5+ years in product or application security with expertise in secure architecture and risk assessment.
Experience leading security design reviews and threat modeling for complex systems.
Deep understanding of authentication, authorization, and application security vulnerabilities.
Strong software engineering skills, capable of reading code and analyzing vulnerabilities.
Experience assessing security risks in cloud-native applications.
Ability to communicate complex security risks and influence leadership.
Proven ability to work independently and collaborate across teams.
Responsibilities
Lead security architecture and design reviews for high-priority products.
Conduct threat modeling and technical security assessments of applications and APIs.
Evaluate authentication, authorization, and sensitive data flows for vulnerabilities.
Review application code to identify security weaknesses and validate fixes.
Assess security implications of new technologies, including AI applications.
Partner with engineering leadership to prioritize and track security risks.
Define reusable security requirements and implement preventive controls.
Benefits
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans.
401(k) retirement plan with company contributions.
Equity and commission opportunities based on position.
Flexible work environment with opportunities for remote work.
Full Job Description
Lead security architecture and design reviews for high-priority Plaid products, working directly with engineering and product teams from early development through launch.
Conduct threat modeling and technical security assessments of complex applications, APIs, distributed systems, and product workflows to identify material security risks.
Evaluate authentication, authorization, trust boundaries, sensitive data flows, and business logic to identify potential vulnerabilities and abuse cases.
Review application code, investigate security weaknesses, and validate that proposed fixes address the underlying risks.
Assess security implications of new technologies and product capabilities, including AI-powered applications and agentic workflows.
Partner with engineering leadership to prioritize material security risks, agree on mitigations, and track them through remediation or approved risk acceptance.
Identify recurring security weaknesses, define reusable security requirements and secure design patterns, and partner with engineering teams to implement preventive controls.
Leverage AI-assisted security analysis and testing to continuously improve security assessments and validate important security assumptions.
Must haves:
5+ years of experience in product or application security, with strong expertise in secure architecture, application security fundamentals, and technical risk assessment.
Experience leading security design reviews and threat modeling for complex applications, APIs, or distributed systems.
Deep understanding of authentication, authorization, trust boundaries, sensitive data protection, and common application security vulnerabilities.
Strong software engineering fundamentals, including the ability to read application code, analyze vulnerability paths, and evaluate security fixes.
Experience assessing security risks in cloud-native applications and understanding the security implications of system architecture and implementation decisions.
Ability to communicate complex security risks, recommend practical mitigations, and influence engineering and product leadership.
Ability to operate independently in ambiguous environments and collaborate effectively across teams.
Nice to have:
Experience securing AI-powered applications or agentic systems.
Experience with penetration testing, vulnerability research, or security testing of complex business logic.
Experience securing financial technology products or systems handling sensitive or regulated data.
Additional compensation in the form(s) of equity and/or commission are dependent on the position offered. Plaid provides a comprehensive benefit plan, including medical, dental, vision, and 401(k). Pay is based on factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience and skillset, and location. Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation or benefit plans.
About Plaid
Plaid is a financial services company based in New York City. The company builds a technology platform, which enables applications to connect with users' bank accounts. Plaid focuses on enabling consumers and businesses to interact with their bank accounts, check balances, and make payments through financial technology applications. The company was founded in 2013 by Zach Perret and William Hockey. In January 2020, Visa announced that it would acquire Plaid for $5.3 billion. The acquisition was completed in January 2021.
