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Discord

Senior Software Engineer, Application Security

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Remote from
USA
Salary
USD 196k–245k / yr
Department
Cybersecurity
Employment
Full Time
Experience
Senior
Published
Apply before
11 Nov 2026
Listing views
17
Application actions
0
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AI Summary

The role, at a glance.

This senior application-security engineering role builds and operates full-stack, user-facing protections for Discord account security at very large scale. The engineer will lead work on authentication, session security, security-critical services, and self-service controls that identify and mitigate account-security flaws. Strong practical experience with production application security, secure design, cloud environments, and authentication technologies such as WebAuthn, passkeys, FIDO2, MFA, and session management is required. The role also requires cross-functional technical leadership with product and engineering teams, plus the ability to harden desktop or mobile client applications. It is a U.S. West Coast-based remote full-time opportunity, with a Bay Area office option.

Role DNA

A quick view of the complexity, pace, ownership and collaboration implied by the job description.

Job Complexity

5/5
EasyHard

Pace & Pressure

4/5
RelaxedFast-paced

Autonomy Level

5/5
GuidedFull ownership

Communication Load

5/5
IndependentCollaborative
AI insightThe role protects authentication and session systems used by hundreds of millions of users, where design mistakes can have severe security and privacy consequences. It requires senior-level ownership across full-stack services, client platforms, emerging threats, and cross-functional adoption.

Salary analysis

Estimated compensation compared with the broader US market for similar roles.

Estimated job medianMarket rate
$220,500
US market range$190k–$260k
AI insightThe disclosed U.S. annual base-salary range is $196,000–$245,000, with a midpoint of $220,500. This is competitive for a senior application security engineer working on large-scale consumer authentication and account-security systems; a comparable U.S. market base-salary range is approximately $190,000–$260,000, excluding equity and benefits.

Core skills

Skills and capabilities most closely associated with this opportunity.

Application SecurityAuthenticationSession ManagementWebAuthnPasskeysFIDO2Multi-Factor AuthenticationSecure Software DevelopmentCloud SecurityGoogle Cloud Platform
Sample interview questions
How would you design a secure session-management system for a large consumer platform?

I would use short-lived, cryptographically strong session credentials with secure HttpOnly, Secure, and appropriate SameSite cookie settings where applicable. I would implement token rotation, device and session inventory, revocation on sensitive events, anomaly detection, and risk-based reauthentication. I would also define clear telemetry, incident-response procedures, and tests for fixation, replay, theft, and logout/revocation failures.

Describe how you would introduce passkeys without disrupting existing users or authentication flows.

I would begin with a threat model and compatibility assessment, then add passkeys as an opt-in authentication method alongside existing factors. The rollout would include clear enrollment and recovery paths, support for multiple authenticators, strong account-recovery safeguards, feature flags, and adoption metrics. After validating reliability and user comprehension, I would progressively encourage passkey use while retaining appropriately secured fallback methods.

How do you assess the security of an unfamiliar distributed system?

I first map trust boundaries, identities, data flows, privileged actions, and external dependencies. I review the architecture and code paths around authentication, authorization, secrets, input handling, and logging, then validate assumptions through targeted tests and threat modeling. I prioritize findings by exploitability and impact, provide actionable remediation guidance, and partner with owners through validation and rollout.

Tell us about a time you led a security project across product and engineering teams.

I would establish a shared problem statement, measurable security outcomes, owners, and a delivery plan that accounts for product constraints. I communicate the threat and user impact in practical terms, offer secure implementation patterns, and use milestones such as design review, implementation, testing, and staged rollout. This approach helps teams treat security as an enabling product requirement rather than a late-stage blocker.

What controls would you build to reduce account takeover risk?

I would layer phishing-resistant authentication such as passkeys, secure MFA enrollment and recovery, session binding and revocation, login-risk detection, and notifications for sensitive account changes. I would protect recovery workflows with stronger verification and rate limits, monitor credential-stuffing and automation patterns, and provide users with device/session management. Controls should be continuously measured against account-takeover rates, false positives, and recovery success.

This analysis is generated from the job description. Salary estimates, role characteristics and sample answers are guidance, not employer-provided facts.
Opportunity details

About this role.

Discord has a highly engaged community of millions of daily active users who use the platform for many different reasons, but there’s one thing that nearly everyone does: play video games. Discord plays a uniquely important role in the future of gaming, and we are focused on making it easier and more fun for people to hang out before, during, and after playing games.

Discord empowers people to create spaces where they can find a sense of belonging in their lives. Millions of people trust Discord to keep their communications secure, private, and out of the hands of evildoers, so security and privacy are necessary to Discord’s success.

We are looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join our Application Security team and protect Discord’s users where it matters most, their accounts. If you are an engineer with a wealth of experience making the secure way the easy way, a deep sense of curiosity, and an endless desire to improve Discord, read on!

What you’ll do

  • Join an engineering team designing and implementing full-stack, user-facing security solutions that protect hundreds of millions of Discord users.
  • Lead full-stack work to strengthen session security and authentication for Discord’s users.
  • Improve, operate, and maintain security-critical authentication services, owning their correctness and security.
  • Partner with Product teams to drive adoption of stronger authentication and to ship user-facing account security tools.
  • Identify and design solutions for emerging threats to user account security.
  • Research and implement new security capabilities for the Discord platform, staying current on the authentication and session security landscape.
  • Build security controls and tools that emphasize self-service, automation, and performance to help identify and mitigate account security flaws.

Who you are

  • You have 5+ years of experience securing production applications.
  • You have 3+ years of experience programming in at least one general-purpose programming language (e.g., Python, Go, Java, or Rust).
  • You have hands-on experience building and shipping production software, including security features, controls, frameworks, or guardrails.
  • You have hands-on experience with authentication and account security, such as WebAuthn, passkeys, FIDO2, MFA, and session management.
  • You are comfortable reasoning about the security of complex systems, even if they contain components you aren’t familiar with, and can give engineers clear, sound guidance on secure design and implementation.
  • You have experience leading security projects with a cross-functional group.
  • You have experience building or hardening client applications, such as desktop or native mobile apps.
  • You have experience operating in cloud-based environments (we use Google Cloud, but experience with other platforms is okay too).

Bonus points

  • Experience programming in at least one systems programming language (e.g. C, C++).
  • Experience developing, operating, and debugging production systems.
  • Familiarity with common application vulnerabilities on the platforms Discord ships on (that’s all of them).

This position is West Coast (U.S.) based and can be remote but if you live in the Bay Area, you’re welcome to work from our beautiful SF office.

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $196,000 to $245,000 + equity + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role and level. Within the range, individual pay is determined by additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include equity, or benefits.

Why Discord?

Discord plays a uniquely important role in the future of gaming. We’re a multiplatform, multigenerational and multiplayer platform that helps people deepen their friendships around games and shared interests, and helps developers build and grow their businesses. We believe games give us a way to have fun with our favorite people, whether listening to music together or grinding in competitive matches for diamond rank. Join us in our mission! Your future is just a click away!

Discord is committed to inclusion and providing reasonable accommodations during the interview process. We want you to feel set up for success, so if you are in need of reasonable accommodations, please let your recruiter know.

Please see our Applicant and Candidate Privacy Policy for details regarding Discord’s collection and usage of personal information relating to the application and recruitment process by clicking HERE.

Apply now >

This job listing has been manually reviewed by the Jobicy Trust & Safety Team for compliance with our posting guidelines, including verification of the company's legitimacy, accuracy of job details, clarity of remote work policy, and absence of misleading or fraudulent content.

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