Software Engineer, Security Champion
Ready to shape the future of AI and API security? At Kong, you won't just unlock intelligence – you'll be its guardian. This is your chance to stand at the digital frontier, safeguarding the flow of intelligence for Fortune 500 giants and pioneering AI startups alike.
Even if you don't check every single box, we encourage you to apply if you're strong in a few key areas and eager to grow. We value potential and diverse capabilities.
About Kong
Kong Inc., the AI Connectivity Company, is building the connectivity layer of AI. Trusted by the Fortune 500® and AI-native startups alike, Kong’s unified API and AI platform enables organizations to secure, manage, accelerate, govern, and monetize the flow of intelligence across APIs and AI traffic — on any model, any cloud. Learn more at www.konghq.com.
Our API and AI Gateway is the critical front door – every single request passes through us. Here, security isn't an afterthought; it's the bedrock. You'll be at the forefront of securing nascent AI traffic, tackling unprecedented challenges like prompt injection, agentic authorization, and MCP – problems where *you* will help write the playbook.
We're seeking an exceptional **Software Engineer, Security Champion** to join our Runtimes team. This isn't just a security role; it's an opportunity to be a force multiplier, embedding security directly into the DNA of our product as you write real code and champion secure practices from concept to deployment.
What You'll Do: Lead comprehensive security-focused code audits, threat modeling, and secure design reviews across our critical AI and API Gateway capabilities. What You'll Bring: Proven experience with 3+ years in production software development, including at least 2 years in a dedicated security-focused role (e.g., Application Security, Vulnerability Research, Penetration Testing). Nice-to-Have: Familiarity with L7 proxies and API gateway architectures (Nginx, OpenResty, Envoy, HAProxy, or Kong). What We Offer: A permanent contract under the CCNL Commercio (Quadro).
Take full ownership of vulnerability management, from initial triage and reproduction to robust remediation and thorough verification.
Collaborate closely with AI Gateway engineering to proactively identify and mitigate emerging AI/LLM threat patterns, including prompt injection, data leakage, and model abuse.
Empower and mentor fellow engineers on secure coding practices, transforming security findings into sustainable, high-impact team habits.
Drive hands-on development of Gateway features, ensuring security is intrinsically built-in from the ground up.
Strong coding proficiency in an object-oriented language (Rust, Java, Python, Go, or similar).
Demonstrable practical experience in threat modeling.
Deep working knowledge of cybersecurity principles, particularly L7 security and robust authentication mechanisms.
Foundational understanding of AI attack vectors.
Experience with Lua.
A track record of open-source contributions.
A strong desire to learn Rust, as it's key to the future of our platform – we're committed to supporting your growth here.
Competitive bonus and comprehensive welfare system.
Flexible hybrid work from our vibrant Milan Hub at Talent Garden Isola. More than that, you'll gain a direct seat at the table, where your security decisions profoundly shape the millions of API calls processed daily.