Senior Patch Research Engineer

Qualys; Pune District; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Qualys, Inc. in Pune is seeking a Windows Patch Management Catalog Researcher to build and maintain a comprehensive patch catalog for third-party Windows software. You will validate installer parameters, write detection logic, and test patches in sandbox environments to ensure accurate deployment.

The role requires 4–5 years of Windows patch management experience, strong registry knowledge, and hands-on experience with WSUS, SCCM/ConfigMgr, Ivanti, and Qualys tools. Local candidates preferred.

Qualifications

• 4-5 years of experience in Windows systems administration, patch management, or software packaging.
• Hands-on experience with Windows patching tools (WSUS, SCCM/ConfigMgr, Ivanti, Qualys, Chocolatey, or equivalent).
• Experience with manual patch installation - running MSI/EXE installers, using msiexec.exe with switches, repackaging software.
• Solid understanding of installer technologies: MSI/WiX, NSIS, InnoSetup, Squirrel, and their silent install mechanisms.
• Familiarity with the Windows registry and the ability to trace installation artifacts to their registry keys.

Responsibilities

• Patch Catalog Research & Authoring: Research, author, and maintain patch metadata for third-party Windows applications across a broad software catalog.
• Identify new software releases, security updates, and version changes from vendor sources, changelogs, and security advisories (CVE/NVD).
• Map vendor releases to structured metadata schemas, including version strings, download URLs, detection logic, and installation parameters.
• Track software End-of-Life (EOL) dates and update catalog entries accordingly.
• Document and validate silent installation parameters for diverse installer types (MSI, NSIS EXE, InnoSetup, WiX, etc.).
• Research and verify correct msiexec.exe flags, NSIS /S switches, and equivalent silent/unattended arguments per software.
• Determine accurate reboot behavior (Yes / No / Maybe) per installer type and document exit codes (success, reboot-required).
• Manually test patch installation in sandbox environments and verify detection logic post-install.
• Research and validate Windows registry keys used to detect installed software versions (Uninstall hive, vendor-specific keys, DisplayVersion, etc.).
• Identify and document file-based detection paths (FileVersion, ProductVersion attributes on key executables).
• Understand the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit registry views (WOW6432Node) and apply correct detection architecture per installer variant.
• Validate detection logic against fresh installs and upgrades across supported Windows versions.
• Understand how enterprise patch management platforms discover, deploy, and verify patches. Familiarity with catalogs consumption by patch engines - detection-before-install logic, supersedence evaluation, and deployment policy enforcement.

Skills

Patch management

WSUS

SCCM ConfigMgr

Ivanti

Chocolatey

PowerShell

Python

Registry

Deployment tools

Tools

Qualys

SCCM ConfigMgr

Ivanti

Chocolatey

WSUS

Job description

Come work at a place where innovation and teamwork come together to support the most exciting missions in the world! About the Role Qualys is looking for a detail-oriented Windows Patch Management Catalog Researcher to join the Patch Management product team. In this role, you will be responsible for building and maintaining a comprehensive, accurate patch catalog covering a wide range of third-party Windows software.

Key Responsibilities

Patch Catalog Research & Authoring Research, author, and maintain patch metadata for third-party Windows applications across a broad software catalog. Identify new software releases, security updates, and version changes from vendor sources, changelogs, and security advisories (CVE/NVD). Map vendor releases to structured metadata schemas, including version strings, download URLs, detection logic, and installation parameters. Track software End-of-Life (EOL) dates and update catalog entries accordingly.

Windows Patching & Installation Knowledge Document and validate silent installation parameters for diverse installer types (MSI, NSIS EXE, InnoSetup, WiX, etc.). Research and verify correct msiexec.exe flags, NSIS /S switches, and equivalent silent/unattended arguments per software. Determine accurate reboot behavior (Yes / No / Maybe) per installer type and document exit codes (success, reboot-required). Manually test patch installation in sandbox environments and verify detection logic post-install.

Detection Logic & Registry Research Research and validate Windows registry keys used to detect installed software versions (Uninstall hive, vendor-specific keys, DisplayVersion, etc.). Identify and document file-based detection paths (FileVersion, ProductVersion attributes on key executables). Understand the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit registry views (WOW6432Node) and apply correct detection architecture per installer variant. Validate detection logic against fresh installs and upgrades across supported Windows versions.

Backend Patch Tool Understanding Understand how enterprise patch management platforms (e.g., Qualys Patch Management, SCCM, Ivanti, Adaptiva) discover, deploy, and verify patches. Familiarity with how catalogs are consumed by patch engines - detection-before-install logic, supersedence evaluation, and deployment policy enforcement.

Required Skills & Qualifications

4-5 years of experience in Windows systems administration, patch management, or software packaging. Strong understanding of Windows OS internals - registry structure, file system, user vs. system installation scopes, environment variables, and PATH management. Hands-on experience with Windows patching tools (WSUS, SCCM/ConfigMgr, Ivanti, Qualys, Chocolatey, or equivalent). Experience with manual patch installation - running MSI/EXE installers, using msiexec.exe with switches, repackaging software. Solid understanding of installer technologies: MSI/WiX, NSIS, InnoSetup, Squirrel, and their silent install mechanisms. Familiarity with the Windows registry and the ability to trace installation artifacts to their registry keys.

Nice to Have

Experience building or maintaining a software patch catalog (Adaptiva, Chocolatey, ManageEngine, or similar). Experience with Windows Installer (MSI) internals - product codes, upgrade codes, component tables. Knowledge of ARM64 Windows platform nuances and multi-architecture software distribution. Good understanding of Windows Update infrastructure (WUA, WSUS, CBS/SFC). Scripting experience in Python or PowerShell.

Qualys, Inc. (NASDAQ: QLYS) is a pioneer and leading provider of disruptive cloud-based security, compliance and IT solutions with more than 10,000 subscription customers worldwide, including a majority of the Forbes Global 100 and Fortune 100. Qualys helps organizations streamline and automate their security and compliance solutions onto a single platform for greater agility, better business outcomes, and substantial cost savings.