seniors, and Staff testers aligned to EY GPS resource structures.
• Demonstrated professionalism and discretion when handling sensitive government systems, data, and assessment findings.
  Strong client-facing communication skills suitable for interaction with security leadership, compliance personnel, and oversight stakeholders.