Staff Security Engineer, Application Security

Hi, Future Homie!

At Homebase, you'll join a team that's bold, fast-moving, and obsessed with helping small businesses thrive. We build with empathy, act with urgency, and take big swings that drive real-world impact. Here, every Homie shows up to raise the bar, support one another, and celebrate wins as a team.

We're not just building an app-we're building unstoppable teams. So what do you say, are you in?

Your Impact Starts Here

We're looking for a hands-on Staff Security Engineer to own and shape Homebase's Application Security domain. This is a technical leadership role at the E5 level -you'll define the multi-quarter strategy for how we secure our products, set architectural direction, and pioneer new capabilities that keep pace with our rapid growth.

Homebase's product suite spans scheduling, payroll, time tracking, HR, team communication, and a growing ecosystem of AI-powered features. That breadth creates fascinating security challenges, from protecting sensitive workforce and financial data to securing the AI models and pipelines that are becoming central to our product experience.

You'll be the recognized expert our engineering organization turns to for application security decisions. You'll work at the intersection of security, product, and engineering, partnering with engineering leaders to embed security into architecture from the ground up, while building the platforms and tooling that let developers ship safely at speed.

These are the key ways you'll contribute and create impact in this role:

Security Strategy & Architecture

• Define and execute Homebase's multi-quarter Application Security roadmap, aligning security initiatives with business objectives and company OKRs.
• Architect secure-by-default patterns, frameworks, and paved roads that developers adopt naturally, removing entire classes of vulnerabilities before they reach production.
• Evaluate emerging security technologies and make build-versus-buy decisions that shape the security platform.
• Drive security and product trade-off decisions at the architectural level, balancing protection with velocity.
• Influence company-wide engineering practices and security investments through data-driven recommendations.

AI Security

• Lead threat modeling and security architecture reviews for AI-powered features, model training pipelines, and LLM integrations.
• Design and implement security controls specific to AI/ML systems, including prompt injection defenses, model input validation, output filtering, and data pipeline integrity.
• Create AI-powered vulnerability detection and security automation that multiplies the team's effectiveness.
• Partner with AI engineering teams to establish secure development patterns for model deployment and inference infrastructure.
• Stay ahead of the evolving AI threat landscape and translate emerging risks into practical engineering guidance.

Secure Development & Tooling

• Build and maintain security tooling and automation that integrates seamlessly into CI/CD pipelines, enabling continuous security validation at scale.
• Own the vulnerability management program: design modern systems for detection, prioritization, tracking, and remediation of security debt across the product portfolio.
• Own the bug bounty and responsible disclosure program, turning external researcher findings into systemic improvements.
• Embed security into the full software development lifecycle through scalable guardrails, automated testing frameworks, and developer-facing documentation.

Cross-Functional Impact & Culture

• Partner with senior leaders across Engineering, Product, and Infrastructure to improve Homebase's overall security posture.
• Pioneer a security partnership program, mentoring engineers across the organization, and driving a culture of shared security ownership.
• Provide expert guidance during security incidents and lead post-incident analysis to drive systemic improvements.
• Curate and author security guidance, patterns, and training content that raises the security bar organization-wide.
• Influence security decisions at the department and company level; shape how Homebase invests in security capabilities.

The Foundation for Success - These are the experiences and strengths that will set you up for success in this role:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in Application Security or Security Engineering, with demonstrated impact at the Staff or Principal level.
• Deep software engineering experience in production environments, you write code, build tools, and think like an engineer first.
• A proven track record of leading architectural changes and complex cross-team initiatives that reduced security risk at scale.
• Hands-on experience securing AI-native applications, including LLM integrations, model pipelines, or ML infrastructure.
• Strong expertise in web application security, cloud-native security (AWS), and modern DevSecOps practices.
• Proficiency in languages and frameworks relevant to our stack: Ruby, Python, React, and Rails.
• Experience designing and implementing modern vulnerability management systems and embedding security tooling within CI/CD pipelines.
• Exceptional ability to evaluate security trade-offs, make pragmatic risk-informed decisions, and communicate them clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Demonstrated curiosity about emerging AI capabilities, with a track record of leveraging new tools to enhance security operations and productivity.

Bonus point if you bring:

• Experience defining application security strategy and maturity roadmaps for a high-growth, product-driven company.
• A background in building AI-powered security tools or detection systems.
• Speaking experience at security conferences, meetups, or community events.
• Experience with threat modeling frameworks adapted for AI/ML systems.

The Homie Way - These principles guide everything we do-from how we work and make decisions to how we show up for each other.

• Be Customer Obsessed - Solve problems with empathy and creativity.
• Move Fast, Learn Fast - Experiment, take action, and grow every day.
• Own Your Impact - Think big, focus on what matters, and make decisions you stand behind.
• Master Your Craft - Excellence fuels impact-show up, step up, and make your mark.
• Win Together - Put goals over roles, lead with trust, and connect to our mission and each other.

What We Offer

• Ownership & Savings: Stock options + TFSA/RRSP with 4% company match
• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision for you and your dependents
• Time Flexibility: Flex time off + company holidays + designated focus periods
• AI Access, For Real: We invest in builders and believe that curiosity shouldn't have a paywall. That means you'll have access to paid AI tools with minimal restrictions, so you can build, experiment, and level up your craft.
• Family Support: Maternity/Parental Leave EI top-up support offered (after 6 months of service)
• Work Your Way: Work From Anywhere Month + meeting-free weeks yearly
• Protection Plans: Life insurance + short/long-term disability coverage
• Workspace Perks: Meals provided, team offsites, and Customer Days
• Our Hybrid Rhythm: We believe collaboration drives impact. For employees located near one of our office hubs, Tuesday and Wednesday are our in-office collaboration days - a time to move faster as a team, build deeper connections, make better decisions, and build together.

What to Expect During the Interview Process

• Meet the Talent Acquisition team, Ryan H.
• Meet the Hiring Manager, Ali F.
• Participate in Technical Interviews
• Meet the VP of Engineering, Andrea C.
• Background Check + Offer Stage
• Welcome to the team, Homie

Belonging at Homebase - We're committed to fostering a welcoming space where every Homie can be their full self. Experience comes in many forms-so if you're excited about this role, even if you don't meet 100% of the qualifications, we encourage you to apply!


Homebase will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

Hey, We're Homebase

Homebase is the everything app for hourly teams-built to simplify the day-to-day and superpower local businesses. With tools for scheduling, time clocks, payroll, communication, HR, and more, we help teams stay connected and in control. Today, over 150,000 small (but mighty) businesses rely on us to make work radically easier. Together, we've tracked over a billion hours for 2M+ workers-and we're just getting started.

At Homebase, we celebrate diversity and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all candidates and do not discriminate based on any legally protected status. If you need accommodations during the hiring process, please let us know-we're committed to ensuring fair and equitable access for all.