Senior Lead Application Pen Testing Cybersecurity Research Engineer

About this role:
Wells Fargo is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Lead Application Pen Testing Cyber Security Research Engineer to join the Application Penetration Testing department. This technical leadership role will be responsible for advancing and integrating penetration testing practices across all phases of the software development lifecycle. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in security testing methodologies, artificial intelligence, offensive security tooling, and hands-on penetration testing.
In this role, the Senior Lead Application Pen Testing Cyber Security Research Engineer will:

• Lead the development of application penetration testing methods and solutions across a broad range of technology stacks.
• Establish a mentoring program for the application penetration testing team and key partners to strengthen capabilities in offensive AI, scanning, and security research.
• Advise senior management on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and risks associated with penetration testing.
• Serve as an adversarial counterpoint to security strategy proposals, helping identify gaps, assumptions, and potential areas of risk.
• Maintain awareness of industry best practices and emerging techniques to continuously enhance security testing capabilities.
• Mentor junior team members and promote a culture of security awareness throughout the organization.
• Demonstrate proficiency in using AI-assisted development and analysis tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot and approved code-centric agents)
• Leverage AI to accelerate system design, coding, testing, analysis, and troubleshooting
• Apply strong technical judgment when validating and integrating AI-assisted outputs into solutions
• Understand and account for model limitations, security risks, and operational considerations
• Apply AI responsibly in development and production environments
• Ensure AI usage aligns with security, compliance, privacy, and ethical standards

Required Qualifications:

• 7+ years of Cyber Security Research experience, or equivalent demonstrated through one or a combination of the following: work experience, training, military experience, education

Desired Qualifications:

• Burp Suite Certified Professional, OSCP certification or other similar related security certifications
• GCP and Azure certifications
• Deep expertise in application penetration testing, offensive security research, and adversary emulation
• Experience building security tools, automation, or offensive security frameworks using modern programming languages
• Experience assessing AI/ML systems, Generative AI applications, LLM security risks, prompt injection, model misuse, and AI red teaming techniques
• Strong stakeholder management and executive communication skills with the ability to influence senior leaders across large organizations
• Experience mentoring and developing security testing teams in highly regulated environments

Job Expectations:

• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time.
• This position allows for remote work from one of the following - NC, TX, CA, AZ
• This position is not eligible for Visa sponsorship

Locations

• 1525 W WT Harris Blvd, Charlotte, NC
• 401 Las Colinas Blvd. W, Irving, TX
• 333 Market Street San Francisco, CA
• 2600 South Price Road, Chandler, AZ
• Remote locations: NC, TX, CA, AZ

Pay Range
Reflected is the base pay range offered for this position. Pay may vary depending on factors including but not limited to demonstrated examples of prior performance, skills, experience, or work location. Employees may also be eligible for incentive opportunities.
$159,000.00 - $305,000.00
Benefits
Wells Fargo provides eligible employees with a comprehensive set of benefits, many of which are listed below. Visit Benefits - Wells Fargo Jobs for an overview of the following benefit plans and programs offered to employees.

• Health benefits
• 401(k) Plan
• Paid time off
• Disability benefits
• Life insurance, critical illness insurance, and accident insurance
• Parental leave
• Critical caregiving leave
• Discounts and savings
• Commuter benefits
• Tuition reimbursement
• Scholarships for dependent children
• Adoption reimbursement

Posting End Date:
4 Sep 2026
* Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.
We Value Equal Opportunity
Wells Fargo is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected characteristic.
Employees support our focus on building strong customer relationships balanced with a strong risk mitigating and compliance-driven culture which firmly establishes those disciplines as critical to the success of our customers and company. They are accountable for execution of all applicable risk programs (Credit, Market, Financial Crimes, Operational, Regulatory Compliance), which includes effectively following and adhering to applicable Wells Fargo policies and procedures, appropriately fulfilling risk and compliance obligations, timely and effective escalation and remediation of issues, and making sound risk decisions. There is emphasis on proactive monitoring, governance, risk identification and escalation, as well as making sound risk decisions commensurate with the business unit's risk appetite and all risk and compliance program requirements.
Applicants with Disabilities
To request a medical accommodation during the application or interview process, visit Disability Inclusion at Wells Fargo .
Drug and Alcohol Policy
Wells Fargo maintains a drug free workplace. Please see our Drug and Alcohol Policy to learn more.
Wells Fargo Recruitment and Hiring Requirements:
a. Third-Party recordings are prohibited unless authorized by Wells Fargo.
b. Wells Fargo requires you to directly represent your own experiences during the recruiting and hiring process.