Director Cybersecurity

About the position You lead the way. We have your back. At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and Leadership Behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. As part of Team Amex, you'll experience this powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career. Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express. American Express is committed to safeguarding the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of our systems, applications, and customer data. As part of our mission to strengthen the company’s cybersecurity posture, we are seeking a Director of Penetration Testing to lead a high-impact team of security professionals dedicated to identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities through real-world attack simulations. The Director – Penetration Testing will lead the strategy, execution, and advancement of American Express’s offensive security program, ensuring comprehensive testing coverage across applications, infrastructure, and emerging technologies. This leader will drive innovation in testing methodologies, oversee program operations, manage the enterprise Responsible Disclosure and Bug Bounty programs, and provide critical insights to senior leadership to inform business risk decisions. This position requires a strategic and technically adept leader who can balance tactical execution with long-term vision, inspire and mentor a team of experts, and collaborate across the enterprise to ensure proactive defense and continuous improvement of our security posture.

Responsibilities

• Team Management: Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing team of penetration testers. Oversee hiring, training, and professional development, ensuring resource alignment to meet program goals.
• Program Leadership: Oversee and manage all penetration testing engagements, ensuring adherence to compliance standards, internal policies, and regulatory requirements.
• Operational Oversight: Lead enterprise testing initiatives including application, infrastructure, cloud, and emerging technology assessments. Manage the Responsible Disclosure and Bug Bounty programs to ensure effective triage, validation, and remediation of reported vulnerabilities.
• Vulnerability Management Partnership: Collaborate with vulnerability management and engineering teams to track, prioritize, and resolve identified vulnerabilities.
• Reporting & Communication: Develop, review, and present detailed technical findings and executive-level summaries, providing actionable recommendations to senior leadership.
• Strategic Alignment: Define and evolve the penetration testing strategy to align with organizational goals, threat intelligence, and regulatory mandates.
• Technical Excellence: Maintain deep expertise in penetration testing methodologies, frameworks, and tools. Ensure the program remains current with evolving attack techniques and technologies.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with technology, engineering, and risk functions to embed offensive security insights into proactive defense and design reviews.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in cybersecurity or equivalent experience, with at least 5 years in penetration testing or offensive security leadership roles.
• Extensive hands-on knowledge of penetration testing methodologies, frameworks, and tools such as Metasploit, Burp Suite, NMAP, and Wireshark.
• Strong understanding of operating systems (Windows, Linux, macOS) and network protocols, including segmentation methodologies.
• In-depth understanding of regulatory and compliance standards including PCI-DSS.
• Proven experience managing large-scale penetration testing programs, including internal/external audits and third-party engagements.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or related field; or equivalent professional experience.

Nice-to-haves

• Exceptional communication and presentation skills; able to articulate technical risks and findings to executives and non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive strategic initiatives in a complex enterprise environment.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or related field; or equivalent professional experience.
• Industry-recognized certifications preferred (e.g., OSCP, OSCE, GPEN, GWAPT, CISM).

Benefits

• Competitive base salaries
• Bonus incentives
• 6%25 Company Match on retirement savings plan
• Free financial coaching and financial well-being support
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits
• Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need
• 20+ weeks paid parental leave for all parents, regardless of gender, offered for pregnancy, adoption or surrogacy
• Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location)
• Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program
• Career development and training opportunities

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