Security Engineer

What is a Security Engineer?

A security engineer designs, builds, and maintains the security controls, tooling, and processes that protect a company's systems and data. At a startup, security engineers often own the entire security function: application security, cloud security, identity management, compliance programs (SOC 2, ISO 27001), and incident response. Security has moved from a box-checking compliance exercise to a product differentiator — especially for companies selling to enterprise customers.

‍

At what stage should you hire a Security Engineer?

Series A through Series B, once enterprise deals are requiring security questionnaires and SOC 2 certification, or when you handle sensitive customer data that creates real liability if breached. Security engineers who join at Series A can build security right into the architecture; joining at Series C means retrofitting security into systems designed without it — significantly harder and more expensive.

‍

Common titles for this role

• Security Engineer
• Application Security Engineer
• Cloud Security Engineer
• Security Software Engineer
• Information Security Engineer
• Product Security Engineer

‍

What does a Security Engineer do at a startup?

• Conduct security design reviews and threat modeling for new features and architecture
• Run application security testing: SAST, DAST, dependency scanning, penetration testing
• Implement and maintain cloud security controls: IAM policies, network segmentation, secrets management
• Build and maintain the compliance program: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, HIPAA, or FedRAMP as required
• Respond to security incidents: containment, investigation, remediation, and postmortems
• Build security tooling: automated vulnerability scanning, SIEM, alerting
• Train engineers on secure coding practices and security awareness

‍

Key skills and qualifications

• Strong software engineering background — security engineers who can't code are security analysts
• Application security expertise: OWASP Top 10, secure SDLC, code review for vulnerabilities
• Cloud security experience: AWS/GCP/Azure security services, IAM, network security groups
• Compliance knowledge: SOC 2, ISO 27001, or industry-specific frameworks
• Security tooling proficiency: SAST/DAST tools, vulnerability management platforms
• Security certifications valued: CISSP, OSCP, AWS Security Specialty, or equivalent

‍

Why hire your Security Engineer through RFS?

• Security engineering requires both development depth and security expertise — we screen for both sides of that equation
• 29-day average time to hire — security searches benefit from a pre-vetted pool of candidates with relevant certifications and experience
• 300+ placements at VC-backed companies across engineering and security functions
• Pre-vetted for hands-on security experience, not just compliance checkbox knowledge
• No upfront fees