Senior Security Engineer

Magpie Literacy

5h • $148,000 - $163,000 • Remote

About The Position

At Magpie, we envision a world where every child, no matter their background, becomes a confident reader. Our nonprofit team combines research-backed instruction, joyful game design, and innovative technology to tackle America’s reading crisis head-on — with the goal of eradicating illiteracy through a digital-first, student-centered approach. We’re seeking an experienced Senior Security Engineer to join our small, mission-driven Platform team. You’ll wear many hats, work across boundaries, and help us build a platform that scales impact—not just traffic. We’re seeking a pragmatic, mission-driven Senior Security Engineer to join our Engineering team. In this role, you’ll design and harden AWS-based infrastructure and services to ensure Magpie’s learning platform remains resilient, trustworthy, and compliant as we scale. You’ll work cross-functionally to embed secure-by-design principles into the systems that power joyful reading experiences for students and the tools that enable educators to measure progress with confidence. You’re drawn to missions that matter. You think deeply about the systems behind learning, not just the code. You balance pragmatism with curiosity and build for the long term. The ideal candidate pairs strong technical execution with deep empathy for users, thrives in a collaborative startup environment, and is motivated by the opportunity to make reading joyful and accessible for all.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in cloud security engineering, with deep expertise in cloud computing
• Hands-on experience with AWS security services (such as IAM, KMS, GuardDuty, Config, Security Hub) and infrastructure-as-code frameworks like Terraform or CloudFormation.
• Strong programming skills in languages such as Python, Go, or JavaScript, with the ability to build security automation, integrate APIs, and contribute to secure application and infrastructure tooling.
• Demonstrated capability to build or enhance security observability, including logging pipelines, SIEM integrations, and anomaly detection.
• Familiarity with modern application security practices, including container security, supply chain security, and CI/CD pipeline hardening.
• Ability to drive incident response processes, conduct root-cause analyses, and implement long-term corrective actions.

Responsibilities

• Design and build platform capabilities that deliver reliable, high-value features with safety, precision, and user focus.
• Collaborate closely with product managers, designers, and fellow engineers to create new features and improve existing ones.
• Approach the platform as a product: maintain a clear understanding of customer needs, identify friction points, and take ownership of outcomes with metrics-driven decision making (KPIs, OKRs, and North Star metrics).
• Use data to inform decisions, measure impact, and drive improvements through empirical evidence.
• Take ownership across all phases of development, from design to production, and monitor system performance in live environments.
• Continuously improve the flow of work from idea to production, using data to identify and remove friction.
• Write clean, efficient, and well-documented code following best practices.
• Build and maintain APIs, and integrate with third-party services.
• Ensure application performance, quality, and responsiveness across platforms.
• Participate in code reviews, testing, and debugging to maintain high-quality deliverables.
• Mentor other engineers and contribute to their growth.
• Contribute to architectural decisions and help define technical standards and best practices.
• Stay up to date with emerging technologies and suggest improvements to enhance development processes.

Benefits

• Salary range of $148,000 - $163,000 per annum
• Competitive medical, dental, vision benefits
• Opportunity to work remotely for a mission-driven company full of change-makers
• Enjoy the freedom of flexible time off to balance work and personal life, ensuring you stay refreshed and productive.
• 401k with 4% guaranteed match
• Work environment that values balance and harmony with a deep commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
• Opportunity to travel and meet your team members in-person 2x per year

What This Job Offers

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