Staff Application Security Engineer

Join to apply for the Staff Application Security Engineer role at LEDN The Opportunity We are seeking a full-time Staff Application Security Engineer with deep expertise in Application Security, Identity & Access Management, and Confidential Computing to strengthen the security of our Bitcoin-backed loan platform. Security is fundamental to protecting our customers and business, and this role will drive both the tactical improvements and long-term strategy for securing our applications and authentication systems. You will work across our JavaScript/TypeScript services, AWS serverless stack (Lambda, API Gateway, Cognito, SNS, SQS), MongoDB and Kubernetes microservices, and take ownership of evolving our authentication layer toward modern, phishing-resistant approaches. In addition, you will design and operate AWS Nitro Enclaves to protect critical data and cryptographic operations in isolated, verifiable environments. This is a hands-on engineering role with direct impact on product security, infrastructure security, and customer trust. About The Role Application Security: Lead secure design and code reviews across engineering teams. Define and enforce secure coding practices for JavaScript/TypeScript services. Automate vulnerability detection (SAST, SCA, DAST) within CI/CD. Conduct threat modeling and risk assessments for new features. Partner with engineers to remediate vulnerabilities and improve secure development practices. Authentication & Identity: Own the roadmap for authentication and identity across customer and internal applications. Enhance existing Cognito-based identity architecture with stronger, phishing-resistant MFA solutions (e.g., WebAuthn, passkeys, hardware tokens). Collaborate with Product to align usability, compliance, and security in authentication flows. Define secure approaches to session management, device trust, and account recovery. Confidential Computing (AWS Nitro Enclaves): Design enclave-based architectures to isolate and protect sensitive workloads. Integrate Nitro Enclaves with KMS and secure APIs. Migrate high-value operations (e.g., cryptographic and financial processes) into enclave environments. Ensure compliance, auditability, and resilience of enclave workloads. Additional Security Domains: Harden AWS services (Lambda, API Gateway, SQS, SNS) with least-privilege IAM and secure key management. Improve Kubernetes security posture (RBAC, pod security, image scanning, runtime monitoring). Deploy and operate a SIEM framework; develop detection rules, dashboards, and incident playbooks. Support compliance initiatives (SOC 2, ISO 27001) with security controls and documentation. What You Bring To Ledn 10 years minimum of proven experience in Application Security with a focus on web and cloud-native applications. Strong knowledge of JavaScript/TypeScript/Golang/Python and modern web vulnerabilities (OWASP Top 10, auth bypasses, business logic flaws). Expertise with AWS security best practices, particularly in serverless architectures. Hands-on experience with AWS Nitro Enclaves for confidential computing. Deep understanding of authentication and authorization standards (OAuth2, OIDC, WebAuthn, FIDO2). Practical experience with Cognito / Auth0 (MFA, custom flows, secure session handling). Background in SIEM design and log correlation across cloud and application layers. Familiarity with Kubernetes security (RBAC, pod security, admission controls, image scanning). Experience with Secure Code Review. Understanding of software supply chain. Deep understanding of Linux internals. Remediate vulnerabilities identified in the penetration test report. Strong communication and collaboration skills, able to influence engineering and product teams. Nice To Haves Familiarity with Bitcoin custody and key management practices. Knowledge of Infrastructure as Code security (Terraform, AWS CDK). Prior work on user-facing security features such as passwordless authentication, recovery flows, or device trust. Culture Fit We’re looking for more than just operational excellence — we want a leader who thrives in the startup or tech environment and embodies our values. The Ideal Candidate Will Have a passion for progress by being adaptable and resilient, and is comfortable navigating ambiguity in a high-growth, fast-paced environment. Have a builder’s mindset, excited to create, iterate, and scale IS practices. Be a collaborative partner, able to influence across functions and cultures with empathy and clarity. Demonstrate integrity and accountability, especially in managing confidential information across diverse legal and cultural contexts. Have worked in a remote environment before. A Taste Of What We Provide As one of the world’s leading digital asset companies, we provide tremendous growth opportunities. Comprehensive, best-in-class total rewards package that starts on your first day. Competitive PTO package with adequate time off. Ownership in the company through equity. Remote work flexibility up to 180 days per year (subject to restrictions). A purposeful career that removes barriers so you love what you do. Equal opportunity employer; we value inclusivity and diversity. To support the recruitment process, Ledn may request accommodations at any stage. Requests will be addressed confidentially. Ledn is a remote-first, global team with employees spanning North America, Latin America, South Africa and Europe. Please note: due to high volume of applications, only qualified applicants will be contacted. Shortlisted candidates may be asked to submit a short video response and we may review publicly available social media activity relevant to the role. No agencies or recruiters, please. We do not accept unsolicited agency resumes and are not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes. Equal Employment Opportunity Statement We are an equal opportunity employment organization and pride ourselves on inclusivity, diversity, and the success that comes from diversity. Licensed accessibility notice: You may reach out to the Ledn team for accommodation requests throughout all stages of the recruitment process. Requests will be handled confidentially. #J-18808-Ljbffr