Compa is a venture-backed AI startup revolutionizing the future of compensation! We're bringing AI-forward tools and human-centered engineering to make pay competitive and fair, for all. By offering a premier, live compensation data platform that delivers top-tier intelligence to enterprise teams, we enable the world's largest companies to make smart and fair decisions while staying competitive and compliant. In dynamic job markets during the rise of AI, companies need the best data to stay competitive!
Our force-multiplying team is powered by live data and thoughtful design, and our products have earned the trust of the world’s largest companies: NVIDIA, Stripe, DoorDash, OpenAI, Moderna, Workday, Ulta, Target, and more.
Come build with us!
The RoleWe're looking for a Staff Security Engineer to own DevSecOps at Compa, reporting directly to the Head of Security. This role has enterprise scope, and operates at the intersection of software engineering security operations - hands-on, in the code, partnering daily with Product, Platform, Engineering, and Security. You'll own threat modeling and feature risk assessment end to end, designing alongside Product and Engineering and staying with it through ship, making sure guardrails scale alongside the business and engineers are enabled each step of the way.
What You’ll DoBuild Security Tooling, and Ship It
Build and ship internal security tooling, automation, and guardrails.
Implement secure-by-default patterns, libraries, and paved paths that strengthen posture while reducing developer friction.
Prototype and deliver production-ready implementations for security initiatives.
Own Threat Modeling
Lead security design reviews for new features, third-party integrations, and emerging technologies.
Build and own threat detection across applications, APIs, cloud infrastructure, and data pipelines.
Secure the Pipeline and Infrastructure
Embed security into CI/CD, such as container security scanning, dependency and image analysis, SAST/DAST, and automated checks in the release process, defining end-to-end security controls for code as built, shipped, and deployed.
Partner on cloud security posture, infrastructure hardening, secrets management, workload identity, and security observability.
Contribute to incident response, investigations, and remediation when needed.
Level Up Engineers
Train engineers and operationalize security practices the team that drives security-first engineering culture. Turning one-off fixes into repeatable, self-serve patterns.
Advance AI Security
Secure AI-native and AI-assisted development workflows, and translate emerging AI risks into practical engineering controls.
Serve as the security subject matter expert for Compa’s AI-powered products and features across the product lifecycle.
Senior or Staff level experience blending software engineering and security operations. Experience writing production code, not just reviewing it.
Hands-on DevSecOps background: CI/CD security, container security scanning, cloud/infra hardening, secrets management.
Successful ownership and improvement of threat modeling and risk assessment end to end, from design through production.
Experience building and operationalizing security tooling that engineers actually adopt
Hands-on AI work (professionally or on your own) across both AI-native development and AI as a product.
Experience securing cloud-native infrastructure in AWS environments.
Experience designing or implementing enterprise-facing capabilities such as SAML, SCIM, RBAC, audit logging, or customer-facing security controls.
Experience building, operating, or securing AI-enabled products, agents, MCP servers, or retrieval systems.
Experience building or scaling a Product Security or Security Engineering function in a high-growth technology company.
Compa offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, PTO and parental leave, equity, company offsites, continuous education, commuter benefits and a flexible work environment.
Skills Required
- Senior or Staff level experience blending software engineering and security operations, including writing production code
- Hands-on DevSecOps background: CI/CD security, container security scanning, dependency and image analysis, SAST/DAST, automated release checks
- Ownership and improvement of threat modeling and risk assessment from design through production
- Experience building and operationalizing security tooling that engineers adopt
- Hands-on AI work across AI-native development and AI as a product (professional or personal experience)
- Experience securing cloud-native infrastructure (AWS)
- Experience designing or implementing enterprise capabilities such as SAML, SCIM, RBAC, and audit logging
- Experience building, operating, or securing AI-enabled products, agents, MCP servers, or retrieval systems
- Experience building or scaling a Product Security or Security Engineering function in a high-growth company
Compa Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Public materials highlight comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with wellness resources, and indicate employer-covered employee premiums for core health plans. Mental-health support and access to an onsite gym at some locations further reinforce the health focus.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off is described as generous, including vacation and paid holidays. A company-wide winter shutdown between Christmas and New Year’s is also highlighted.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity is positioned as a core part of total rewards, with stock options featured alongside competitive pay. Company and third-party profiles consistently note equity availability across roles.
Compa Insights
What We Do
Compa is a venture-backed SaaS startup revolutionizing the future of compensation. In a dynamic job market with hiring challenges, accountability, and the rise of AI, companies need the best data to stay ahead of industry changes, competition, and costs. Compa has developed the premier real-time compensation data platform, delivering top-tier compensation intelligence to leading enterprise teams. Compa is a compensation intelligence company built to augment enterprise compensation teams in the era of AI. Our customers include the world’s biggest companies: Apple, NVIDIA, Tesla, Mastercard, T-Mobile, Sanofi, Moderna, Gilead Sciences, and more.
Why Work With Us
Compa is reimagining how companies win with pay—building tools that make compensation more fair, transparent, and data-driven. You’ll join a mission-driven, remote-first team that values ownership, low ego, and real impact. If you want to shape the future of work, this is the place.
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Compa Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
Compa headquarters are located in Irvine, California, with growing sites in Denver, Colorado and San Francisco, California. We’re a collaborative, curious, and driven team that values transparency, ownership, and continuous learning.
