Quality Engineering
Security Testing
Security-first quality engineers who break systems before attackers do, building unshakeable trust in critical infrastructure. This defensive mindset creates CTOs who architect resilience, not just features.
The Career Arc
Rotational · L1–L3
Build the Security Testing craft. Prove you can wield the tools of Quality Engineering.
Transformational · L4–L7
Deliver Security Testing outcomes — each Quality Engineering tour at this altitude has a defined mission and success criteria.
- L4 : Lead security testing projects
- L5 : Drive security testing practices
- L6 : Set security testing direction
- L7 : Shape security testing vision
Manage a Team?
Great Security Testing managers are practitioners first. The Quality Engineering IC responsibilities in L4–L7 are your foundation — your management responsibilities are additive:
- • Hire QEs who think like users—not just testers who find bugs
- • Coach your team to advocate for quality, not just report defects
- • Run 1:1s that build automation skills and product intuition
- • Give feedback that elevates testing from gatekeeper to quality partner
- • Remove blockers—fight for test environments, time in the release cycle, and respect
Foundational · L8–L9
Shape the Quality Engineering organization from the Security Testing chair — build institutions, not just products.
L1 — Associate Security Tester Rotational Full detail →
Mission
Learn security testing through assessments
This tour of duty
Complete security assessments with guidance
Own the outcomes
- • Learn security testing basics including vulnerability types and scanning tools
- • Run automated security scans with guidance and report findings
- • Write basic security test cases from known vulnerability patterns
- • Document findings with clear steps to reproduce
- • Support fix verification and regression testing
- • Participate in testing sessions to learn manual techniques
Security Testing at L1 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Analyzing scan results
- • Generating test cases
- • Writing vulnerability reports
L2 — Junior Security Tester Rotational Full detail →
Mission
Execute security tests independently
This tour of duty
Own security testing for services
Own the outcomes
- • Execute security testing independently across applications
- • Analyze scan results and validate findings accurately
- • Write comprehensive security test plans
- • Design simple security testing approaches for features
- • Contribute to scan configuration and tuning
- • Track findings through remediation and verify fixes
Security Testing at L2 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Drafting assessment plans
- • Analyzing vulnerability patterns
- • Generating remediation guidance
L3 — Senior Security Tester Rotational Full detail →
Mission
Own security testing for product areas
This tour of duty
Lead security testing that finds critical issues
Own the outcomes
- • Own security testing for product areas end-to-end
- • Design testing approaches for medium-complexity applications
- • Conduct manual penetration testing to find logic flaws
- • Lead security testing planning for releases
- • Mentor junior testers on security testing techniques
- • Drive vulnerability remediation with development teams
Security Testing at L3 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Modeling attack scenarios
- • Reviewing findings
- • Creating methodology docs
L4 — Staff Security Tester / Manager, Quality Engineering Transformational Full detail →
Mission
Lead security testing projects
This tour of duty
Design security testing approaches
Own the outcomes
- • Lead security testing efforts spanning multiple applications
- • Design security testing methodologies at scale
- • Mentor testers on security mindset and attack techniques
- • Define security testing standards and checklists
- • Drive cross-team security testing coverage
- • Own security validation for critical releases
Security Testing at L4 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Designing test approaches
- • Analyzing patterns
- • Generating specifications
L5 — Senior Staff Security Tester / Senior Manager, Quality Engineering Transformational Full detail →
Mission
Drive security testing practices
This tour of duty
Drive security testing improvements
Own the outcomes
- • Drive security testing strategy decisions organization-wide
- • Design security testing programs that scale
- • Define security testing standards and best practices
- • Lead evaluation of security testing tools
- • Mentor senior testers and shape security testing culture
- • Solve the most challenging security testing problems
Security Testing at L5 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Evaluating tools
- • Building documentation
- • Creating roadmaps
L6 — Director, Security Testing Transformational Full detail →
Mission
Set security testing direction
This tour of duty
Define security testing standards
Own the outcomes
- • Set direction for security testing across the company
- • Define security testing technology strategy and roadmap
- • Establish standards ensuring comprehensive vulnerability coverage
- • Drive alignment on security testing investments
- • Represent security testing in executive discussions
- • Shape the vision for security testing evolution
Security Testing at L6 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Analyzing patterns at scale
- • Generating standards
- • Building knowledge bases
L7 — Distinguished Security Engineer Transformational Full detail →
Mission
Shape security testing vision
This tour of duty
Transform security testing capabilities
Own the outcomes
- • Shape the company's security testing vision and strategy
- • Define innovative approaches to finding vulnerabilities
- • Establish principles guiding security testing decisions
- • Influence industry security testing practices
- • Mentor directors and senior security testing leaders
- • Drive security testing innovation
Security Testing at L7 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Modeling evolution scenarios
- • Analyzing trends
- • Creating vision documents
L8 — VP of Security Testing Foundational Full detail →
Mission
Build and lead security testing teams
This tour of duty
Build a security testing organization
Own the outcomes
- • Build and lead security testing teams that find critical vulnerabilities
- • Define organizational structure for security testing
- • Establish hiring standards for security testers
- • Create the operating model for security testing excellence
- • Partner with security leadership on testing strategy
- • Develop security testing managers and leaders
Security Testing at L8 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Building dashboards
- • Analyzing team patterns
- • Creating hiring frameworks
L9 — SVP of Security Testing Foundational Full detail →
Mission
Own security testing strategy
This tour of duty
Lead security testing strategy
Own the outcomes
- • Own security testing strategy and execution organization-wide
- • Define multi-year roadmap for security testing capabilities
- • Build culture that attracts top security testing talent
- • Partner with executives on security assurance strategy
- • Establish security testing as organizational strength
- • Shape the future of security testing at the company
Security Testing at L9 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Modeling strategic scenarios
- • Building strategy documents
- • Designing knowledge infrastructure
What Hiring Managers Look For
You can demonstrate specific vulnerabilities you've discovered and how you convinced engineering teams to prioritize fixes over feature work.
You've built security testing frameworks that other teams actually use, not just security tools that gather dust in repositories.
You can articulate how security decisions directly impact business risk and have successfully influenced C-level investment in security infrastructure.
Common Career Transitions
Security Testing → DevSecOps Engineering at L5-L6 for automation and pipeline integration scope
Security Testing → Security Architecture at L6-L7 for strategic threat modeling and enterprise security design
Official Classifications
| System | Code | Official Title |
|---|---|---|
| O*NET-SOC (US) | 15-1299.04 | Penetration Testers |
| ISCO-08 (UN/ILO) | 2529 | Database and Network Professionals Not Elsewhere Classified |
| ESCO (EU) | — | ethical hacker |
| SSOC 2024 (Singapore) | 25290 | Database and Network Professionals, N.E.C. |
| NCO-2015 (India) | 25290000 | Database and Network Professionals (n.e.c.) |
At L6 and above, the manager classification 1330 — Information and Communications Technology Service Managers applies IN ADDITION to the professional code — a manager is a superset of the individual contributor, never a replacement.
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