Staff Software Engineer, Firewall

Horizon3.ai

. Serve as the hands-on technical lead for the Firewall pod within Precision Defense .

Posted 10/30/2026full-timeRemote • United StatesLead💰 $225,000 - $265,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expert-level proficiency in Python software development and strong hands-on experience in designing and operating production backend systems. Capable of leading technical initiatives, mentoring engineers, and translating complex product challenges into actionable technical plans.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Technical Leadership ExperienceExpert-Level Python DevelopmentWAF Platforms KnowledgeSystems-Design SkillsClear Technical Writing

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Python DevelopmentGo ProgrammingRust ProgrammingAPI DesignService-Oriented SystemsSystems-DesignApplication Security TestingNetwork FirewallsBot ManagementRate Limiting

Soft Skills

MentoringInfluencing EngineersClear Communication

Tools & Technologies

AWS WAFCloudflareF5ImpervaFortiWebModSecurityOWASP CRSContainerizationCloud Environments

Industry Keywords

FirewallWeb Application FirewallSecurity IntegrationOperational WorkflowsConfiguration Safety Controls

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

AWSCloudFirewallsPythonRustGo

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Serve as the hands-on technical lead for the Firewall pod within Precision Defense
Own the Web Application Firewall workstream from problem framing and design through delivery, operation, and iteration
Design and build integrations with WAF management platforms and APIs
Define correctness checks that address validated attack paths while preserving legitimate traffic and service availability
Build durable workflows for long-running or resumable operations, including retries, idempotency, timeouts, and partial failure handling
Design safety controls for configuration changes, including authorization, least privilege, precondition checks, auditability, staged rollout, validation, recovery, and rollback
Build observability so engineers and customers understand assessments, recommendations, and rationale
Contribute production code while shaping architecture and leading design and code reviews
Partner with Product, Engineering, AI research, and Attack teams to clarify scope, sequence work, manage dependencies, and connect technical decisions to customer outcomes
Mentor engineers and lead through influence
Surface risks and tradeoffs clearly in writing

Requirements

What you’ll need

Staff-level technical leadership experience, including setting direction, making tradeoffs, and influencing engineers
Strong hands-on software engineering skills and experience designing, shipping, and operating production backend systems
Expert-level proficiency in large-scale Python software development
8+ years of experience leading technical work at Staff, Lead, or comparable scope
Working knowledge of WAF platforms and policy models, including AWS WAF, Cloudflare, F5, Imperva, FortiWeb, or ModSecurity/OWASP CRS
Proficiency in Go, Rust, or a comparable modern backend language
Experience designing service-oriented systems, APIs, or integrations
Strong systems-design skills across correctness, reliability, security, and maintainability
Ability to translate ambiguous product or customer problems into concrete technical plans
Clear technical writing and communication skills
Experience in API security, bot management, rate limiting, application security testing, network firewalls, or segmentation is advantageous
Experience integrating security or infrastructure platforms with varying APIs and policy models is advantageous
Familiarity with cloud environments, containerization, and operating services at scale is advantageous

Benefits

Comp & perks

Stock options/equity package for all full-time roles
Health, vision, and dental insurance for you and your family
Flexible vacation policy
Generous parental leave
Career development opportunities
Inclusive and collaborative work culture
Remote and hybrid work models depending on role and location