Security Engineer, Detection & Response

Scale AI, Inc.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 237,600 - 297,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement benefits

Learning and development stipend

Paid time off

Commuter stipend

Job summary

Scale AI, Inc. is seeking a Senior Security Engineer specialized in Detection and Incident Response to join our Security Engineering team in San Francisco. This role combines security operations with software engineering, focusing on building systems that detect, contain, and prevent incidents.

The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of experience and strong coding proficiency, contributing to a team that designs automated responses and implements sophisticated detection methods across cloud services and enterprise systems.

Compensation includes a base salary ranging from $237,600 to $297,000 USD, equity, and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in Detection Engineering, Incident Response, or Security Operations.
• Proficient in at least one programming language (Python, Go).
• Hands-on experience with SIEM, EDR, and cloud environments.

Responsibilities

• Engineer and deploy detection logic across environments.
• Build and maintain incident response automation and tooling.
• Perform digital incident investigations and analysis.
• Integrate alerting with messaging and ticketing systems.

Skills

Detection Engineering

Incident Response

Proficient in Python or Go

SIEM and EDR tools

Digital forensics

Cloud-native security

Strong communication skills

Education

5+ years of experience in Security Operations

Relevant security certifications

Tools

SIEM

EDR

SOAR

Threat intelligence platforms

Job description

Overview

We are seeking a Senior Security Engineer with a specialty in Detection and Incident Response to join our Security Engineering team. This role sits at the intersection of security operations and software engineering— you won't just investigate incidents, you'll build the systems that detect, contain, and prevent them. You will design and ship high-precision detections across cloud services and enterprise SaaS, develop automation that shortens response timelines, and mature the telemetry pipelines that make it all possible. Your ability to write production-quality code is just as important as your ability to triage an alert.

You will structure investigations, analyze root causes, and clearly communicate the significance of security incidents, their impact, and recommended remediation steps— but you'll also turn those findings into durable engineering improvements: better detections, tighter schemas, and smarter automation.

Responsibilities

• Engineer, test, and deploy detection logic across cloud and enterprise environments, treating detections as software with version control, peer review, and measurable performance.
• Build and maintain incident response automation, runbooks, and tooling that reduce containment timelines without sacrificing developer velocity.
• Mature telemetry pipelines through improved schema design, normalization, enrichment, and quality checks that reduce false positives and increase signal fidelity.
• Perform digital incident investigations to identify and contain potential security breaches.
• Conduct digital forensics and malware analysis to understand attack vectors and adversary methodologies.
• Integrate alerting with messaging and ticketing systems to enable fast, traceable response workflows.
• Partner cross-functionally with IT, security, and engineering teams to harden identity and access patterns, close logging and forensics gaps, and implement maintainable guardrails that scale with the organization.
• Utilize threat intelligence platforms to improve hunting, detection, and response workflows.
• Clearly explain the significance and impact of incidents, providing actionable recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in Detection Engineering, Incident Response, or Security Operations, with a strong emphasis on building and shipping security tooling and automation.
• Proficiency in at least one programming language (e.g., Python, Go) and comfort writing production-grade code—not just scripts.
• Hands‑on experience designing or improving detection pipelines, SIEM content, and alerting workflows in cloud‑native environments.
• Practical experience with SIEM, EDR, and SOAR tools, with a preference for candidates who have built integrations or extended these platforms programmatically.
• Strong understanding of modern cyber threats, common attack techniques, and adversary TTPs.
• Familiarity with digital forensics tools and malware analysis techniques.
• Experience with cloud-native environments (AWS, GCP, Azure) and the security telemetry those environments generate.
• Exposure to threat intelligence platforms and integrating intel into detection and investigation workflows.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate complex security findings into clear business impact.
• Relevant security certifications (e.g., GCIH, GCFA, GCIA, CISSP, GDSA) are a plus.

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation includes a base salary ranging from $237,600 to $297,000 USD, equity, and benefits such as comprehensive health, dental, vision coverage, retirement benefits, a learning and development stipend, generous paid time off, and a commuter stipend. Equity is subject to Board of Director approval and will be determined during the interview process.

EEO Statement

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability status, gender identity, or veteran status. We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and mental disabilities. We comply with the United States Department of Labor’s Pay Transparency provision.