What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director Cybersecurity position at American Express?
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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.
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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 Include:
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.
Minimum 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.
Preferred Requirements
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).
Salary Range: $144,250.00 to $256,250.00 annually bonus equity (if applicable) benefits
The above represents the expected salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we’ll consider your location, experience, and other job-related factors.
We back you with benefits that support your holistic well-being so you can be and deliver your best. This means caring for you and your loved ones' physical, financial, and mental health, as well as providing the flexibility you need to thrive personally and professionally:
- Competitive base salaries
- Bonus incentives
- 6% 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
American Express is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, or any other status protected by law. American Express will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with arrest or conviction records, in accordance with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including, but not limited to, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. For positions covered by federal and/or state banking regulations, American Express will comply with such regulations as it relates to the consideration of applicants with criminal convictions.
We back our colleagues with the support they need to thrive, professionally and personally. That's why we have Amex Flex, our enterprise working model that provides greater flexibility to colleagues while ensuring we preserve the important aspects of our unique in-person culture. Depending on role and business needs, colleagues will either work onsite, in a hybrid model (combination of in-office and virtual days) or fully virtually.
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Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the United States is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these position.
Salary : $144,250 - $256,250