> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/4667344-lead-security-engineer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/4667344-lead-security-engineer). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Lead Security Engineer - **Company:** Salient Partners, L.P. - **Location:** San Francisco, CA, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $200,000 - $300,000 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Microsoft Access, Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, Identity and Access Management, Intrusion Detection and Prevention, Data Streaming, Software Vulnerability Management, Large Language Models, Production Code, Vulnerability Analysis - **Published:** November 11, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.thejobnetwork.com/job/481f5fc3-9a06-4321-ac21-73df61592ec7/lead-security-engineer ## About the Role * You own outcomes end to end and ship weekly with a small team, deciding with incomplete information. * You're a software engineer first: you write production-quality code and build tested tooling and automation. * You have hands-on experience securing cloud infrastructure and identity and access (IAM/PAM), including investigating suspicious access. * You prioritize by real risk, are clear about what isn't covered, and can explain tradeoffs to leadership. Nice to Have * Experience operating SOC 2, PCI, or bank security controls and producing audit evidence. * Experience leading SOC 2 or PCI audits with external auditors. * Experience with detection engineering, incident response, or vulnerability management. * Interest or experience in threat-modeling AI systems, LLM tool use, or data flows through model providers. * Clear writing for runbooks, questionnaires, and customer security reviews, and a track record of partnering with engineering teams. * Experience with financial services, payment data, or other regulated consumer data. At Salient, we're building at the edge of AI - fast, focused, and with real ownership. Sprints and major launches move quickly, and we look for people who are energized by that pace. Our team typically works around 60 hours per week, beginning at 8:00 AM, with four days spent collaborating in person at our San Francisco office. ## Description We're hiring a hands-on Lead Security Engineer to build a repeatable security operating system for Salient. This is a Staff-level individual contributor role reporting to senior leadership. You will be our single dedicated security hire, with reserved support from infrastructure, IT, and People Operations. You will own compliance operations, boundary testing, access and vulnerability management, detection and response, and the automation that makes all of it repeatable and provable. We'll sequence this work by risk together. We don't expect anyone to arrive as an expert in every area below. What You'll Own * The operating procedure for SOC 2, PCI, enterprise security questionnaires, and bank-specific security requirements, keeping implementation, approval, submission, and acceptance separate. * Security testing across cloud/IAM, application, payment, and AI boundaries, including synthetic tests covering recordings, transcripts, logs, tools, storage, and providers. * Investigation of access anomalies. * Stronger IAM/PAM controls and monitoring. * Network and vulnerability scanning, with every finding tracked through service-owner remediation and retest, or an authorized exception. * Incident runbooks, useful detections, and proven handoffs between security, service teams, and backup personnel. * Automation for security controls and evidence: tested evidence connectors, asset reconciliation, obligation tracking, and claim-review workflows.