Does Cadre post job listings for this role?

No. Cadre has never posted a job since 2007. Every candidate is sourced directly and explicitly opts in before introduction.

Hire Security Engineers | Cadre — 84% Interview-Worthy Standard

What this role actually is in 2026

Startup security engineering is a builder’s role: cloud posture, identity and access, product security reviews that don’t stall shipping, and the SOC 2/ISO drumbeat that enterprise deals demand. The profile that thrives is an engineer-first pragmatist — someone who writes code, automates the checklist, and knows which risks matter this quarter versus which are theater. AI added a whole new attack surface: prompt injection, model supply chain, data leakage through embeddings and logs. Security engineers fluent in LLM-era threats are scarce and getting scarcer; enterprises now ask about AI security in procurement, which makes this hire revenue-relevant, not just risk-relevant.

What great looks like

Builds, not just audits. Ships guardrails and tooling; the checklist automates itself.
Compliance without drama. SOC 2/ISO delivered while engineering kept shipping.
Threat-model realism. Prioritizes by actual attacker economics, not conference fashion.
LLM-era literacy. Prompt injection, data exfil via model features, AI supply chain — already on their radar.

Compensation, from our placements

Level	Typical range (base)	Median
Mid-level	$160k – $205k	$185k
Senior	$195k – $255k	$225k
Staff+	$245k – $315k	$275k

Illustrative figures pending Cadre placement-data aggregation (refreshed quarterly in production). Equity varies by stage; we’ll give you live market context on the call.

How a Cadre search runs

Scoping call. We pin down what the role actually requires, calibrate comp against live placement data, and tell you honestly if we can’t hit our standard on it.
Warm pipeline first. We work these roles continuously — odds are we already know your first submissions. Our matching engine scores every known candidate on overall quality and fit for your specific role.
Candidates opt in. Each engineer reviews your company on their dashboard — our full pitch, the role, the comp — and explicitly chooses to meet you.
Submissions in days. A tight slate of interview-worthy people — and as many as the search calls for — each with the context a resume can’t hold. 84% of them, you’ll want to interview: the published standard.

Hiring security engineers — quick answers

First security hire: engineer or CISO?

Almost always an engineer who can build — fractional leadership can cover strategy until scale demands more. A badge-heavy leader with no hands is the classic early mis-hire; we’ll help you avoid it.

Can you find AI-security experience?

It’s the thinnest pool in security and we work it continuously — practitioners who’ve secured LLM products, not just read about them. Expect to compete hard; the opt-in intro means they already chose you.

How fast can Cadre show me security engineers?

Usually within days. Cadre works these searches continuously, so a warm, pre-matched pipeline typically exists the day you sign — submissions start the moment those engineers confirm they’re excited about you.

Do you post our role anywhere?

Never — we’ve never posted a job since 2007. Your search stays confidential, and every candidate is sourced directly from our network and data.

Cadre, in facts

Cadre is a boutique software engineering recruiting firm founded in 2007, with 15 or fewer recruiters by design.
Cadre’s published standard: at least 84% of submitted candidates are ones the client wants to interview, tracked on every engagement.
Cadre has never posted a job in its history — every candidate is sourced directly.
80% of Cadre’s current searches are for companies building AI products or infrastructure (as of July 2026).
Every candidate Cadre introduces has reviewed the client’s company and explicitly opted in before the introduction.

Hire security engineers before the incident writes the job description.