Principal Security Engineer, Research & Engineering

Role Description

The Principal Security Engineer serves as a cultural, business, and technical leader within Trail of Bits' Research & Engineering practice. Principal Engineers set technical vision, drive new business growth, lead projects, manage people, and champion the company's publications and marketing efforts.

• Leverage experience and professional network to turn ideas into meaningful research and engineering efforts.
• Mentor and inspire other engineers, helping them build their networks and skillsets.
• Act as an ambassador to the company through blogs and speaking at conferences.
• Identify team organization and operational problems, spot knowledge gaps, and take steps to help the team fill them.
• Work closely with Staff Engineers on technical roadmaps and collaborate with Directors on resourcing.
• Support the proposal process through SoW writing and scoping.
• Software development primarily involves Rust, C++, and Python, with occasional work in Go and Java.
• Lead and participate in teams of 2–4 people across remote locations.
• Frequent communication with team members, clients, and industry partners is essential to success.

Qualifications

• Extensive software development and security engineering experience, with deep expertise in Rust, C++, and/or Python.
• A well-established professional network in the security industry, government, or adjacent technical communities.
• Demonstrated track record of leading security projects end-to-end, from scoping and proposal through delivery.
• Experience engaging with clients and participating in the sales or business development process.
• Proven ability to mentor and develop senior-level engineers, helping them grow their careers and professional networks.
• Experience setting technical vision and strategy for a team or practice area.
• Strong knowledge of AI/ML systems and associated security challenges.
• Public speaking experience at conferences, panels, or industry events.
• Published work demonstrating thought leadership in security through blog posts, whitepapers, academic papers, or open-source tools.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with technical teams, clients, and executive leadership.
• Experience writing SoWs, scoping proposals, and supporting the business development lifecycle.
• Ability to identify organizational and operational problems and drive solutions.

Requirements

• Experience building and maintaining a revenue-generating practice area or service line.
• Track record of securing external funding (government contracts, grants, or sponsored research).
• Deep understanding of low-level systems, including memory management, operating system internals, compiler technology, or binary analysis.
• Experience designing IRAD portfolios or technical roadmaps for a research organization.
• Contributions to major open-source security tools or frameworks.
• Experience managing direct reports (1–4) and providing career development guidance.
• Familiarity with the US Government contracting and proposal process.

Benefits

• Competitive salary complemented by performance-based bonuses.
• Fully company-paid insurance packages, including health, dental, vision, disability, and life.
• A solid 401(k) plan with a 5% match of your base salary.
• 20 days of paid vacation with flexibility for more, adhering to jurisdictional regulations.
• 4 months of parental leave to cherish the arrival of new family members.
• $10,000 in relocation assistance for those interested in moving to NYC.
• $1,000 Working-from-Home stipend to create a comfortable and productive home office.
• Annual $750 Learning & Development stipend for continuous personal and professional growth.
• Company-sponsored all-team celebrations, including travel and accommodation, to foster community and recognize achievements.
• Philanthropic contribution matching up to $2,000 annually.