Software Engineer

About Adaptive

Adaptive is a cybersecurity startup on a mission to stop AI-powered cyberattacks, founded by Brian Long and Andrew Jones—proven entrepreneurs behind Attentive (Forbes Cloud 100, $10B+ valuation) and TapCommerce (acquired by Twitter). In December 2025, Adaptive raised $81M led by NVIDIA and Bain Capital Ventures, with continued support from a16z and the OpenAI Fund—NVIDIA and OpenAI’s first cybersecurity investment.

As generative AI drives new cyber threats, Adaptive is building the defense layer every organization needs. Our platform combines personalized security training, AI-driven attack simulations, and automated threat triage, all powered by the Adaptive Risk Intelligence Engine to quantify human risk at the individual level. Trusted by top banks, tech companies, and healthcare organizations, we protect teams from emerging threats like deepfakes, smishing, and voice scams. With a solid product foundation and a $200B+ market to transform, we're just getting started.

Role

We are seeking a Software Engineer with a passion for developing high-quality software in a fast-paced startup environment to be one of our first 35 engineers.

This role involves developing and designing intuitive, scalable, and testable code that is clear and approachable for new learners. You will be joining a team that values clarity and simplicity in software design.

Responsibilities

• Design scalable, testable, and intuitive code that is accessible to new individuals ramping up to the system.


• Identify incremental and scalable approaches to business problems, with a proactive approach to problem-solving in complex distributed environments.


• Collaborate closely with other engineers to share knowledge, improve system design, and foster a culture of learning and growth.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience building customer facing software.


• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.


• Strong development experience with modern, strongly-typed programming languages such as Java, C#, Typescript, and Go.


• Proficient with SQL databases and relational schema design, ideally with experience in optimizing database interactions for performance and scalability.


• Familiarity with frameworks, such as SpringBoot and React/Redux, is a plus.


• Demonstrated ability to write clear, concise, and well-documented code.


• Experience with deploying software in a distributed environment such as AWS, GCP, Azure, etc.


• Strong problem-solving skills and the humility to learn from mistakes and collaborate with a team.

What We Offer

• An opportunity to work on a challenging product that will impact millions of people


• A culture that promotes continuous learning and growth, with access to resources and mentorship to advance your skills and career.


• A supportive, inclusive environment where every team member's contribution is valued.

Compensation & Benefits:

• Competitive cash compensation and meaningful stock.


• Several medical plans to choose from, most covered at 100% by Adaptive.


• 401k through Vestwell.


• Unlimited PTO, including winter break from Dec 24 - Jan 1.


• A fantastic office atmosphere including coffee, espresso, lounge, snacks, whiteboards, and tons of conference space.


• Rotating choice of 4 free lunch options from local restaurants every day.


• Expense dinner if you’re in the office past 7pm. Expense Uber if you happen to stay past 9pm.

Environment

This role is located in New York City, and requires the candidate to work from our office in New York City five days a week.

If you are eager to apply your skills in a dynamic, collaborative environment, and are passionate about building systems that are both powerful and accessible, we would love to hear from you.