Engineering Manager - Security
WFA Digital Insight
As the demand for robust security infrastructure grows, companies like Plaid are seeking skilled leaders to drive their security engineering efforts. With the rise of digital payments and online financial services, the need for secure and reliable systems has never been more pressing. Plaid, a leader in the fintech space, is looking for an Engineering Manager to spearhead their security team. This role is particularly interesting in the current remote job market, where companies are looking for talent who can work effectively in distributed teams. According to recent statistics, the demand for cybersecurity professionals has increased by over 30% in the past year, making this a high-growth field. Candidates should be aware that this role requires not only technical expertise but also strong leadership and communication skills to drive security initiatives across the organization.
Job Description
About the Role
The Engineering Manager - Security at Plaid will play a crucial role in leading the security engineering team, responsible for building and operating the foundational security capabilities that underpin secure development across the company. This involves partnering closely with cross-functional engineering leaders to define and drive the roadmap for platform capabilities, ensuring that security is integrated into every aspect of the product. The successful candidate will have a strong technical background in software engineering, with experience in managing engineers in a security, platform, or infrastructure context.The security team at Plaid is dedicated to making the secure path the easy path for every engineer, by building secure paved roads across various security surfaces, including encryption, authentication, and data security. This team works closely with product and platform engineering teams to deliver self-service security infrastructure that scales across teams at varying levels of security maturity.
What You Will Do
- Lead, mentor, and grow a team of security engineers, fostering a high-performance, collaborative, and psychologically safe team culture
- Own the technical roadmap and strategic direction for Plaid's core security capabilities across encryption, authN/authZ, CI/CD, data, and network security surfaces
- Partner with product and platform engineering teams to deeply understand their needs and deliver self-service security infrastructure
- Partner with Data Foundation and AI teams to build secure paved roads for agentic identities and workflows
- Drive measurable improvement in secure-by-default adoption across Plaid's engineering organization
- Make pragmatic, risk-based security decisions and tradeoffs that align with product roadmaps and business objectives
- Represent the team's work and security posture clearly to Staff-level leaders
- Actively build team stability and strong team dynamics, playing a significant role in hiring, onboarding, growing, and retaining security engineering talent
- Define and track key security metrics to measure the team's effectiveness and identify areas for improvement
- Collaborate with external partners and vendors to stay up-to-date with the latest security threats and technologies
What We Are Looking For
- 8–14 years of overall software engineering experience, with ~6+ years of that in engineering management roles
- Strong technical background in software engineering, with the ability to understand, evaluate, and guide work on auth systems, encryption, identity/access services, and related security domains
- Experience managing engineers in a security, platform, or infrastructure context
- Experience designing and securing AI/ML/Agentic platforms
- Familiarity with AI security and governance risks and control designs that preserve developer velocity
- Proven track record building scalable platforms and leading high-performing teams
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams
- Strong understanding of security principles, protocols, and technologies
Nice to Have
- Experience with cloud-based security infrastructure, such as AWS and K8s
- Knowledge of security frameworks and standards, such as NIST and ISO 27001
- Familiarity with agile development methodologies and DevOps practices
- Experience with security analytics and threat intelligence tools
- Certification in security, such as CISSP or CISM
Benefits and Perks
- Competitive salary and equity package
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
- Flexible PTO policy and paid holidays
- Remote work stipend and equipment budget
- Professional development opportunities, including training and conference attendance
- Access to the latest security tools and technologies
- Collaborative and dynamic work environment
- Recognition and rewards for outstanding performance
How to Stand Out
- Ensure your resume and cover letter are tailored to the specific requirements of the role, highlighting your experience in security engineering and leadership.
- Develop a strong understanding of Plaid's products and services, and be prepared to discuss how your skills and experience align with the company's goals.
- Be prepared to provide specific examples of your experience in building and leading high-performing teams, and how you have driven security initiatives in previous roles.
- Familiarize yourself with the latest security trends and technologies, and be prepared to discuss how you stay up-to-date with industry developments.
- Consider creating a portfolio or repository of your work, showcasing your experience in security engineering and leadership.
- Practice your communication and collaboration skills, as these are critical for success in this role.
- Research the company culture and values, and be prepared to discuss how you align with these.
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