Sr. Engineering Manager, Application Security

About the Role

The Senior Engineering Manager for Application Security at Betterment owns the end-to-end application security lifecycle, from initial intake through successful production deployment. This role makes strategic and tactical decisions that shape engineering practices and directly influence customer trust in the platform. The hire will balance proactive defensive security measures with rapid incident response and continuous team development. They will act as a force multiplier, enabling developers to build secure software by default rather than treating security as a final gate. The position requires navigating the tension between velocity and risk mitigation in a regulated financial services environment. Success is defined by the ability to scale security practices without stifling innovation or developer productivity. This role operates at the intersection of engineering leadership, security expertise, and cross-functional influence.

What You'll Do

• Oversee the development and implementation of paved roads, libraries, and guardrails that establish secure developer workflows across the engineering organization.
• Build and mature comprehensive threat modeling, design review, and vulnerability management programs that integrate seamlessly into the existing software development lifecycle.
• Drive the adoption of artificial intelligence across ApplicationSec operations to create scalable security workflows and automate repetitive risk assessment tasks.
• Lead and mentor a team of security engineers, including senior-level staff, fostering a player-coach mindset that balances hands-on technical contribution with leadership development.
• Establish and maintain strong communication channels with stakeholders in engineering, product, legal, compliance, and risk to ensure alignment on security objectives and risk tolerance.
• Inspire and sustain an engineering culture rooted in transparency, inclusivity, mentorship, and collaboration, particularly within cross-functional teams.
• Continuously innovate to address both near-term tactical security challenges and long-term strategic security needs in a cloud-native environment.
• Partner with product and platform teams to design, implement, and deliver security controls and tooling that enable value delivery without compromising customer safety or regulatory compliance.
• Manage multiple concurrent initiatives and large-team projects, demonstrating the ability to prioritize effectively and execute against demanding timelines.
• Champion the integration of security practices with existing DevOps pipelines to ensure that secure code is the path of least resistance for development teams.

Requirements

Candidates must possess expertise across the full application security stack, including secure SDLC, threat modeling, design review, code review, vulnerability management, and the cloud-native ecosystem. Applicants must demonstrate experience managing and mentoring a team of security engineers, including senior-level staff, with a proven player-coach mindset. The ideal candidate will have a track record of establishing or scaling Security Champions programs and distributed threat modeling initiatives that empower engineering squads to own security outcomes. Prospective hires must be able to lead the execution of large-scale team initiatives and successfully manage multiple concurrent projects with diverse internal partners. Clear and effective communication skills are essential for engaging with both technical practitioners and executive-level stakeholders. Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States without sponsorship requirements, or be a candidate for visa sponsorship if legally eligible. Experience navigating heavily regulated industries and high-stakes financial environments is mandatory. Proficiency with core security tools and technologies such as AWS, containers, Kubernetes, and CI/CD pipelines is required.

About Betterment

Betterment is a technology-driven financial services company. The organization provides investing, savings, and retirement solutions for retail investors and investment advisors. Financial wellness solutions, including a 401(k) for small and medium-sized businesses, are also offered. The team is passionate about empowering people to build wealth with confidence and ease. Headquarters are located in New York City. The company offers hybrid NY-based positions, requiring four days in-office weekly. There are no required office days during summer and winter holidays.

About the Role

This role is based in the New York City office. The base salary range is listed as $210,000 to $250,000. Actual salaries vary based on location, experience, and performance. The listed range is one component of Betterment's total compensation package. This job may be eligible for variable compensation through an incentive bonus.

Practical Notes

This is a hybrid role based in New York City. Flexible seasonal arrangements are in place. Visas may be sponsored for eligible candidates.