[Hiring] Security Engineer I, Application Security @Trail of Bits

Role Description

Trail of Bits seeks a Security Engineer I for our Application Security practice. You will contribute to security assessments of client software, partner with more experienced engineers, identify vulnerabilities across the application and system levels, and own clearly scoped pieces of client engagements. You will drive your own vulnerability analysis, develop tools alongside the team, and help clients understand and fix the issues you find.

This role bridges vulnerability research and applied security. Your work will be hands-on:

• Analyzing complex code
• Building custom tooling
• Conducting threat modeling
• Owning your findings through client delivery

It is distinct from roles centered on security operations, SOC work, GRC, compliance, policy, audit, or general security administration. Candidates from broader or adjacent security backgrounds should be prepared to talk through relevant hands-on, code-level security work they have personally completed.

Security Engineer I is an early-career role, but it is not a training role for someone new to software or security. Relevant experience may come from:

• Professional work
• Internships
• Advanced coursework
• Independent research
• Open-source contributions
• CTFs
• Substantial personal or academic projects

Regardless of where you gained the experience, you should be able to talk through code-level security work you performed, how you approached the problem, and the conclusions you reached. You will receive direction and review from a project lead while independently completing well-scoped technical work.

Qualifications

• At least 1 year of combined relevant experience in application security, vulnerability research, security-focused software engineering, or a closely related area.
• Demonstrable vulnerability-discovery capability.
• Strong code-analysis skills.
• Hands-on coding proficiency in at least two relevant languages, such as Rust, Go, C, C++, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, or similar languages used in security analysis and tool development.
• Working knowledge of memory-corruption vulnerabilities and common mitigations.
• Familiarity with operating-system concepts, IPC, privilege boundaries, and the ways applications interact with system internals.
• Ability to independently investigate a well-scoped problem, debug issues, document evidence, ask focused questions when blocked, and deliver work with review from a project lead.
• Clear written and verbal communication.

Requirements

• Active or recent CTF participation, competition results, or comparable hands-on security challenges.
• Published vulnerability research, CVEs, responsible disclosures, bug bounty findings, or security writeups.
• Contributions to open-source security tools, libraries, or research.
• Experience with mobile application security, mobile system internals, or binary analysis on mobile platforms.
• Experience assessing cloud platforms or infrastructure and working with tools such as Kubernetes, Helm, Terraform, or Ansible.
• Experience with kernel code, drivers, reverse engineering, fuzzing, or other low-level systems work.
• Published technical writing, conference talks, or substantial technical documentation.

Compensation

The base salary range for this full-time position is $100,000 to $160,000 and will include additional bonuses. Compensation is informed by geographic location, relevant experience, and internal equity. These figures represent starting compensation for U.S.-based candidates. For specifics, please discuss with your recruiter during the hiring process.

Benefits

• Competitive salary complemented by performance-based bonuses.
• Fully company-paid insurance packages, including health, dental, vision, disability, and life.
• A solid 401(k) plan with a 5% match of your base salary.
• 20 days of paid vacation with flexibility for more, adhering to jurisdictional regulations.
• 4 months of parental leave to cherish the arrival of new family members.
• $10,000 in relocation assistance if moving to NYC.
• $1,000 Working-from-Home stipend to create a comfortable and productive home office.
• Annual $750 Learning & Development stipend for continuous personal and professional growth.
• Company-sponsored all-team celebrations, including travel and accommodation.
• Philanthropic contribution matching up to $2,000 annually.