About the Wikimedia Foundation
The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit organization that operates Wikipedia and other free knowledge projects. Our vision is a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. We believe that everyone has the potential to contribute to our mission and that with the right guidance and support, everyone can thrive and find their place in our team.
About the Role
The Wikimedia Foundation is seeking a Senior Software Engineer with a focus on Security & Privacy to join our Trust & Safety team. You will play a crucial role in building and maintaining secure and privacy-preserving systems that protect our users and projects. This includes working on backend services, integrating security controls into existing platforms, and ensuring compliance with privacy regulations. As a member of our team, you will contribute to a culture of security and privacy by design, helping to safeguard the integrity of Wikipedia and its sister projects.
The Trust & Safety team is dedicated to protecting our users and projects from abuse, harassment, and other harmful content. We are responsible for developing and maintaining tools and systems that enable our volunteers to moderate content, enforce policies, and ensure a safe environment for everyone.
Your Responsibilities
- Develop, implement, and maintain security and privacy-enhancing features and systems across Wikimedia projects.
- Collaborate with product teams to integrate security and privacy best practices throughout the software development lifecycle.
- Conduct security reviews and threat modeling of new and existing features.
- Respond to and investigate security incidents and privacy breaches.
- Contribute to the design and architecture of scalable and resilient security infrastructure.
- Stay up-to-date with the latest security threats, vulnerabilities, and privacy regulations, and apply this knowledge to improve our systems.
- Mentor and share knowledge with other engineers on security and privacy best practices.
- Participate in an on-call rotation for critical security and privacy issues.
Skills and experience
- 8+ years of experience in software engineering, with a strong focus on security and privacy.
- Proficiency in at least one modern programming language (e.g., Python, Go, Java, PHP).
- Deep understanding of web security principles (e.g., OWASP Top 10, secure coding practices).
- Experience with cloud security (e.g., AWS, GCP) and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
- Familiarity with privacy-enhancing technologies and data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA).
- Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills.
- Experience with security assessments, penetration testing, and vulnerability management.
We’d love it if you have…
- Experience working with large-scale, open-source projects or high-traffic web applications.
- Contributions to security communities or open-source security tools.
- Knowledge of cryptography and secure protocol design.
- Experience with infrastructure as code (e.g., Terraform, Ansible).
- Relevant certifications (e.g., CISSP, CISM, GSEC).
- A Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Information Security, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
The Wikimedia Foundation is an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply.
The Wikimedia Foundation is a remote-first organization with a global workforce. We currently support employees in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay. Please note that interviewing and onboarding facilities may differ by country. For example, some countries may not have the ability to conduct an in-person interview due to remote hiring limitations. If you are not located in one of the above countries, please indicate your location in your application, and we will assess your eligibility for employment in your country of residence.
The Wikimedia Foundation is an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity at our organization. We don’t discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship, color, disability, ethnicity, family status, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, national origin, neurodiversity, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic.
