Staff Security Architect
At its midpoint, $191k/yr, this role pays less than the $208k/yr midpoint for Security Architecture & Consulting openings today (usual band $175k–$343k/yr).
The full posting
Building the Future of Open Finance
Payward - the parent company behind Kraken, NinjaTrader, Breakout, xStocks, Payward Services and CF Benchmarks - has spent the last 15 years building one of the most modern and globally accessible financial infrastructure platforms in the industry, built to advance an open, global financial system.
The team
Founded in 2011, Kraken is one of the world's longest-standing crypto platforms, trusted by over 10 million individuals and institutions across the globe. It offers spot trading, margin, futures, staking, and OTC services, with products built for both individual investors and institutional clients.
We are seeking a skilled & hands-on Senior Security Architect for Kraken Security Labs. Kraken Security Labs provides boutique-style, deeply technical internal security consulting on current and future products.
We don't merely provide high-level guidance but indeed get deeply embedded in the different engineering teams and do not mind hands-on work.
Our projects span from classical infrastructure security projects, over cryptography, web3, and complex Rust projects, to securing our next generation of AI products.
You will work in a small, highly technical team and collaborate with teams all across the company & world.
The opportunity
- Design, review & verify robust security architecture in a heterogeneous environment
- Conduct thorough security assessments and audits of existing architectures, recommending practical improvements
- Stay updated with latest (blockchain) security trends, threats and mitigation techniques
- Provide expertise to our blockchain teams, ensuring secure operational practices
What You Bring
- Proven experience as an IT security expert, with a strong background in application security
- Experience in security testing diverse application
- Experience with infrastructure security
- Basic familiarity with security frameworks (OWASP, NIST, etc)
- Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
- Strong communication and collaboration skills to effectively remotely work with stakeholders across the organization
Unless a specific application deadline is stated in the job posting, applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
Please note, applicants are permitted to redact or remove information on their resume that identifies age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.
We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment on our team, assessing candidates in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.
Our commitment
Payward is powered by people from around the world and we celebrate the diverse talents, backgrounds, contributions, and unique perspectives that everyone brings to the table. We hire based on merit, seeking out people with the right abilities, knowledge, and skills for the job. We encourage you to apply for roles where you don't fully meet the listed requirements, especially if you're passionate or knowledgeable about crypto.
We may ask candidates to complete job-related skills or work-style assessments as part of our hiring process. These assessments evaluate competencies relevant to the role and are applied consistently across candidates for similar positions. Results are considered alongside experience and interviews, and are not the sole basis for any employment decision.
As an equal opportunity employer, we don't tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind, whether based on race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, citizenship, religion, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.
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Where you can work
This role is 100% remote, for applicants located in United States.
Text as Kraken published it; last compared with the original on 11 Nov 2026.
The application
Your details, CV and GitHub, then 12 questions (4 written).
- 1.Why are you interested in working at Kraken?Written answer
- 2.Have you used a Kraken product in the last six months?Yes or no
- 3.What is your favorite aspect of our platform?Written answer · optional
- 4.Will you now or in the future need sponsorship to work in your location?Yes or no
- 5.Have you personally conducted security reviews for production systems?Yes or no
- 6.Which of the following have you directly worked on? (Select all that apply)Pick any (12 options)
- 7.Describe a security assessment or review you personally executed. What was your role?Written answer
- 8.Have you worked directly with cloud infrastructure security? (Select all that apply)Pick any: AWS · GCP · Azure · Kubernetes · Terraform/IaC · None
- 9.What programming or scripting languages are you comfortable reviewing for security? (Select all that apply)Pick any (7 options)
- 10.Have you worked in environments requiring deep collaboration with engineering teams?Yes or no
- 11.Have you discovered vulnerabilities in public/open-source software? (Please link CVE/disclosure)Written answer
- 12.Have you spoken at security conferences?Yes or no
Taken from Kraken's application form as it stood on 11 Nov 2026.
The employer: Kraken
Kraken runs a cryptocurrency exchange and trading platform; its security hires work on architecture and the xStocks tokenized equities product.
Pay and benefits: Remote roles open across many countries, from Brazil to Sweden.
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