Application Security Engineer

About this role

Sepal AI is hiring experienced cybersecurity professionals with static analysis expertise to support the development of an advanced AI safety benchmark. You’ll work on high-impact, real-world security tasks—designing, reviewing, and analyzing vulnerabilities to challenge the capabilities of cutting-edge AI systems. This is a consulting role that will evolve into deeper technical work over a 3-month project. We are specifically seeking contributors with experience writing custom static analysis rules (e.g., with Semgrep or similar tools) and the ability to evaluate and explain real-world vulnerabilities clearly. SAMPLE TASKS - Evaluate known vulnerabilities in real-world open-source codebases (Java, C, C++). - Write and test Semgrep or equivalent static analysis rules. - Collaborate with project leads to define task templates and success criteria. - Design and prototype adversarial tasks for large language models to attempt. - Provide technical input during project scoping and early planning. 🧠 MUST-HAVE QUALIFICATIONS: - 2+ years of post-college experience in cybersecurity, AppSec, or blue teaming. - Direct experience using or writing static analysis rules (e.g., Semgrep, SonarQube, Fortify). - Demonstrated ability to write detection rules or similar automation for Java, C, or C++ code. - Strong ability to articulate how vulnerabilities work and how they can be detected. - Excellent written and verbal communication skills. - Comfortable working independently and asynchronously in a remote environment 💸 COMPENSATION AND LOGISTICS: - Hourly pay: $50–100 per hour, based on experience. - Hours: ~20 hours per week to start; may scale to 20–40 hours per week in production. - Start Date: ASAP . - Duration: 3 months (potential for extension depending on project/client needs). - Contract type: Independent contractor. - Meetings: Expect 2 meetings per week + responsive availability for occasional consults. - Location: Fully