Senior Windows Patch Management Engineer

Qualys Security Techservices Private Limited; Pune District; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Qualys is seeking a Senior Patch Research Engineer to build and maintain a comprehensive Windows patch catalog for third-party software. You will validate installer switches, map detection keys, and ensure accurate patch metadata across multiple Windows versions.

You will collaborate with the Patch Management team to optimize catalog accuracy, tooling integration, and deployment readiness.

Qualifications

• 4-5 years of experience in Windows systems administration or patch management.
• Strong understanding of Windows OS internals including registry and file system.
• Hands-on experience with patching tools WSUS, SCCM/ConfigMgr, Ivanti, Qualys, Chocolatey.
• Experience with MSI/EXE installers and msiexec switches for silent installs.
• Solid knowledge of MSI/WiX, NSIS, InnoSetup, and silent install methods.
• Familiarity with registry keys and artifacts used to detect installed software.
• Nice to have experience building or maintaining a software patch catalog.

Responsibilities

• Patch Catalog Research & Authoring: research, author, and maintain patch metadata for Windows apps.
• Document silent installation parameters and determine reboot behavior per installer type.
• Validate detection logic and registry research for version detection.
• Understand backend patch tools and how catalogs are consumed by patch engines.
• Test patch installations in sandbox environments and verify post-install detection.

Skills

Windows patching

Patch management

PowerShell scripting

Registry research

MSI/WiX

WSUS/SCCM familiarity

Tools

Qualys Patch Management

Chocolatey

ConfigMgr / SCCM

Ivanti

Job description

Senior Patch Research Engineer 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

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

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

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

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.

Experience Level

Senior Level