Security Research Engineer - Shift Left Security
Split Software
Key Responsibilities
- Contribute to research on modern attack vectors across source code, dependencies, build systems, and CI/CD pipelines.
- Assist in developing scanning and detection techniques for SAST, SCA, and DAST to identify security flaws early in the development process.
- Perform hands-on assessments of web applications, APIs, and build pipelines under guidance to uncover design flaws, misconfigurations, and dependency risks.
- Study software supply chain threats and contribute to identifying and mitigating risks across open-source ecosystems.
- Perform hands-on assessments of code, applications, APIs, and build pipelines under guidance to uncover design flaws, misconfigurations, and security risks.
- Help build and test prototype tools that automate vulnerability detection and developer workflow integration.
- Collaborate with research, product, and engineering teams to validate findings and implement security improvements in developer environments.
- Stay current with new vulnerabilities, frameworks, and DevSecOps practices to identify emerging threats relevant to modern software delivery.
- Document findings and share insights through internal reports, knowledge bases, or external blog drafts.
Required Skills & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
- 1 - 4 years of experience application security or security research
- Foundational understanding of Shift-Left Security concepts such as SAST, SCA, and DAST.
- Understanding of CI/CD pipelines, build systems, and developer workflows.
- Interest in AI and LLM models, and curiosity about how they impact software security (e.g., insecure code generation, data leakage, dependency risks).
- Familiarity with dependency management ecosystems (npm, PyPI, Maven, Go modules) and basic knowledge of software supply chain risks.
- Passion for research, security, and continuous learning, with a never-give-up attitude.
- Knowledge of OWASP Top 10, API Top 10, LLM Top 10, CI/CD Top 10.
- Strong analytical mindset with curiosity for exploring how attackers exploit weaknesses in code and pipelines.
- Proficiency in Java and Python for prototyping and automating rule validation workflows.
- Excellent communication, documentation, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Nice to Have
- Contributions to open-source security projects, especially those related to the OWASP Top 10 or OWASP API Top 10.
- Experience developing custom WAF/WAAP rule engines, threat classifiers, or signal correlation pipelines.
- Background in API security, runtime protection, or detection engineering at scale.
- Authored publications, technical blogs, or delivered conference talks.
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All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
Note on Fraudulent Recruiting/Offers
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Please note, we do not ask for sensitive or financial information via chat, text, or social media, and any email communications will come from the domain @harness.io. Additionally, Harness will never ask for any payment, fee to be paid, or purchases to be made by a job applicant. All applicants are encouraged to apply directly to our open jobs via our website. Interviews are generally conducted via Zoom video conference unless the candidate requests other accommodations.
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