Application Security Research Team Leader | Braga

Description

Job Summary: Checkmarx is seeking an Application Security Research Team Leader to lead and develop a distributed team of security researchers, define the operational model, KPIs, and research roadmap, and promote a culture of continuous improvement in application security and emerging technologies. Key Highlights: 1. Lead and develop a distributed team of security researchers 2. Define the research roadmap aligned with the product strategy 3. Foster a culture of continuous improvement and professional growth Checkmarx is recruiting an Application Security Research Team Leader to lead the Application Security Research team in Braga, on a full\-time, hybrid work model. This role is part of the Product organization and involves leading a distributed team of security researchers across Portugal and Israel, with responsibility for roadmap, KPIs, OKRs, people development, and technical research supporting Checkmarx products. **Responsibilities:** Lead, guide, and develop a distributed team of security researchers across different locations and time zones; Define the team’s operational model, including estimation, resource allocation, prioritization, and capacity planning; Define and track team and individual KPIs and OKRs; Create and maintain the team’s research roadmap aligned with the Security Research and product strategies; Promote async\-first working practices, with written updates, documented decisions, and structured handoffs; Drive a culture of continuous improvement through retrospectives, feedback, and refinement of workflows; Support each team member’s growth via 1:1s, career planning, skill development, and performance reviews; Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and highly trusting environment; Lead research initiatives in application security, AI security, and emerging technologies; Assess risks and identify opportunities to enhance Checkmarx’s products and security capabilities; Collaborate with other teams within the Security Research group; Support Product Managers and developers on application security topics; Investigate security aspects across multiple programming languages, technologies, and ecosystems; Review and analyze vulnerable code in multiple languages and frameworks; Design solutions and features based on deep technical knowledge of application security. **Requirements:** More than 3 years of proven experience as a Team Leader, Engineering Manager, or Research Manager; Experience leading remote and distributed teams, ideally across different locations, cultures, and time zones; Proficiency in asynchronous work methods, clear written communication, documentation, and structured decision\-making; Experience in people development, career coaching, and continuous team improvement; Experience defining and managing KPIs, OKRs, roadmaps, and priorities in research or engineering contexts; Strong organizational skills, dependency management, and alignment of distributed teams; Cultural sensitivity and ability to build cohesion among geographically diverse teams; Solid and extensive knowledge of application security; Deep understanding of security concepts, vulnerabilities, mitigation techniques, and secure coding practices; Professional experience in security research, web application penetration testing, secure development, secure code review, or similar areas; Familiarity with software development and its methodologies; Strong programming knowledge in both interpreted and compiled languages; Ability to autonomously learn new programming languages and technologies; Familiarity with Agile methodologies and project management; Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills; Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast\-paced and demanding environment; Proficiency in English, including written and oral presentation. **Offer:** Full\-time employment; Hybrid work model in Braga; Leadership of an international application security research team; Work on security products used by enterprises and organizations across multiple countries; Challenging and professionally development\-oriented work environment; Competitive compensation; Work\-life balance; Year\-round benefits and perks. **About Checkmarx:** Checkmarx is a leader in application security, delivering the cloud\-native Checkmarx One platform. Its solutions help enterprises secure both human\-written and AI\-generated code throughout the entire development lifecycle — from the first line of code to runtime. The company serves over 1\.600 customers in more than 70 countries, including major enterprises and government entities, empowering developers, security teams, and organizations to build more secure software. **Equal Opportunity:** Checkmarx is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression,