Who is Tenable?
Tenable® is the Exposure Management company. Over 40,000 organizations around the globe rely on Tenable to understand and reduce cyber risk. Our global employees support 65 percent of the Fortune 500, 50 percent of the Global 2000, and large government agencies. Come be part of our journey!
What makes Tenable such a great place to work?
Ask a member of our team and they’ll answer, “Our people!” We work together to build and innovate best-in-class cybersecurity solutions for our customers; all while creating a culture of belonging, respect, and excellence where we can be our best selves. When you’re part of our #OneTenable team, you can expect to partner with some of the most talented and passionate people in the industry, and have the support and resources you need to do work that truly matters. We deliver results that exceed expectations and we win together!
Your Role:
Tenable is looking for a Senior Research Engineer to join our security research team. This position will involve researching existing vulnerabilities, looking for new vulnerabilities, and developing checks/plugins to detect these vulnerabilities using our products. This role will involve some interfacing with stakeholders outside the Research team.
Your Opportunity:
- Works on complex research and development initiatives
- Implements advanced detection logic while minimizing false positives & false negatives
- Participates in detection logic discussions and the research of new methods for detection
- Interfaces with stakeholders on externalizing the outcomes of research
- Helps / trains other researchers, when needed
What You'll Need:
- Keep abreast with the advancements and developments in the security industry and perform original research to keep our customers secure
- Develop detection scripts for Tenable’s sensors (Nessus vulnerability scanner and others) based on the research findings
- Research and develop methods of detection for additional services and products from different vendors
- Demonstrably strong programming skills in one or more languages (C and/or Python)
- Ability and experience in showcasing original research externally – via blogs, white- papers, etc.
- Ability to work independently as a researcher as well as part of a larger team.
- Experience working with multiple operating systems (proficiency with Linux is a must)
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Adaptable and able to shift priorities as needed
- Meticulous in terms of quality & accuracy of work
- Willingness to explore and learn
- B.S. degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent work experience
- At least 3-5 years of development or R&D experience
And Ideally:
- Solid understanding of networking & the TCP/IP stack
- In depth understanding of common security vulnerabilities, CVSS scoring, vulnerability classification, detection and exploitation techniques
- In-depth protocol analysis and interaction. Expert level knowledge of common protocols such as HTTP, DNS, SSH, SMB, etc.
- Experience with pen-testing, researching, discovering, or publishing vulnerabilities
- One or more security related certifications (e.g. OSCP)
- Experience with systems administration and be comfortable working at the command line
- Exposure to CI/CD pipeline technologies and concepts
- Proficiency with SQL, Snowflake
- Experience rigorously testing software
- Developing tools & test plans for complicated software
- Experience with Tenable products such as Nessus, Tenable IO and Security Center
#LI-Hybrid #LI-AV1
This is the expected salary range for this position in the primary job location, depending on experience and qualifications. Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including the candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies, location and experience, and may fall outside of the range shown. Employees are also eligible for variable compensation in addition to base pay (commission for sales roles, bonus for non-sales roles), depending on company and individual performance. Tenable also offers a variety of Competitive wellness and financial benefits.
We’re committed to promoting Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) at Tenable - through all equal employment opportunity laws and regulations at the international, federal, state and local levels. If you need a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please contact [email protected] for further assistance.
Tenable Data Consent Statement
Tenable is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal data. Depending on your location, one or more of the following notices may apply to you:
General Applicant Privacy Notice
California Applicant Privacy Notice
EU/EEA/UK Applicant Privacy Notice
Skills Required
- Demonstrably strong programming skills in C and/or Python
- Proficiency with Linux and experience working with multiple operating systems
- Develop detection scripts for Tenable sensors (Nessus) based on research findings
- Perform original security research and stay current with industry developments
- Ability and experience showcasing original research externally (blogs, white papers, presentations)
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work independently and as part of a larger team
- Meticulous attention to quality and accuracy of work
- B.S. degree in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent work experience
- At least 3-5 years of development or R&D experience
- Solid understanding of networking and the TCP/IP stack
- In-depth understanding of common security vulnerabilities, CVSS scoring, detection and exploitation techniques
- Expert-level protocol analysis and interaction knowledge (HTTP, DNS, SSH, SMB)
- Experience with penetration testing, researching, discovering, or publishing vulnerabilities
- Security-related certifications (e.g., OSCP)
- Systems administration experience and comfort working at the command line
- Exposure to CI/CD pipeline technologies and concepts
- Proficiency with SQL and Snowflake
- Experience rigorously testing software and developing tools and test plans
- Experience with Tenable products such as Tenable IO and Security Center
Tenable Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Tenable and has not been reviewed or approved by Tenable.
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Healthcare Strength — Benefits materials highlight comprehensive medical and mental health coverage with family-forming support and gender-affirming care, alongside an Employee Assistance Program. Feedback suggests coverage depth is a core strength of the package.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Generous PTO is emphasized, and some teams note additional time-off style perks such as summer Friday hours. Feedback suggests time-away policies are a relative strength.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — RSUs and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan are frequently highlighted alongside base pay. Feedback suggests these equity elements contribute meaningfully to perceived total compensation.
Tenable Insights
What We Do
Tenable®, Inc. is the Cyber Exposure company. Over 30,000 organizations around the globe rely on Tenable to understand and reduce cyber risk. As the creator of Nessus®, Tenable extended its expertise in vulnerabilities to deliver the world’s first platform to see and secure any digital asset on any computing platform. Tenable customers include more than 50 percent of the Fortune 500, more than 30 percent of the Global 2000 and large government agencies. Learn more at www.tenable.com.
