Staff Security Engineer

Google’s Security organization is dedicated to maintaining a safer operating environment for users and developers. As a Staff Security Engineer on Security, you will help strengthen GKE into the most secure managed Kubernetes platform, with a focus on secure operations, threat-informed design, and practical guidance for engineering teams.

This Seattle, WA (onsite) role combines technical depth in Kubernetes security with leadership responsibilities for the GKE Platform Security team. You will lead reviews, drive threat modeling for emerging Kubernetes capabilities, and collaborate across Google Security to support a long-term threat detection strategy.

Role Summary

Focus areas include scaling platform security, conducting deep-dive Kubernetes security reviews, researching and reproducing vulnerabilities, and providing security guidance to mitigate key product threats. The team’s mission emphasizes running container workloads safely out of the box and hardening both Kubernetes and GKE services using a risk-based approach.

Responsibilities

• Lead and scale the GKE Platform Security team to proactively address emerging infrastructure risks in a rapidly changing agentic era.
• Perform deep-dive Kubernetes security reviews, including researching and reproducing vulnerabilities, and create threat models for next-generation features such as the "Kubernetes for Agents" substrate.
• Put secure operational practices in place and deliver actionable security guidance to engineering teams to help mitigate top product threats.
• Run rigorous, ongoing design reviews to surface security gaps and coordinate with teams across Google Security to build a comprehensive, long-term threat detection strategy.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 8 years of experience with security assessments, security design reviews, or threat modeling.
• 8 years of experience in security engineering, including computer and network security and security protocols.
• 8 years of coding experience in one or more general-purpose languages.
• 2 years of experience working with Kubernetes.

Technologies

• Kubernetes
• GKE (Google Kubernetes Engine)
• Cloud systems

Benefits

• Health, dental, vision, life, disability insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• 20 days of vacation per year, accruing at a rate of 6.15 hours per pay period for the first five years of employment
• 40 hours/year (increased to 69 hours/year for Seattle), including 5 discretionary sick days per instance
• Maternity Leave (Short-Term Disability + Baby Bonding): 28-30 weeks
• Baby Bonding Leave: 18 weeks
• 13 paid days per year

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in Cloud systems.
• Contributed to open source software.

Compensation: USD 207,000 - 300,000 per year.