PhD Intern, Security Engineer (2027)

Figma•San Francisco, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Figma’s Security team works to help Figmates ship secure and safe products. The PhD Intern, Security Engineer will work on an impactful project to improve the security of Figma’s product, platform, or infrastructure, applying their research background to real-world security challenges while working closely with a mentor and teammates. The intern will partner with teams across the company, focus on systemic security improvements and risk reduction, and participate in operational security responsibilities including security reviews, consulting, vulnerability triage, and security incident response. This is a 12- or 16-week internship based at Figma’s San Francisco or New York hub, starting in May or June 2027.

Requirements

Currently enrolled as a fourth- or fifth-year senior PhD student in a Computer Science program focused on Security or a related field.
Proficiency in at least one general-purpose coding language.
A track record of applying security techniques to academic or industry projects, with excellent domain knowledge in at least one relevant area such as AI Safety/Evaluation, usable security, anti-abuse, anti-fraud, or detection and response.
Strong knowledge of statistical methods and/or experimental design.
Experience solving sophisticated problems and comparing alternative solutions, trade-offs, and diverse points of view to determine a path forward.

Nice To Haves

Related industry experience through a past internship or full-time role.
Proven security expertise through publications at top security conferences such as USENIX Security, NDSS, CCS, or IEEE S&P.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with demonstrated experience collaborating across functions.
Experience using AI tools such as GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, or Claude to write, debug, and optimize code.
A good understanding of at least two of the following: Linux/Unix/Mac-based systems security, AWS security, Cloud SaaS Security, applied cryptography, anti-abuse, or web application security.

Responsibilities

Perform technical security assessments, code audits, and design reviews.
Design and develop solutions to prevent or mitigate security vulnerabilities across Figma’s products, services, and infrastructure.
Lead and support security investigations by developing datasets, tooling, and analysis to scope incidents, understand root causes, and reduce time to detect and respond.
Translate threat intelligence into action by operationalizing information about relevant threat actors and techniques to prioritize detection coverage, harden high-risk surfaces, and guide security strategy.
Participate in security reviews, consulting, vulnerability triage, and security incident response.