Founding Security Engineer

Agreement type: This is a remote, full-time role requiring 40 hours per week, with direct client hiring.

Candidate´s location : USA

Our company description

Mission.dev is the next-gen staffing platform for software talent.

We help you find, evaluate, and manage top software talent (contractors or direct hires) faster, smarter, and more efficiently.

Powered by AI. Backed by real humans.

About the client

This stealth-mode startup is developing a next-generation enterprise identity platform.

Led by experienced founders who previously scaled and exited a technology company, the organization aims to modernize access management and authentication.

The platform focuses on high-security architecture paired with a streamlined user experience for IT administrators and end users.

The company is remote-first across North America and is currently in the pre-launch phase with significant venture backing.

About the Role

As the first dedicated security hire, you will own the organization's security posture across the entire technical stack.

Reporting directly to a co-founder, you will work embedded within the engineering team to integrate security throughout the product lifecycle rather than acting as a final gate.

This role offers high autonomy to build foundational security programs from scratch and the opportunity to eventually lead the security function as the company scales.

You will be a key contributor to a product where security is the core value proposition.

What You'll Do

• Establish and manage the end-to-end security posture by embedding within engineering workflows from design to deployment.
• Architect and build foundational security infrastructure, including secrets management, PKI, audit logging, and vulnerability management systems.
• Conduct technical security reviews, threat modeling, and secure design consultations to ensure safe and rapid product development.
• Direct global compliance initiatives such as SOC 2 and ISO 27001 by implementing functional engineering controls.
• Develop incident response processes and detection-as-code capabilities to automate triage and mitigation.
• Oversee a broad scope encompassing product security, corporate security, and initial security team growth strategies.

What You Bring

• 5+ years of experience in security engineering with a strong software engineering foundation.
• Professional proficiency in Go, with experience shipping production-level code.
• Proven track record in application and product security, including code reviews and vulnerability remediation.
• Experience building security detections and managing incident response processes.
• Proficiency in Python and detection-as-code tools or SIEM platforms.
• Practical experience implementing compliance frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001, or GDPR.

Nice to Haves

• Experience building security programs from the ground up at early-stage companies.
• Domain expertise in identity and access management (IAM) or enterprise security software.
• Knowledge of Kubernetes and cloud security, specifically within GCP environments.
• Familiarity with identity protocols such as OAuth, SAML, OIDC, and WebAuthn.
• Relevant academic background in Computer Science or a related field.

Compensation & Benefits

• Annual salary range of $180,000–$230,000 plus early-stage equity.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance with 99% premium coverage.
• Unlimited PTO and approximately 21 paid company holidays.
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Support for visa transfers (H-1B, TN) and potential O-1 sponsorship.
• Twice-yearly company offsites and team retreats.