Member of Technical Staff - Security Research
Runlayer
- NYC
- Hybrid
- Posted
This job is closed: the employer no longer lists it.
Responsibilities
- Own the research agenda end to end, from the first bug to disclosure, publication and the stage
- Find and exploit vulnerabilities in MCP servers and clients, AI coding agents, agent frameworks, skills and plugin marketplaces, and the OAuth flows between them
- Run coordinated disclosure end to end: vendor contact, CVEs and advisories, embargoes and publication
- Publish research people quote: technical write-ups, open-source tools and conference talks
- Run ecosystem-scale studies across thousands of MCP servers using our catalog and scanning pipeline
- Turn findings into product: detections, scanner rules and public risk ratings for MCP servers
- Brief customers, prospects and press with our marketing and developer relations teams
- Bring what you find into MCP specification security work and industry frameworks
Preferred
Published research on LLM, agent or MCP security
- Time on a security vendor's research team or at an offensive security consultancy
- Talks at Black Hat, DEF CON, RSA or similar
- Relationships with vendor security response teams and security press
- Open-source security tools with real users
About the Role
As our first Security Researcher, you'll find the vulnerabilities that define AI agent security and publish the research the industry reads. You'll hunt across MCP servers, AI coding agents, skills and plugins, and the OAuth flows that connect them. You'll disclose responsibly, and every finding becomes a protection our customers run.
Why You'll Thrive Here
Impact
Your findings shape how enterprises, vendors and standards bodies think about agent security, and they ship as protections for our customers
Excellence
Work with the team that helped establish MCP and a group of senior engineers from top security backgrounds
What We're Looking For
5+ years in offensive security research, vulnerability research or red teaming
A public record
CVEs or advisories, conference talks, or published tools and write-ups
Depth in agent-native attacks
indirect prompt injection through tool output, tool poisoning, cross-server shadowing, confused deputies through OAuth, supply-chain attacks on skills and plugins
Builder, not just breaker
you write Python, TypeScript or Go for harnesses, fuzzers and scanners.
Clear writing for engineers and security leaders alike
Sound disclosure judgment, including with vendors who push back
AI-native
you use AI agents every day, as tools and as targets
What We Offer
We provide a competitive package designed to attract and retain top talent who can work effectively with enterprise customers.
Competitive salary and equity
— compensation that reflects your expertise and customer-facing responsibilities.
Paid time off
— paid vacation, paid sick leave, and paid parental leave.
Professional development
— budget for conferences, courses, and certifications in AI, enterprise software, and customer success.
Top-tier equipment
— your choice of laptop and accessories to create your ideal work environment.
Health benefits
— comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage.
Customer interaction opportunities
— work directly with innovative companies and see the immediate impact of your work.
Not quite the right fit?
Reach out to [email protected] with details about your experience and interests.
