Software Engineer (Technical Leadership) — Central Security

Meta; Menlo Park (CA); On-site; USD 347,000 - 403,000; Full time

Job summary

Meta's Central Security team is seeking a Software Engineer (Technical Leadership) to drive secure AI/ML platforms at scale. You will lead architecture and implementation of security frameworks across identity, access, threat detection, and response, partnering with product, infra and enterprise teams.

As a Senior IC, you will shape security strategy, mentor engineers, and communicate risk tradeoffs to senior leaders while enabling rapid innovation across Meta's tech stack.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering or equivalent practical experience.
• 12+ years coding in C, C++, Java and/or C#.
• 12+ years building server applications.
• Proven cross-functional leadership across large engineering programs.
• Track record of multi-year roadmaps and strategic planning.

Responsibilities

• Drive security solutions for large-scale AI/ML products.
• Architect and implement secure-by-design frameworks across AI/ML lifecycle.
• Lead as Senior IC in Security Engineers, Analysts, and Software Engineers.
• Present security tradeoffs and risk to senior leadership.

Skills

C/C++/Java/C#

Server development

Technical leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Mentoring engineers

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering

Advanced degree

Tools

Python

AI/ML frameworks

Job description

You'll be joining Central Security, Meta's first line of defense technology team that manages risk across critical security domains. As part of this organization, you'll work within a cross‑functional team of engineers, analysts, product managers, and program managers, collaborating closely with professionals across Product, Infrastructure and Enterprise Engineering teams. You will develop automated and autonomous security systems using AI/ML in high‑impact security domains including Identity and Access Management, Product Security, Threat Detection, Detection & Response. This organization operates at the intersection of cutting‑edge technology and enterprise security, where you'll help shape how Meta approaches security across our entire technology stack, from custom‑built systems to commercial software such as cloud services and increasingly sophisticated AI/ML systems.

Software Engineer (Technical Leadership) — Central Security Responsibilities:

• In this position, you'll drive security solutions that protect Meta's most critical assets while enabling rapid innovation, particularly in the AI/ML space. Your primary focus will be architecting and implementing security frameworks for large‑scale AI/ML products and features, ensuring that secure‑by‑design principles are embedded throughout the entire AI/ML lifecycle from conception to deployment. You'll act as a Senior Individual Contributor in a combined organization of Security Engineers, Security Analysts, and Software Engineers to implement security solutions and platforms that serve the entire company and our billions of users. Your strategic thinking will be essential as you determine the highest‑risk items across all security domains, then guide the team through developing detailed threat models and comprehensive solutions. A significant portion of your role involves identifying, assessing and mitigating security risks that are unique to AI/ML systems and products built on top of them — including classical ML, agentic product features, and the risks associated with frontier models. Your influence extends beyond your immediate team — you'll navigate complex tradeoffs between security requirements and operational friction, ensuring Meta can maintain its pace of innovation while remaining secure. This means representing these critical tradeoffs to senior leadership including VPs and C‑levels, where your recommendations will directly influence company‑wide security decisions.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, relevant technical field, or equivalent practical experience
• Experience leading projects with industry‑wide impact
• Vast experience communicating and working across functions to drive solutions
• Significant experience in mentoring/influencing engineers across organizations
• Proven track record of planning multi‑year roadmap in which shorter‑term projects ladder to the long term vision
• Experience in driving large cross‑functional/industry‑wide engineering efforts
• 12+ years coding experience in C, C++, Java and/or C#
• 12+ years experience building server applications

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in Computer Science, Security, or related field
• Expertise in AI/ML security domains (e.g., threat modeling for ML systems, ML system design, secure model development, adversarial machine learning)
• Hands‑on experience with agentic development using Frontier AI models
• Proficiency with Python and modern AI/ML frameworks
• Experience with regulatory frameworks and compliance for AI/ML systems
• Familiarity with Meta's technology stack or similar large‑scale environments
• Passion for securing cutting‑edge systems that impact billions of users worldwide

About Meta:

Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology. People who choose to build their careers by building with us at Meta help shape a future that will take us beyond what digital connection makes possible today—beyond the constraints of screens, the limits of distance, and even the rules of physics.

Meta is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Aff We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Meta participates in the E‑Verify program in certain locations, as required by law. Please note that Meta may leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies in connection with applications for employment.

Meta is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at [e-mail].

$347,000/year to $403,000/year + bonus + equity + benefits

Individual compensation is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Compensation details listed in this posting reflect the base hourly rate, monthly rate, or annual salary only, and do not include bonus, equity or sales incentives, if applicable. In addition to base compensation, Meta offers benefits. Learn more about benefits at Meta.