Staff Software Security Engineer

Staff Software Security Engineer (PHP)

Remote Position

Summary

The Wikimedia Foundation seeks a Staff Security Software Engineer to join the Product Security team. This role involves developing security features for MediaWiki, the platform powering Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. You will design, build, and deploy security technologies to protect Wikimedia users and services against emerging threats, ensuring one of the internet’s most visited sites remains secure and resilient.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement MediaWiki security capabilities.
• Lead and mentor the security development team.
• Review and deploy security features from Foundation and community contributions.
• Collaborate with development teams to guide safe architectural choices.
• Address technical debt and maintain security-critical components.
• Support application security incidents and operations.

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience

• 8+ years of software engineering experience with a focus on security.
• Expertise in PHP and object-oriented programming.
• Experience with client-side JavaScript.
• Background in secure software development and security features.
• Experience explaining complex security issues to non-technical audiences.
• Familiarity with Linux command-line tools for web application deployment.
• Ability to work independently in a remote environment.

Additional Preferred Experience

• Anti-abuse mechanisms (e.g., CAPTCHA, bot detection).
• Building countermeasures against web, backend, and database attacks.
• Expertise in identifying and mitigating security vulnerabilities.
• Familiarity with threat modeling and secure design principles.

Core Competencies

• Strong communication and mentoring skills.
• Patience and understanding of global security challenges in large-scale systems.
• A strong interest in contributing to the Wikimedia mission.

What We Offer

• Impactful Work: Secure one of the most visited websites globally.
• Remote-First: Work from a location of your choice in supported countries.
• Compensation: Competitive pay based on experience and location:
  • US Range: $129,347 to $200,823 annually.
  • International compensation adjusted to local market rates.
• Inclusive Culture: Work in a diverse, equitable, and mission-driven organization.

About the Wikimedia Foundation

The Wikimedia Foundation is a nonprofit that operates Wikipedia and other free knowledge projects. With a mission to make knowledge freely accessible, the Foundation supports contributors and advocates for open access and freedom of information.

For further details or accommodations during the application process, contact recruiting@wikimedia.org or call +1 (415) 839-6885.

Join us in protecting the future of free knowledge!