Engineering & Architecture
Application Security Lead Recruiting
Owns secure software development, from threat modeling and code review to the security tooling in CI/CD pipelines.
About the role
An Application Security Lead, sometimes called a Product Security Lead, makes sure the software a company builds is secure. They run the secure development lifecycle, embed security tooling into CI/CD pipelines, manage the bug bounty and penetration test program and work closely with developers.
The best AppSec leaders earn trust with engineering teams. They speak the language of developers, understand modern frameworks and know how to fix problems without slowing releases down.
Typical responsibilities
- Run the secure software development lifecycle (SSDLC)
- Embed SAST, DAST, SCA and secrets scanning into CI/CD pipelines
- Lead threat modeling and security design reviews for new features
- Manage the bug bounty program and third-party application testing
- Train developers and build a security champions program
What we assess in candidates
- Software development background and code review skill
- Practical knowledge of the OWASP Top 10 and modern web and API risks
- Experience scaling AppSec across many engineering teams
- Credibility and relationships with developers
How we search for a Application Security Lead
We look for candidates with real development experience and a record of running AppSec at your scale. Technical screening includes reviewing a code sample or design, so your engineers meet only candidates who can hold their own with them.
Frequently asked questions
Is AppSec the same as product security?
The terms overlap. Product security often also covers the security features of the product itself and customer-facing trust, while AppSec focuses on secure development. We clarify scope during intake.
Do AppSec leads need to be developers?
Most strong candidates have written production code. It is the main reason engineering teams trust them.
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Looking for a Application Security Lead?
Tell us about the role and the team. We will reply within one business day.