Why This Job is Featured on The SaaS Jobs
Application security remains a differentiator for SaaS products, where frequent releases, shared infrastructure, and large user footprints can turn small defects into systemic risk. This Security Engineer, Application Security role sits at the point where product engineering practices meet security controls, with an emphasis on building tooling and embedding secure development habits across teams. The remit spans prevention and detection, which is especially relevant in modern SaaS environments that rely on automation, APIs, and continuous delivery.
For a long-term SaaS career, this kind of position builds durable leverage: it develops fluency in secure SDLC patterns, threat modeling as a design input, and pragmatic vulnerability management that aligns with shipping software. Experience partnering with developers on code review standards and remediation workflows tends to transfer well across B2B and consumer SaaS, particularly as organizations mature their governance and platform reliability.
The role is best suited to engineers who enjoy cross-functional influence and can translate security findings into developer-ready guidance without losing technical rigor. It will fit someone who prefers a mix of hands-on assessment, lightweight tool building, and operational follow-through, and who is comfortable working across multiple products rather than focusing on a single service boundary.
The section above is editorial commentary from The SaaS Jobs, provided to help SaaS professionals understand the role in a broader industry context.
Job Description
About the Team
Security is at the foundation of OpenAI’s mission to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. The Security team protects OpenAI’s technology, people, and products. We are technical in what we build but are operational in how we do our work, and are committed to supporting all products and research at OpenAI. Our Security team tenets include: prioritizing for impact, enabling researchers, preparing for future transformative technologies, and engaging a robust security culture.
About the Role
As a Security Engineer, Application Security you will be responsible for identifying and mitigating security vulnerabilities within software applications through building security tools, code reviews, penetration testing, and security assessments.
We’re looking for people who will work closely with development teams to ensure secure coding practices are integrated throughout the software development lifecycle, preventing security risks before they emerge. You will also provide security guidance to developers and other stakeholders, fostering a culture of security awareness within the organization.
The role is preferred to be based in San Francisco, Seattle or New York City but may consider remote work. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance to new employees.
In this role, you will:
Perform Security Assessments: Conduct regular security assessments, code reviews, and penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities in applications and software.
Develop and Implement Security Tools: Design, develop, and implement security tools, frameworks, and methodologies to protect applications against security threats.
Collaborate with Development Teams: Work closely with development teams to ensure security best practices are integrated throughout the software development lifecycle (SDLC), including secure coding guidelines.
Threat Modeling and Risk Assessment: Conduct threat modeling and risk assessments to proactively identify potential risks and develop mitigation strategies.
Vulnerability Management: Track, analyze, and manage vulnerabilities in applications, providing guidance and support for remediation efforts.
Incident Response Support: Assist in investigating, analyzing, and responding to security incidents related to applications, ensuring timely resolution and documentation of incidents.
Stay Current on Security Trends: Continuously stay updated on the latest security threats, vulnerabilities, and technologies to enhance security measures in applications.
You might thrive in this role if you:
Extensive experience in information security, cybersecurity, or a related field, with a significant portion of that experience in leadership or management roles.
Deep understanding of security technologies, tools, and best practices, including experience with secure coding practices, threat modeling, risk assessments, and incident response.
Experience in application security, software development, or related areas with a strong understanding of secure coding practices and application security frameworks.
Proficiency in programming languages (such as Python, Java, C++, etc.), knowledge of security tools (e.g., Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP), and familiarity with security protocols and encryption methods.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex security issues to both technical and non-technical audiences
About OpenAI
OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. We push the boundaries of the capabilities of AI systems and seek to safely deploy them to the world through our products. AI is an extremely powerful tool that must be created with safety and human needs at its core, and to achieve our mission, we must encompass and value the many different perspectives, voices, and experiences that form the full spectrum of humanity.
We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristic.
For additional information, please see OpenAI’s Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement.
Background checks for applicants will be administered in accordance with applicable law, and qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment consistent with those laws, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, for US-based candidates. For unincorporated Los Angeles County workers: we reasonably believe that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship with the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: protect computer hardware entrusted to you from theft, loss or damage; return all computer hardware in your possession (including the data contained therein) upon termination of employment or end of assignment; and maintain the confidentiality of proprietary, confidential, and non-public information. In addition, job duties require access to secure and protected information technology systems and related data security obligations.
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We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, and requests can be made via this link.
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At OpenAI, we believe artificial intelligence has the potential to help people solve immense global challenges, and we want the upside of AI to be widely shared. Join us in shaping the future of technology.
