The Department: Application Securityconsequences of security failure are measured in customer trust and regulatory standing. The Application Security (AppSec) team exists to make sure security is never an afterthought. We are on a mission to secure products at the time of thought and the time of build: at the product requirements doc, the technical architectural decision, at the line of code. We believe that security input is most valuable before the work is done and after-the-fact is too late and too expensive. Gemini is AI-first, and AppSec builds the tools to make AI-first engineering secure.
The Role: Staff Application Security EngineerAs a Staff Application Security Engineer on Gemini's AppSec team, you will own the technical strategy to secure our most critical attack surfaces like on-chain, exchange, and credit card. You will operate with significant autonomy and partner directly with senior engineering leadership. You will also design and build the AI agents that secure Gemini's agentic SDLC at scale.
Responsibilities:- Own and evolve the Gemini Secure Software Development Lifecycle guardrails as an application security subject matter expert
- Lead architecture reviews, threat modeling, code reviews, and penetration testing for high-risk applications and services
- Design and build AI agents throughout the SDLC for automated threat modeling during design, AI-driven secure code generation and review, and reducing AppSec toil
- Create and deliver hands-on application security training to enable engineers at scale
- Participate in the Application Security on-call rotation and lead post-incident hardening
Minimum Qualifications:- Proven ability to perform design reviews, threat modeling, secure code reviews, and penetration testing with an attacker mindset
- Strong background in application security best practices and familiarity with common vulnerabilities (e.g. SSRF, race conditions, privilege escalations, etc.)
- Deep code review proficiency in Scala, Java, Go or other common languages, plus hands-on experience in at least Python, Go, or similar for building. Comfortable reviewing production services written in other languages
- Experience implementing custom detection and prevention application security controls to eliminate application security issues beyond OWASP Top 10
- Familiarity with highly regulated environments (financial services, fintech, crypto, or equivalent) and ability to understand business objectives, business context, and security risk
- Strong cross-functional communication and collaboration (Security, Engineering, and Product)
- Typically 7-10+ years of experience or equivalent impact in application security, product security, or similar roles
Preferred Qualifications:- Experience building AI application security tooling using agents or skills
- Experience with supply chain security, common frameworks (SLSA, OWASP SPVS) and other CI/CD security controls
- Experience with preventing application security vulnerabilities at scale through secure design patterns, automated tooling, or frameworks
- Experience with microservice architectures and cloud-native environments
It Pays to Work HereThe compensation & benefits package for this role includes:
- Competitive starting pay
- A discretionary annual bonus
- Long-term incentive in the form of a new hire equity grant
- Comprehensive health plans
- 401K with company matching
- Paid Parental Leave
- Flexible time off
Salary Range: The base salary range for this role is between $168,000 - $240,000 in the State of New York. This range is not inclusive of our discretionary bonus or equity package. When determining a candidate's compensation, we consider a number of factors including skillset, experience, job scope, and current market data.
In the United States, we offer a hybrid work approach at our hub offices, balancing the benefits of in-person collaboration with the flexibility of remote work. Expectations may vary by location and role, so candidates are encouraged to connect with their recruiter to learn more about the specific policy for the role. Employees who do not live near one of our hubs are part of our remote workforce.
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