Product Security Engineer

Alpaca Research; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Job summary

Alpaca Research in Cambridge, MA is seeking a Product Security Engineer to design and implement robust security for embedded AI hardware and software platforms.

You will work across Linux, networking, encryption, and authentication to protect user data and enable seamless communication between devices and services. If you enjoy building end-to-end secure systems and taking ownership of complex problems, join our team building the next generation of personal AI hardware.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of Linux, TCP/IP, DNS, TLS, VPNs, and modern networking protocols.
• Experience with encryption, authentication, key management, operating system security, and secure software design.
• Proficiency in Rust, Go, C/C++, or Python, with experience building systems-level software.
• Familiarity with secure device pairing, NAT traversal, remote access, or peer-to-peer networking.
• Understanding of how to securely handle sensitive information, credentials, permissions, and third-party integrations.
• Good product judgment and independence in solving complex technical problems.

Responsibilities

• Connect our devices: Build secure, seamless connectivity between our hardware, phones, computers, and external services, across local and remote networks.
• Secure the system: Harden an operating system, implement secure boot, encryption, sandboxing, and reliable software updates.
• Protect user data: Design systems for authentication, access control, credential management, and secure storage of sensitive information.
• Engineer the network: Develop device discovery, pairing, remote access, and secure communication protocols.
• Secure AI agents: Build permission and isolation systems that allow agents to safely access personal data, use tools, and interact with external services.
• Test and improve: Identify vulnerabilities, perform security reviews, and continuously improve the reliability and security of our platform.

Skills

Linux

TCP/IP

TLS

VPNs

Networking protocols

Security engineering

Encryption

Authentication

Key management

Rust

Go

C/C++

Python

System-level software

Job description

Product Security Engineer

Location: Cambridge, MA - In Person

Type: Full-time
Compensation: $140,000 - $170,000 + Equity

Who we are

Today, AI is something you rent. Alpaca is building the full stack of hardware, software, models, and applications together to make it something you own.

We are developing a new computer architecture that breaks the economics keeping frontier models trapped in datacenters. On top of that, we’re building a platform of models, applications, and services that give that hardware meaning.

Personal AI is moving from the datacenter to the desk, and we are driving that change.

Our team is based in Cambridge, MA.

About the role

We want to put powerful AI computers in people's homes and businesses, capable of working with their most personal information and interacting with the services they use every day. Making this possible requires building systems that are secure, private, and effortlessly connected.

We are looking for a security and networking engineer to help develop the infrastructure that makes our hardware safe and easy to use. You'll work across operating systems, networking, encryption, authentication, and device security to protect user data and enable seamless communication between our hardware and the outside world.

This is a role for someone who enjoys building systems from the ground up. You should be comfortable working with Linux, designing secure networking protocols, thinking through potential vulnerabilities, and making complicated infrastructure invisible to the end user. You'll help define how our devices connect, communicate, and protect the information entrusted to them.

What you’ll do

Connect our devices: Build secure, seamless connectivity between our hardware, phones, computers, and external services, across local and remote networks.

Secure the system: Harden an operating system, implement secure boot, encryption, sandboxing, and reliable software updates.

Protect user data: Design systems for authentication, access control, credential management, and secure storage of sensitive information.

Engineer the network: Develop device discovery, pairing, remote access, and secure communication protocols.

Secure AI agents: Build permission and isolation systems that allow agents to safely access personal data, use tools, and interact with external services.

Test and improve: Identify vulnerabilities, perform security reviews, and continuously improve the reliability and security of our platform.

Who we’re looking for

Systems and networking fundamentals: Strong understanding of Linux, TCP/IP, DNS, TLS, VPNs, and modern networking protocols.

Security engineering: Experience with encryption, authentication, key management, operating system security, and secure software design.

Software engineering: Proficiency in languages such as Rust, Go, C/C++, or Python, with experience building systems-level software.

Device connectivity: Familiarity with secure device pairing, NAT traversal, remote access, or peer-to-peer networking.

Privacy and data protection: Understanding of how to securely handle sensitive information, credentials, permissions, and third-party integrations.

Good product judgment: You can balance security, performance, and usability to build systems that are both safe and enjoyable to use.

Independence: You take ownership of complex technical problems, anticipate risks, and build reliable solutions with minimal direction.