Head of Test and Technical, Cognisys
2-3 days a week in office
Cyber security, pen testing & compliance experts
Be an early applicant
Cyber security, pen testing & compliance experts
21-100 employees
Be an early applicant
2-3 days a week in office
21-100 employees
Company mission
To help protect businesses from cyber attackers.
Role
Who you are
- We are looking for someone who blends technical credibility with leadership and commercial maturity
- Technical
- Strong background in penetration testing across infrastructure, web, API and cloud
- Experience leading complex engagements and red-team style assessments
- Solid understanding of offensive tooling and methodology
- Certifications such as OSCP, CRT, CREST CCT, or equivalent highly desirable
- Leadership & Commercial
- Experience leading or managing a penetration testing team
- Strong understanding of utilisation models and revenue delivery
- Proven ability to scope and price consultancy engagements
- Comfortable engaging at CISO and Board level
- Exceptional written reporting and presentation skills
- Personal Attributes
- Consultancy-first mindset
- Commercially astute
- Calm, credible and decisive
- Growth-oriented
- Collaborative and values-driven
What the job involves
- Cognisys is entering its next phase of growth
- As demand for our penetration testing services accelerates globally, we are seeking an exceptional Head of Test and Technical to take ownership of our day-to-day practice operations, performance and client delivery expectations
- This is not a pure technical escalation role
- It is a practice leadership role
- You will lead, shape and scale a high-performing team of Security Consultants and Managing Security Consultants across multiple regions
- You will drive utilisation, quality, delivery standards, commercial performance and client satisfaction — ensuring our penetration testing function operates with clarity, consistency, client focus and momentum
- You will work in close partnership with our Technical Director
- The Technical Director will focus on strategic tooling, R&D and emerging offensive capabilities
- Your role will be to focus on operational excellence, team development and consistent delivery of those capabilities
- Where methodologies evolve or new tools are adopted, the Technical Director will lead the what and why, and you lead the 'how’ and implementation
- If you combine deep offensive security credibility with outstanding consultancy skills and a strong commercial instinct, this is the role for you
- Lead the operational performance of the Pen Testing practice across all regions
- Own utilisation, capacity planning and revenue delivery across the team
- Drive quality assurance and reporting standards
- Coach and develop consultants into trusted security advisors
- Partner with Sales and Client Success to scope complex engagements and support winning commercial bids
- Act as a senior escalation point for client engagements
- Embed a consultancy-led mindset across the function
- Contribute to the strategic growth of our offensive security capability
- You will be responsible for ensuring that Cognisys delivers penetration testing services that are technically excellent, commercially disciplined and consistently exceptional in client experience
- Practice Leadership & Operations
- Lead day-to-day operational management of the Pen Testing function
- Oversee workload planning, utilisation targets and delivery forecasting
- Ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget and to a high standard
- Develop practice KPIs and performance dashboards
- Drive continuous improvement in methodology and delivery frameworks
- Commercial & Client Excellence
- Partner with Sales to support scoping, proposals and complex bids
- Ensure engagements are appropriately sized and commercially viable
- Maintain strong senior-level client relationships
- Lead post-engagement reviews and drive repeat business
- Identify opportunities for upsell and cross-sell into GRC and Managed Services
- Consultancy & Quality
- Maintain high reporting standards with clear senior-level articulation of risk
- Embed a “trusted advisor” approach across the team
- Provide technical oversight on high-risk or high-profile engagements
- Ensure alignment with industry standards (CREST, CHECK, etc.)
- People Leadership
- Lead and develop Managing Security Consultants
- Coach consultants in client communication and stakeholder management
- Support hiring, onboarding and capability mapping
- Contribute to career pathways and skills matrices
- Build a culture of Ownership, Momentum, Excellence and Together to support the Cognisys values
Our take
Many businesses are struggling to keep up with rising cyber threats, complicated regulations and the constant risk of data breaches. For organisations without in-house specialists, staying secure can become overwhelming. So, Cognisys has stepped in to make this manageable. They're a UK-based cybersecurity and compliance company helping organisations spot vulnerabilities early and build stronger digital defences.
Cognisys delivers this through services like penetration testing, continuous vulnerability management, and support for certifications such as ISO 27001. By simplifying security and offering ongoing guidance, they give businesses confidence that their systems are protected and up to standard. Resulting in fewer risks, fewer headaches, and more room for companies to get on with the work that matters to them.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Company
Company HQ
Leeds Dock, Leeds, UK
Leadership
Steve Spence
(CEO)Steve previously founded Pure Technology Group and Servatech.
Arjun P.
(CTO)Arjun is the founder of Edge Secure. Previously, he was a Technical Director at Defendza, a Check Team Leader at NCC Group, and a Senior Security Analyst at Tech Mahindra.
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