Who is Tenable?

Tenable® is the Exposure Management company. 44,000 organizations around the globe rely on Tenable to understand and reduce cyber risk. Our global employees support 65 percent of the Fortune 500, 45 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 highly motivated Senior Research Engineer to join our Research Solutions Engineering Team.

This team serves as the critical bridge between our Research organization and Product teams, driving technology transfer and productization of cutting-edge security innovations. You'll transform novel research concepts into tangible MVPs, PoCs, and production-ready systems that directly impact how Tenable customers manage their exposure.

We need a proactive problem-solver—someone who recognizes that the initial request isn't always the whole story. You will be expected to listen to the goal, ask the tough questions, and suggest creative alternatives if you see a better way. You are the type of engineer who pauses to ensure we’re solving the right problem before building the solution.

This is a highly autonomous role operating at the intersection of innovation and execution. You'll work on ambiguous, dynamic projects at the forefront of security research. You'll serve as both designer/architect and implementer, with your work ranging from rapid PoCs to full-production implementations, depending on project needs.

Your Opportunity:

Drive technology transfer between organizations by building MVPs, PoCs, and production-ready implementations of novel security capabilities
Design and architect solutions that bridge the gap between prototypes and scalable product systems that serve Tenable customers at scale
Partner cross-functionally with researchers to deeply understand their innovations and with product teams to understand customer needs and technical constraints
Operate autonomously on cutting-edge projects—translating strategic goals into concrete plans and execution with minimal direction
Prototype rapidly to validate research concepts, then iterate toward production quality based on feedback and evolving requirements
Navigate technical breadth across technical domains, picking up new technologies and concepts quickly as projects demand
Make critical architecture decisions about what to build, how to build it, and when to pivot based on evolving understanding
Communicate effectively across diverse audiences—explaining research concepts to product teams and product constraints to researchers
Take ownership of projects end-to-end, from initial conception through delivery and handoff
Collaborate with a small, high-impact team (3 ICs, 1 senior manager, 1 director/research architect) while engaging with the broader Research and Product organizations

What You'll Need:

5+ years of professional software engineering or security research experience
B.S. degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or related field, or equivalent work experience
Deep expertise in at least one relevant security domain (e.g., Application Security, Vulnerability Management, Cloud Security, Container Security, Threat Intelligence, Software Supply Chain, Network Security, Cryptography), combined with broad general knowledge across security and engineering
Demonstrably strong programming skills in multiple languages; comfortable picking up new technologies and tech stacks as projects require
Proven track record of working autonomously—taking strategic direction and independently charting the technical path from architecture through implementation
Experience designing systems that balance innovation with production constraints (reliability, scalability, maintainability)
Experience building both rapid PoCs and production-grade systems; understanding when each approach is appropriate
Strong cross-functional collaboration skills—ability to work effectively with both research-oriented and product-oriented teams
Outstanding written and verbal communication skills; ability to explain complex technical concepts to diverse audiences
Comfort with ambiguity and rapid context-switching; thrives in dynamic environments where requirements evolve
Extreme curiosity and learning agility—genuine drive to understand how things work and explore new domains
Pragmatic decision-making skills; knows when to prototype vs. polish, when to pivot vs. persist

And Ideally:

Experience with vulnerability management platforms, particularly Tenable products (Nessus, Tenable One, Security Center)
Familiarity with NASL (Nessus Attack Scripting Language) or willingness to learn
Experience working in both research and product organizations; understanding of the different mindsets and priorities
Background in security research or novel capability development
Experience with AI/ML systems or emerging security technologies
Open source contributions or published security research
Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and container technologies
Skilled in presentation on complex topics at conferences, in blogs, or through technical papers

#LI-Remote #LI-LP1

This is the base pay range for this position. 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 comprehensive and competitive benefits which include: medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance; 401(k) retirement savings with company match; an employee stock purchase plan; an employee referral program; flexible spending accounts; an Employee Assistance Program (EAP); education assistance; parental leave; paid time off (PTO); company-paid holidays; health and wellness events; and community programs.

US Pay Range

$122,500—$163,166.67 USD

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 Recruiting@Tenable.com for further assistance.

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Senior Research Engineer, Systems Engineering Team