This free Security Engineer job description template is ready to use — copy it, replace the {{placeholders}}, and post your role in minutes. It includes a company intro, a role summary, responsibilities, requirements, nice-to-haves, and compensation, with writing tips and FAQs below to help you tailor it to your team.
When to use this template
Use this when you're hiring someone to own security — protecting your product, infrastructure, and customer data through secure design, threat detection, and response. Security is broad, so the most important thing is to define the focus.
Security candidates want to know whether the role is application security, infrastructure/cloud security, detection and response, or compliance-driven (SOC 2, ISO 27001). Be specific about what matters most right now.
If the role is mostly compliance paperwork rather than hands-on engineering, say so clearly — it attracts a different candidate than a hands-on security engineer.
Writing tips
- Define the focus: application security, infrastructure security, detection and response, or compliance.
- Be clear about how hands-on vs. governance-oriented the role is.
- Mention relevant compliance frameworks (SOC 2, ISO 27001) if they're part of the job.
- Emphasize collaboration — security works best partnering with engineers, not policing them.
- Include the salary range and seniority level.
The job description
Copy the template below and replace the {{placeholders}} and [bracketed notes] with your specifics.
About {{company}}
{{company}} is [what you do]. We take our customers' trust seriously, and we're hiring a Security Engineer to keep our product, infrastructure, and data secure.
The role
As a Security Engineer, you'll protect {{company}} and our customers — designing for security, finding and fixing vulnerabilities, and helping the whole team build securely. This role reports to {{hiring_manager}} and is based {{work_type}} in {{location}}.
What you'll do
- Review designs and code for security and help teams build securely by default.
- Find, prioritize, and drive the fix of vulnerabilities across our stack.
- Improve our security tooling, monitoring, and detection.
- Help respond to security incidents and run post-incident reviews.
- Support compliance efforts ([SOC 2 / ISO 27001]) where relevant.
What we're looking for
- 3+ years in a security engineering role.
- Strong foundations in [application / infrastructure / cloud] security.
- A software engineering background or strong scripting ability.
- The ability to partner with engineers rather than just gate them.
- Clear judgment about risk and what to prioritize.
Nice to have
- Experience with cloud security and infrastructure as code.
- Familiarity with compliance frameworks and audits.
- Relevant certifications or a track record in the security community.
What we offer
- Salary range: {{salary_range}}, plus equity.
- [Comprehensive benefits].
- Flexible {{work_type}} working and [PTO policy].
- A company that treats security as a priority, not an afterthought.
How to personalize
Replace these placeholders before posting:
- {{company}}
- {{location}}
- {{work_type}}
- {{salary_range}}
- {{hiring_manager}}
The bracketed notes — like [your benefits] or [your primary language(s)] — are prompts to swap in your own details. The more specific you are about the actual work and stack, the stronger your applicant pool will be.
Frequently asked questions
- What does a Security Engineer do?
- A Security Engineer protects a company's product, infrastructure, and data. They review designs and code for security, find and help fix vulnerabilities, build security tooling and monitoring, respond to incidents, and help the rest of engineering build securely.
- What are the main types of security engineering roles?
- Common focuses include application security (securing code and products), infrastructure or cloud security (securing systems and networks), detection and response (finding and handling threats), and compliance-oriented security (frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001). Many roles blend several; the best job descriptions name the primary focus.
- What skills should a Security Engineer have?
- Strong security fundamentals in their focus area, a software engineering or scripting background, clear judgment about risk and prioritization, and the ability to partner with engineers rather than simply police them. Cloud security and compliance experience are common pluses.