Staff security engineer, application security

Cybersecurity Jobs; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 183,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous PTO

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Parental leave 16 weeks

Fertility and family planning support

Galleri health screening

HSA options

Dependent FSA options

Wellness stipend

Learning and development stipend

Company stock options

401k

Team off-sites

Job summary

WRITER is shaping enterprise AI platforms with a security-by-design focus. This Staff security engineer role secures the architecture across application security, AI infrastructure, and developer enablement in a hybrid Seattle setting.

You will drive threat modeling, secure coding standards, and automated security in CI/CD while leading security testing and proactive defenses for data pipelines and AI agents.

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years of hands-on application security engineering experience securing large-scale production systems.
• Understanding of developer experience and workflows for shipping features, balancing risk with velocity.
• Technical expertise in at least two programming languages (Python, Java, Go, JavaScript/TypeScript).
• Knowledge of security tools and methodologies (SAST/DAST, vulnerability management, security testing frameworks, DevSecOps).
• Excellent communication skills to translate security concepts for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Builder mindset focused on automation, scaling, and enabling teams.
• Alignment with WRITER values: Connect, Challenge, Own; open to Mid, Sr., Staff.

Responsibilities

• Run threat modeling sessions with product teams and design secure architectures.
• Own and evolve WRITER’s application security program, including CI/CD scanning and security code reviews.
• Partner with engineering teams to define secure coding standards and reusable security patterns.
• Recommend security features and products to protect customer environments.
• Integrate and leverage AI agents to increase team velocity while reducing risk.
• Lead security assessments and penetration testing across applications, AI services, and APIs.
• Design and implement security controls for data pipelines and model training environments.
• Research AI/ML security threats and build defenses against new risks.

Skills

Python

Java

Go

JavaScript/TypeScript

Tools

SAST

DAST

CI/CD

DevSecOps

LLMs

generative AI

APIs

Job description

WRITER is building enterprise AI applications at scale, and this Staff security engineer role focuses on making the platform secure by design. You will help shape how AI-powered products are protected across application security, AI infrastructure, and developer enablement, while evolving CI/CD security practices and leading security testing.

This hybrid position is based in Seattle, WA and reports to the head of security engineering. If you have hands-on experience securing large-scale production systems and can balance security risk reduction with engineering velocity, this role aligns with your approach to building and scaling security foundations.

Responsibilities

• Run threat modeling sessions with product teams, design secure architectures for new features, and ensure security considerations are part of product decisions from day one
• Own and evolve WRITER’s application security program, including establishing and maintaining SAST/DAST scanning in CI/CD pipelines, performing security code reviews for critical changes, and building automation to prevent vulnerabilities from reaching production
• Partner with engineering teams to define and champion secure coding standards, plus create reusable security patterns and libraries that enable secure-by-default development
• Recommend security features and products to help secure customer environments, serving as a vision and advocacy partner for customer protection
• Integrate and leverage AI agents to increase security team and engineering org velocity while proactively minimizing risk
• Lead security assessments and penetration testing across WRITER’s applications, AI services, and APIs, identifying vulnerabilities across the stack and working with teams to remediate issues at scale
• Design and implement security controls for protecting data pipelines, model training environments, and customer-facing AI agents
• Research emerging threats in the AI/ML security landscape, including LLM and generative AI attack vectors, and proactively build defenses against new risks

Requirements

• Minimum 4 years of hands-on application security engineering experience, with a track record securing large-scale production systems (bonus for fast-growing startups or high-growth environments)
• Understanding of developer experience and developer workflows for shipping features, with focus on reducing risk while supporting engineering velocity
• Technical expertise in at least two programming languages: Python, Java, Go, JavaScript/TypeScript, including ability to review code across multiple languages with both business logic and security implications
• Knowledge of security tools and methodologies such as SAST/DAST, vulnerability management platforms, security testing frameworks, and DevSecOps practices, with judgment on when automation outperforms manual review
• Excellent communication skills to translate complex security concepts for technical and non-technical audiences and drive action through clear recommendations
• A builder mindset focused on automation, scaling, and enabling teams rather than creating bottlenecks
• Alignment with WRITER values: Connect, Challenge, and Own
• Open to Mid, Sr., and Staff level candidates

Technologies

• SAST, DAST, CI/CD
• Python, Java, Go, JavaScript/TypeScript
• DevSecOps, LLMs, generative AI, AI agents
• APIs, vulnerability management platforms, security testing frameworks

Compensation and location

• Location: Seattle, WA (hybrid)
• Salary: USD 183,000 - 240,000 per year

Benefits

• Generous PTO plus company holidays
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family
• Paid parental leave for all parents (16 weeks)
• Fertility and family planning support
• Early-detection cancer testing through Galleri
• Flexible spending account and dependent FSA options
• Health savings account for eligible plans with company contribution
• Annual work-life stipends for Wellness (gym, massage/chiropractor, personal training, etc.)
• Annual work-life stipend for Learning and development
• Company-wide off-sites and team off-sites
• Competitive compensation, company stock options and 401k