Project Manager, Offensive Security

Packetlabs specializes in Penetration Testing. We exist to eliminate the false sense of security that comes from shallow testing and checkbox-driven assessments. Our slogan, "Ready for more than a VA scan?", reflects a simple standard: real security work should be rigorous, manual, and built to uncover what automated approaches miss. Our clients span government, technology, law enforcement, retail, healthcare, and financial services, and they rely on us because credibility matters when the stakes are high.

The Project Manager is a delivery leadership role designed to ensure that every Packetlabs engagement is executed with the same precision and credibility as the technical work itself. You will own how engagements are planned, how clients are guided through the testing lifecycle, and how the Project Management Office contributes to consistent, high-quality delivery. This role is about running a disciplined delivery function that protects client experience, consultant focus, and the reputation of every report that goes out the door.

This role requires both operational discipline and client-facing judgment. As an experienced project manager, you will own a portfolio of engagements end-to-end — handling scoping conversations, managing scope and schedule changes, and making difficult calls in real time — while contributing to how the PMO improves over time. You will do this with the backing of a leadership team that values substance over noise, clear communication over performative busyness, and sustainable delivery over short-term heroics.

Core values

• Customer-first mentality. You treat clients like partners, not tickets. You respond quickly, set clear expectations, and follow through.
• Humble. Egos don't have a place at Packetlabs, especially in the PMO. You're comfortable being the connective tissue between clients and consultants without needing to be the loudest voice in the room.
• You deliver work you take pride in. Your project plans, client communications, meeting notes, and status updates are clean, accurate, and thoughtful.
• You dig deeper. When a client's request doesn't quite add up, when a consultant's timeline estimate feels off, or when a scope boundary is ambiguous — you ask the questions now.
• You are comfortable being uncomfortable. Consulting PM work isn't linear. Scope changes, difficult client personalities, resource conflicts, and last-minute escalations are the job.
• You are always learning. You're building cybersecurity literacy on top of PM fundamentals. You're paying attention to how our consultants work, how our clients think about risk, and how the industry is evolving.
• Self-motivated and dependable. You manage your own portfolio, track your own commitments, and don't need to be chased for updates. When something slips, you raise it early. Your colleagues know that if it's on your plate, it's handled.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Engagement Management
• • Own a portfolio of concurrent penetration testing engagements across web, mobile, infrastructure, and cloud
  • Lead scoping and pre-engagement discussions with clients, ensuring projects are realistic and well-defined before kickoff
  • Build detailed project plans, schedules, and resource allocations across multiple active engagements
  • Manage scope changes, schedule adjustments, and budget impacts with appropriate documentation and client communication
  • Identify and mitigate project risks before they affect delivery
  • Coordinate deliverables across delivery, operations, and marketing teams to ensure seamless execution
• Client Relationships
• • Act as the primary point of contact for assigned clients throughout the engagement lifecycle
  • Communicate proactively — set expectations, provide updates, and address concerns before they escalate
  • Run client meetings, including kickoffs, status updates, and delivery debriefs
  • Handle difficult conversations (scope creep, timeline pressure, scheduling conflicts) professionally and firmly
• PMO Operations & Improvement
• • Contribute to PMO processes, templates, and tooling improvements
  • Maintain accurate project documentation and tracking across engagements
  • Support and mentor junior PMs when they need a sounding board or second opinion
  • Help identify patterns across engagements that could improve how we scope, deliver, or communicate

What We Are Looking For

• 3–5 years of project management experience in an IT services, consulting, or professional services environment
• Demonstrated experience managing multiple concurrent client engagements independently
• Strong client-facing skills — you can hold your own in a scoping call, a scope-change conversation, or a debrief with a CIO
• Proven ability to manage scope, schedule, and budget across project lifecycles
• Comfort working in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities
• Clear written and verbal communication across technical and non-technical audiences
• Strong organizational discipline — you own your portfolio, you don't drop things, and you flag issues early
• Self-sufficient and dependable in a remote environment
• Valued but not required:
• • Experience in cybersecurity, penetration testing, or infosec consulting
  • PMP, PRINCE2, or Scrum certification
  • Bachelor's degree in business, IT, communications, or related field
  • Familiarity with penetration testing lifecycle or common security frameworks (PCI-DSS, SOC 2, NIST, ISO 27001)
  • Experience with project management tools (Jira, Asana, Monday.com, Smartsheet, or similar)
  • Experience mentoring or supporting junior project managers
  • Background working with technical consultants or engineering teams

What Success Looks Like (6 months)

• You're independently managing a full portfolio of engagements with minimal oversight
• Clients consistently describe you as responsive, organized, and a pleasure to work with
• Consultants trust you to keep their schedules workable and flag conflicts early
• Scope changes and difficult client conversations are handled cleanly, with proper documentation and no surprises
• You've developed enough cybersecurity context to understand what's being delivered and why it matters to the client
• You've contributed at least one meaningful improvement to how the PMO operates — a process, template, or tool change that others adopted
• Junior PMs come to you for advice, and you're helping them grow

How We Work

• Remote-first across Canada
• Fast-paced, with multiple concurrent engagements at various stages
• Strong emphasis on clear communication, documentation, and proactive issue flagging
• Collaborative culture across PMO, delivery, operations, and marketing
• Structured onboarding with mentorship from experienced PMs and leadership
• High autonomy, high accountability — we trust people to own their portfolios and escalate when needed

Why Packetlabs

• Real ownership. You'll run your own portfolio of engagements with clients who expect excellence. Your work directly affects delivery quality and client retention.
• A team that values quality. We take the work seriously and hold ourselves to a high bar. If you've worked somewhere that shipped mediocre work, you'll feel the difference.
• Benefits. Wealthsimple GRSP with corporate matching, participation in corporate benefit plans, and competitive compensation.
• Career planning. From onboarding, we work with you to understand where you want to go and build a plan to get there.