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Project Tester Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Application Development Project Management Quality Assurance Business/Systems Analysis ... QA Tester Job Details Responsible for writing/developing automated test cases for Mobile ...

Understanding of batch execution needs for both testing and operations in a large application * At ... Project Management Professional (PMP) or equivalent certification. #J-18808-Ljbffr

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Syntricate Technologies is seeking a Manual Testing professional for a contract position in ... project or features under test. • Strong understanding of bug life cycle , bug triaging and ...

Application Development Project Management Quality Assurance Business/Systems Analysis ... Your responsibilities include documenting, reviewing and executing testing across multiple ...

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Project Tester information

What is a project tester?

Project Testers are professionals responsible for evaluating software, systems, or processes within a project to ensure they meet specified requirements and function as intended. They design and execute test cases, identify bugs or issues, and collaborate with developers and project managers to resolve problems. Project Testers play a crucial role in quality assurance, helping to deliver reliable and effective products or solutions by systematically verifying and validating project deliverables.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a project tester?

To thrive as a Project Tester, you need a solid understanding of software testing methodologies, attention to detail, and typically a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with tools such as Selenium, JIRA, test automation frameworks, and bug-tracking systems is highly beneficial. Strong analytical skills, effective communication, and problem-solving abilities help testers collaborate with development teams and clearly document issues. These competencies ensure software quality, reduce defects, and support successful project delivery.

How does a project tester typically collaborate with developers and project managers during the software development lifecycle?

Project Testers work closely with developers and project managers throughout the development process. They participate in requirements reviews, communicate test results and bugs, and provide feedback to ensure quality standards are met. Regular meetings and agile ceremonies, such as daily stand-ups or sprint reviews, foster a collaborative environment where testers clarify requirements, prioritize defects, and align on release goals. This teamwork helps identify issues early, streamline testing efforts, and ensure that project milestones are achieved efficiently.

What is the difference between Project Tester vs Software Tester?

AspectProject TesterSoftware Tester
CertificationsISTQB, CSQAISTQB, CSQA
Work EnvironmentProject-based teams, multiple projectsSoftware development teams, ongoing testing cycles
Industry UsageIT, software development, tech projectsIT, software development, app testing
Common Search IntentDifferences, roles, responsibilitiesTesting techniques, career path

Project Testers focus on testing specific projects within a defined timeline, ensuring deliverables meet requirements. Software Testers generally perform ongoing testing of software products, often across multiple projects, emphasizing quality assurance throughout development. While both roles require similar certifications and work in tech environments, Project Testers are more project-centric, whereas Software Testers focus on continuous testing processes.

Infographic showing various Project Tester job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 90% Full Time, 7% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 82% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 13% Remote job distribution.

Penetration Tester, Frontier AI Evaluation

Cobalt

San Mateo, CA • On-site

Other

Posted 5 days ago


Job description

About the role:

Cobalt is seeking experienced penetration testers to contribute expert reasoning, technical problems, and evaluation data used to train and assess frontier AI models on security tasks.

This opportunity is suited to people who test systems for a living or have done so: penetration testers, red team operators, vulnerability researchers, exploit developers, application security engineers, and serious bug bounty hunters, whether from consultancies, internal security teams, or independent practice.

You do not need prior experience in data annotation or AI research. What matters is that you can find and reason about real weaknesses in software and infrastructure unaided, and that you can document how you got there clearly enough for another practitioner to follow.

All work is performed against sandboxed environments and purpose-built targets supplied by us or by the lab. We do not accept work performed against systems you are not authorized to test, and we do not accept material obtained without authorization or covered by a client agreement.


What you'll do:

Depending on the project, you may:

  • Produce written testing traces on security tasks, capturing how you form and test hypotheses, what you rule out and why, and how you arrive at a working approach, rather than only the end result
  • Author novel security problems, capture-the-flag style challenges, and lab environments with verifiable success criteria
  • Evaluate model-generated security content and code, ranking responses, explaining what makes the stronger one stronger, and identifying the specific step at which the technical reasoning breaks down
  • Assess whether stated findings are supported by the underlying evidence, and identify inconsistencies between reported results and what the target actually does
  • Design rubrics and partial-credit criteria for scoring multistep testing and remediation tasks

Projects follow their own guidelines, scope rules, and quality standards, and you will work with feedback from reviewers and lab research teams.


Required qualification:

  • Demonstrable penetration testing experience, evidenced by professional engagements, published vulnerability research or CVEs, a substantive bug bounty record, competitive CTF results, or comparable work
  • Strong hands-on coding ability in at least one of Python, C, C++, Go, Rust, or JavaScript, sufficient to read unfamiliar codebases and write your own tooling rather than only running existing tools
  • Depth in at least one area, for example web and API security, cloud and container security, network and infrastructure testing, mobile security, or binary exploitation and reverse engineering
  • Ability to explain each step of your reasoning clearly in writing, and to produce documentation another practitioner could reproduce
  • Willingness to work strictly within defined scope and authorization, and to sign a confidentiality agreement covering project materials

Certifications such as OSCP, OSWE, OSEP, GPEN, or GXPN are useful but not required.


Why join Cobalt AI:

  • Advance frontier AI where it counts. Apply your testing expertise to data that frontier labs cannot obtain any other way, where your judgment directly shapes how the next generation of models reasons about security.
  • Grow professionally. Expand your influence through evaluation projects, advisory roles, and research collaborations, while developing a working understanding of how frontier models are trained and assessed.
  • Work with a top-tier network. Collaborate with security practitioners and researchers from leading organizations on high-impact, flexible work.
  • Set your own schedule. Flexible 10 to 40 hour weeks that fit around your existing engagements and your life.
  • Competitive pay. Rates vary by project and are determined by a number of factors, including scope, skillset, and experience.