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Vulnerability Research Software Engineer

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Remote from
USA, Canada
Salary
USD 110k–170k / yr
Department
Cybersecurity
Employment
Full Time
Experience
Open level
Published
Apply before
26 Nov 2026
Listing views
28
Application actions
2
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AI Summary

The role, at a glance.

Socket is hiring a Vulnerability Research Software Engineer to build patching infrastructure that delivers vetted open-source packages to developers. The role centers on Rust, Unix/Linux, CLI tooling, package-manager integrations, APIs, automated patching, and quality assurance. The engineer will work with security researchers to remediate critical vulnerabilities and improve software supply-chain security across package ecosystems. This is a remote-first, full-time position available in Canada and the United States, with meaningful ownership in an early-stage team.

Role DNA

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

Job Complexity

5/5
EasyHard

Pace & Pressure

5/5
RelaxedFast-paced

Autonomy Level

5/5
GuidedFull ownership

Communication Load

4/5
IndependentCollaborative
AI insightThe role requires strong production engineering across Rust, Unix tooling, package ecosystems, APIs, and security workflows. Rapid patch production and responsibility for edge cases in developer-facing remediation systems make the technical and operational bar high.

Salary analysis

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

Estimated job median (per year)Market rate
$140,000
US market range (per year)$125k–$190k
AI insightThe employer discloses a yearly base-compensation range of $110,000–$170,000 USD, with a midpoint of $140,000. Estimated US market pay for a mid-level software/security engineer specializing in supply-chain security is approximately $125,000–$190,000 USD per year.

Core skills

Skills and capabilities most closely associated with this opportunity.

Sample interview questions
How would you design a safe automated patching workflow for a critical vulnerability in a widely used npm package?

I would begin by reproducing and scoping the vulnerability, identifying supported versions and dependency constraints. I would create a minimal patch, validate it with unit, integration, and regression tests, and run compatibility checks against representative consumer environments. Finally, I would publish signed or traceable artifacts, document limitations, and monitor rollout results so the patch can be quickly revised if ecosystem-specific issues emerge.

Describe an approach to building a resilient CLI used across varied Unix environments.

I would define stable command contracts, clear exit codes, structured output options, and actionable error messages. The implementation should avoid environment assumptions, validate external tool availability, handle filesystem and permission differences, and provide deterministic configuration precedence. I would test across supported operating systems and shells, including failure paths such as interrupted execution and malformed lockfiles.

What package-manager edge cases would you consider when implementing support for npm, Yarn, and pnpm?

I would account for lockfile format and version differences, workspace layouts, peer dependencies, optional dependencies, overrides or resolutions, registries, caches, integrity hashes, and lifecycle scripts. I would also verify behavior with monorepos and private packages. The integration should preserve reproducibility while making any required dependency changes explicit to the developer.

How would you collaborate with security researchers when turning vulnerability findings into production patches?

I would establish a shared severity assessment, reproduction case, affected-version matrix, and remediation timeline. I would translate the research into engineering requirements while preserving confidential details until disclosure is appropriate. Throughout implementation, I would use clear review checkpoints so researchers can validate that the patch fully addresses the exploit path without creating regressions.

How do you balance rapid vulnerability remediation with patch quality?

I prioritize by exploitability, blast radius, and available mitigations, then use automation to shorten validation rather than skipping it. A focused test suite, reproducible builds, peer review, and staged rollout provide fast confidence for urgent fixes. For high-risk changes, I would ship a safe mitigation first where possible and follow with a fully validated long-term patch.

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.

About Us

Socket helps devs and security teams ship faster by cutting out security busywork. Thousands of orgs use Socket to safely find, audit, and manage open source code. Our customers – from Anthropic to xAI, and Figma to Vercel – love Socket (just check out their tweets to see for yourself!)

Founded by Feross Aboukhadijeh, a long-time open source maintainer with software downloaded over a billion times a month, Socket has raised $125M in funding from top angels, operators, and security leaders.

About the Role

Join Socket to build and scale our patching infrastructure that delivers secure, vetted packages to developers worldwide. You’ll be at the forefront of supply chain security, creating patches for critical vulnerabilities and building the systems that help the entire open source ecosystem stay secure.

This role emphasizes deep software engineering expertise, especially in Rust and Unix environments. You’ll tackle challenging CLI work—scoping, troubleshooting, and addressing edge cases across multiple package managers. This role combines engineering work with meaningful community impact that benefits the entire ecosystem. As an early member of the Socket team, you’ll help shape how we scale this technology.

What You’ll Do

  • Master Socket workflows, tools, and patching processes

  • Build and maintain CLI tooling used in customer environments.

  • Implement package-manager integrations and handle ecosystem-specific edge cases.

  • Translate dependency and vulnerability workflows into reliable developer-facing interfaces.

  • Debug implementation issues across Unix-based environments.

  • Work closely with the patch team to scope work, troubleshoot problems, and ship practical improvements.

  • Contribute to frontend experiences using JavaScript, React, and TypeScript.

  • Scale patch production to dozens or hundreds of patches per week

  • Build and improve automated patching infrastructure and tooling

  • Build APIs and integrations to deliver certified packages

  • Create tooling for patch quality assurance and testing

  • Work with security researchers to understand and patch critical vulnerabilities

  • Give developers quick, safe remediation options for widely-used packages

  • Help secure the software supply chain for millions of developers

What You’ll Bring

Required:

  • 3+ years of software engineering experience with production systems

  • Strong proficiency in Rust and Unix/Linux environments

  • Proficiency in Node.js, JavaScript, and TypeScript

  • Experience with package managers (npm, yarn, pnpm) and the JavaScript ecosystem

  • Understanding of software security concepts and vulnerability management

  • Experience building and scaling APIs and data processing pipelines

  • Familiarity with automated testing, CI/CD, and deployment systems

Preferred:

  • Experience with security tooling, vulnerability scanning, or patch management

  • Knowledge of software supply chain security challenges

  • Experience with other package ecosystems (Python, Go, etc.)

  • Open source contributions or package maintenance experience

  • Background in DevSecOps or security engineering

  • Experience with high-throughput data processing systems

Our Interview Process

  1. Informational with a member from our Talent Team

  2. Hiring Manager Interview

  3. Peer Interview

  4. Take-home problem

    1. Internal review of take-home

    2. Live review of take-home

  5. Debrief

  6. Final Interview with our founder

  7. References

  8. Decision/Offer

Hiring is a big decision on both sides. Read more about our Hiring Philosophy and how we approach the process at Socket.

Benefits: Our benefits are crafted to support you and your family, so you can take care of what matters most and thrive in and outside of work. We offer:

  • Market competitive salary bands

  • Meaningful equity program

  • Comprehensive health benefits for you and your family (99% coverage)

  • Flexible time-off, holidays, and winter shutdown to rest & recharge

  • Paid parental leave

  • Remote-first, with quarterly team off-sites

At Socket, we

  1. Pursue Excellence: We set ourselves apart by consistently delivering work of exceptional quality and distinction.

  2. Move with urgency and focus: We prioritize swift, decisive action.

  3. Think rigorously: We care about being right and it often takes reasoning from first principles to get there. We value alternative perspectives and have constructive discussions.

  4. Trust and amplify: We overtrust, always assume good intent, and give specific feedback to help each other improve.

  5. Feel a strong sense of ownership: We wear many hats and feel a strong sense of overall ownership of the company and we’re non-territorial regarding our nominal domains.

  6. Are customer obsessed: We relentlessly prioritize the needs of our customers, striving to exceed their expectations and delight them at every interaction.

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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