Security Engineer, Detection & Response

Assort Health • San Francisco, CA

5d • $160,000 - $185,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

We are looking for a Security Engineer to help build and strengthen security foundations from the ground up in a fast-moving startup environment, with a primary focus on detection and response. This is a strong opportunity for someone early in their career who brings a strong interest in security monitoring, incident response, and detection engineering and is excited to work across these areas as the company scales. The role is designed for someone who wants meaningful ownership, broad exposure within detection and response, and the chance to help shape how security operates as the company matures. You will partner closely with teams across the organization, help close foundational gaps, and contribute to building a more robust, continuous detection and response program over time. This role is based in San Francisco and follows a 4-day in-office working model. Flexible to hire remotely for the right candidate in the US.

Requirements

• A security profile with strong exposure to detection and response, rather than a narrow specialization elsewhere.
• Strong interest in security monitoring, incident response, and modern observability stacks, with the ability to understand technical environments and identify meaningful security improvements.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced startup environment where priorities can shift and the workload can be intense.
• A high degree of ownership, autonomy, and initiative, with the ability to make progress in environments that are still being built.
• Willingness to learn quickly, stay open-minded, and adapt to new projects or unfamiliar problem spaces as business needs evolve.
• Ability to work cross-functionally and build productive relationships with teams across the company.
• Good judgment when balancing immediate detection and response needs with longer-term program development.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to stay calm under pressure and help support security incidents involving stakeholders across a diverse range of teams and expertise.
• A practical, hands-on approach to security work, with interest in solving real operational problems rather than working only at a policy level.
• Seeking 2 to 4 years of relevant experience.
• Experience in detection engineering, incident response, and/or security operations.
• Background in modern observability stacks (e.g., SIEM, EDR, cloud telemetry, logging) and detection primitives is important.
• Growing understanding of modern adversary tradecraft (TTPs), with interest in translating it into practical detection strategies and response actions.
• Ability to perform technical security work such as reviewing telemetry, assessing infrastructure for detection gaps, and supporting security automation through scripting.
• Familiarity with environments that rely on modern cloud and SaaS tooling.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in a startup or similarly fast-growth environment is highly valuable.

Responsibilities

• Help build and operate the company's detection and response capabilities, including continuous monitoring, triage, investigation, containment, and remediation of security events across a diverse set of networks and infrastructure.
• Support operational rigor and incident readiness by helping build and maintain incident playbooks, on-call and escalation paths, tabletop exercises, and continuous improvement of response quality and speed.
• Improve detection quality and coverage by partnering with engineering teams to help ensure critical telemetry is available, reliable, and actionable across cloud, corporate, and production environments.
• Partner with Engineering, Product, and Infrastructure to help embed detection and response into the company's systems by design rather than as an afterthought.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders across the organization to implement detection and response projects, improve coverage, and drive progress on high-priority initiatives.
• Assist with security efforts related to SOC 2 and help translate immediate audit-driven needs into longer-term, sustainable detection and response practices.
• Evaluate and help implement detection and response tooling, with the flexibility to explore a range of approaches, including modern platforms, open-source options, and AI-enabled tools where appropriate.
• Take ownership of hands-on technical work, scripting, and automation tasks that help the team move quickly and reduce manual effort.

Benefits

• Competitive Compensation – Including salary and employee stock options so you share in our success.
• Lifelong Learning – Annual budget for professional development, plus training opportunities to help you grow.
• Office Setup Stipend – We’ll outfit your in-office workspace so comfy as it's productive.
• Top-Tier Health Coverage – Medical, dental, and vision insurance, because your health comes first.
• Flexible PTO – We trust you to take the time you need to recharge and come back ready to crush it.
• Meals & Snacks – Lunch, dinner, and snack breaks that fuel great ideas.
• Fitness Stipend – Your wellness matters. We reimburse monthly membership costs to support your health.
• Commuter Benefits – We cover eligible transportation costs to make your trip to work easier.
• 401(k) – Build your retirement savings.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed